Tag Archives: instructional technology

Why Students Should Use Presenter View in PowerPoint 1

presentation view Are you or your students giving a PowerPoint presentation using a projector? Do you have speaker notes on the slides to which you would like to refer? Presenter View is a great feature in PowerPoint 2016 and 2013 that allows the audience to see only the slide on a large screen while the presenter can see the slide, speaker notes, navigation icons, and even pen and laser pointer tools on their computer screen.
Few people are completely comfortable with speaking to a group. But having the tools to refer to notes, appear self-assured, and present a slide show competently will boost anyone’s confidence.

How to ‘Test’ Presenter View

Turn on Presenter View without being connected to a projector to test it.

View slide 1 of a PowerPoint 2016 or 2013 presentation. Click Slide Show in the taskbar.
At the bottom of the screen, click Slide Show Options.
Click Show Presenter View.
If this does not work and you just see the slide, click Display Settings. Select Swap Presenter View and Slide Show.

You will see the slide, the next slide that will appear (or next animation), speaker notes and a number of useful presenter tools.

Presenter View Features

Presenter View is an enhanced version of viewing the slide show. You see much more than just the slides, and the extra tools are helpful in giving a professional, effective presentation.

Navigation Buttons – Advance to the next slide or animation or go to the previous slide using the arrows.
Speaker Notes – Refer to your notes as a reminder of what you wanted to say for the slide. You can even change the font size of the notes while in Presenter View using the text tools at the bottom of the notes pane.
Next Slide – See a preview of the next slide, or if you have animations to control the flow of information, see what will appear next.
Tools – Direct the attention of the audience with a laser pointer, pen, or highlighter. You can change the pen color and erase as well.
Zoom – Use the magnifying glass tool to zoom into a specific part of the slide to draw the attention of the audience to it.
See All Slides – If there is a question period at the end or your presentation, or if you need to quickly go to another slide, use this tool to see a thumbnail of all slides.
Timer – Track how long you have been presenting the slide show. If the presentation is on a time limit, refer to this useful tool to time the slide show.

In my next post, I’ll list some of the benefits of using Presenter View with students to build public speaking skills and make their presentations engaging and compelling for their peers.

Teach Presentation Skills

Power up a presentation, teach essential research skills, and build public speaking techniques with TechnoPresenter technology project. Integrate this project into an area of the curriculum using any topic of study. This project is suitable for student in junior and middle school grades. Learn more about TechnoPresenter here.

PDF Adobe Acrobat Reader and TechnoKids Projects

TechnoKids Teacher Guides and Student Workbooks are in PDF format. Which PDF reader will you use to view the documents? There are lots of free and paid PDF readers but you may already have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer. If not, it’s a free download. Follow the link at the end of this blog to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.

You can use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and read files, but it has some additional features that allow you to comment, or annotate, the PDF document. Often TechnoKids assignments ask students to fill in the blanks, write a planner, complete a quiz, or check items in a checklist. With the tools in Adobe Reader, these questions can be answered digitally, a bonus for the paperless classroom. TechnoKids even includes separate digital copies of every assignment so that students can easily complete and track their work electronically.

Watch an Adobe Acrobat Reader video.

Here are step-by-step instructions to use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open PDF files and use the tools to add notes or comments.

Open the File in Adobe Reader

Open Adobe Acrobat Reader.
From the File menu, pick Open.
Go to the place where you saved the TechnoKids assignments. Choose Assignment 1 and click Open.
Find a place where an answer or annotation is needed – a blank to fill in, a checklist to complete, a multiple choice review, or other question.
In the pane on the right side of the window, pick Comment. A commenting toolbar appears at the top of the screen. Use the tools to draw freehand or type with the keyboard.

Draw Free Form

Use this tool to make a checkmark, circle, line, or whatever you need to draw.

Select the pencil, called Draw free form.
Click the Color Picker and choose a color.
Click Line Thickness and drag the slider to choose a width.
Click and drag on the document.

Draw Free Form

Add a Text Box

This method adds a text box with an outline.

Select Add text box.
Click in the document where the text box is to be placed. A box appears.
Type the answer. Press the ESC key or click outside the box when finished.
To adjust the placement of the text box, drag it to position.
Use the Color Picker to change the border or fill color of the box.

textbox

Add Text Without a Text Box

Use this tool if you want just text with no box outline.

Select Add text comment.
Click in the document and begin typing.
To format the words, select the text and use the Text Properties tools that appear: font, size, color, and line spacing.
Press ESC or click away from the text.
If necessary, move the words by dragging.

text

Save Your Work

From the File menu, click Save As.
Go to the place where you save your work. (You may want to organize your files by creating a subfolder with the name of the project.)
Click Save.
Close Adobe Reader.

Open and Continue Working

Open Adobe Reader.
Double click on the document listed in the main window, or click Open in the File menu.
Click Comment in the pane on the right. Notice that there is a list of the annotations made in the last session, together with the tool used.
To make changes – edit, format, or delete – click on any comment in the list to select it.
Continue to fill in any answers.
When finished, click Save to overwrite the previous work.

Be sure to have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the updated features. Download it here.

TechnoPresenter is a technology project animating a presentation to build public speaking skills with elementary and middle school students. Students use the digital workbook to answer questions and follow instructions. They create a slide show on a topic of their choice, add speaker notes, and then present to their peers. Read more about TechnoPresenter here.

8 Free Sound Libraries for Schools

sound libraries Looking for music or sound effects to enhance a digital project? Here are some sites offering free downloads that are legal for use in any educational, non-commercial application.
Caution: Some sound collections may contain sounds inappropriate for school use. Discuss with students before using these libraries to confirm their understanding of suitable content.

SoundBible

comprehensive list of free sound effects, download in wav or mp3 format
may contain sounds not appropriate for school use

Flash Kit

has search feature, an easy index to browse through, and lists length of sound
it is not obvious how to download – right click the sound and pick Save As

Free Sound Effects.com

download button is clear, there is a choice of mp3 or wav
even though there are better quality “Pro Sound Effects” to purchase, the list of “Free Sound Effects” is on the first page – scroll down to see them

freeSFX

searchable, lists sound length, download button is obvious
only mp3 sound format

SeaWorld Animal Sounds

safe for young children, click on the animal image to hear the sound or click on the name to see animal facts
limited choice, must right click to download

Freeplay Music

music is free for use in education, high quality, can search by music mood
must create an account and login to download

Partners in Rhyme

huge collection, scroll down to Free Resources to find Free Sound Effects or Free Royalty Free Music
easy to confuse free downloads with Royalty Free Music which must be purchased

Free Music Archive

library of free legal audio downloads, can search by genre, preview and download buttons are clear and easy to see
length of music and size file are not listed

sound library

Cyberbullying – Teach Awareness and Responses

As educators, we strive to promote a climate of respect. Bullying behavior is evident on the playground, but it is more difficult to detect and respond to when it takes place online. In addition, students need to recognize cyberbullying. They need to know when the line is crossed and a joke or teasing has gone too far. The first step is to build an awareness of cyberbullying. Next, students should know what they can do and who they can go to for help if they are a victim. Promote a community of responsible digital citizens in the classroom.

What Is a Cyberbully?

Cyberbullies are people who threaten another person by using the Internet to post hurtful or embarrassing messages, images, or videos. Cyberbullies can make a person feel scared, worried, or angry.

Often a bully will say that the message “was just a joke.” Cyberbullying is NO JOKING MATTER and it is NOT FUNNY.

Cyberbullying is illegal. In some countries cyberbullying is a hate crime that can result in a fine or jail time. In other countries, cyberbullying is slander and a lawsuit can be filed against the bully. At some schools, cyberbullying is a reason for expulsion or cause to ban use of Internet at school.

Do Not Be a Cyberbully

Be a responsible digital citizen. Do not be a bully!

Do not continue to e-mail someone after they have asked you to stop.
Do not post any comments online, using e-mail, chat, or social media sites, which would be hurtful or embarrassing to another person.
Do not threaten anyone using e-mail, chat, or social media sites.
Do not post or tag a picture of anyone without their consent.
Do not share personal information about another person without their consent.

What Should You Do if You are a Victim of Cyberbullying?

When you are bullied it can make you feel worried or scared. Do not ignore the problem. You can stop cyberbullying. To do this:

Tell an adult about the bullying.
Do not delete the message from the bully. It is evidence.
Inform your Internet service provider. They can help find the identity of the bully.
If a message contains a death threat or threat to cause bodily harm, contact the police.

What Can You Do to Stop Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying can be done using e-mail, instant messaging, bulletin boards, websites, polling booths, and more.

E-Mail: Cyberbullies send hateful messages to a person using e-mail. Often the cyberbully will register for a free e-mail account so no one will be able to guess their identity. They may register for an e-mail address that has a threatening tone such as kickname@live.ca.
What can you do if you are a victim? Add the e-mail address of the sender to a blocked e-mail list. This will stop new messages from being delivered. It is possible to trace the source of an e-mail. You can contact the Internet service provider of the e-mail account to try to get the company to delete the e-mail address of the cyberbully.
Instant Messaging: Cyberbullies send hateful messages to a person using chat software. Often the cyberbully will change their nickname to include a nasty message such as “Name is ugly” or ” I hate name.” Everyone who receives an instant message from the cyberbully will be able to read the mean nickname.
What can you do if you are a victim? Add the contact information of the sender to a blocked list. This will stop new messages from being delivered. If the cyberbully is a student, you can contact their parent or teacher to let them know about the abuse.
Bulletin Boards: Cyberbullies post hateful messages to a bulletin board that people can read. The messages often include the victim’s telephone number or e-mail address to get other people to abuse the person.
What can you do if you are a victim? Contact the manager of the bulletin board. The manager can delete the hateful message and stop the cyberbully from posting any new messages.
Websites: Cyberbullies create web pages that have mean pictures or hateful information about another person.
What can you do if you are a victim? Most Internet service providers have rules about the content of websites. When cyberbullies create hateful web pages they are breaking the rules. The Internet service provider can request that the bully remove the content on the web page or delete the website.
Polling Booths: Cyberbullies post online surveys where people vote for the ugliest, fattest, dumbest boy or girl.
What can you do if you are a victim? Polling booths are often part of a service offered by an online social community. Most communities have rules about the content members can post. When cyberbullies create hateful polls they are breaking the rules. The operator of the social community can request that the bully remove the poll or delete their member account.
Imposter: Cyberbullies will hack into the victim’s account. As an imposter, they will send fake e-mails or post rude comments.
What can you do if you are a victim? Protect your identity. To do this, create a password that is difficult to guess. Do not tell your password to anyone, except your parent or teacher. Always log out when you leave a computer. If someone hacks into your account, change your password right away.

For more Internet activities and digital citizenship lessons, see TechnoKids’ technology project TechnoJourney.