Creating Powerful Presentations

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Maybe Ren Yi Xiang could have used some images, video, or music to clarify his presentation!

Creating a great presentation with eye-catching images is just a matter of following a few simple steps.

Choose a Topic

Obviously, this is the most important step. You have to have something to communicate so that you can create an interesting presentation.

Choose something that really interests you and about which you have something to say.

Make some notes to organize your thoughts.

• What are the most important ideas you want to share?

Write Your Text

Remember that creating a presentation is not like writing an essay. Focus on your key thoughts. With slideshow presentations, you have to keep your text to a minimum.

Also remember that a slideshow is there to enhance your presentation with images, video, and audio. You are the main attraction, not the slideshow!

Don't read from your slides. Think of them as anchors for your ideas.

If you have a lot to say that you think you might forget, put some information in the notes section. Click on the word "notes" on the bottom of the slide page to open up this space. These are for your use only. Your audience will not see them.

Take time to choose a good opening that will really engage the interest of your audience. Then, explain the purpose of your presentation. Try to do this in just one sentence.

Be careful not to just present dry facts. Choose your main points carefully, and use some humor, examples, and stories. Engage your audience by asking questions that make them think!

When you write your text on the slide pages, make sure to choose fonts that are simple and easy to read.

Add Multimedia Elements

Now we get to the really fun part: adding images, video, audio, and other elements to clarify the information you're presenting.

If you use PowerPoint, adding any of these elements is fairly simple. When you want to insert an image, you can either copy the image and paste it on the slide, or click on "Insert" and then "Picture" (if it's on your computer), or "Online Picture" (if it's online).

Try to choose images that:

Use the same process to add a video. Click on "Insert". Then, choose "Online Video" or "Video on My PC".

An example of Video Added to a Slide can be found under the Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. It will look like this:

If you just want to add an audio file, click on "Insert" and then "Audio". Insert a clip that's already on your PC or record something yourself.

Once the file is loaded onto the slide, there are some options you can choose such as whether to have it play automatically or only when you click on it.

For more helpful tips on making your slideshow, watch DO's and DON'Ts in making presentation more effective from Miss Gila:

Ending

At the end of your presentation, summarize the key points and conclude with an idea of how the information can be used by your audience.

That's a lot to remember, but you'll get some practice in the Got It? section!