Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007—A How To Guide
GETTING STARTED
What pops up is a large slide on the screen. Two boxes sit within this first slide. One says, “Click to add Title” and the other, smaller one reads, “Click to add Subtitles”. In the left-hand margin is a small version of this same slide.
Add text and or retrieve an image from a search engine or add your own pictures from a picture file. You can also insert charts, tables, graphics or media clips. Just click on the icon you’re interested in adding.
When finished with the initial slide, click on “Next Slide” and fill it. Continue until you have all the slides you want.
ANIMATIONS
Select Animations tab. There are several animation options to choose from and you can pick a different one for each slide. To the far right of the toolbar, under Advance Slide, click on the box that says “Automatically After” and put in a time—either seconds or minutes—depending how long you want each slide to show. Also, be sure to unclick “On Mouse Click” on every slide.
SOUND/AUDIO
Go to Insert and (to the far right) click on Sound—choose Record Sound. You’ll need a microphone and headphones.
Once you click on Record Sound, a box will pop up. Click on the red button and begin reading your text. When you’re done speaking about the first slide, click the red button again. Length is recorded so you know how long your audio is per slid. Simply cancel to re-record if you’re not happy with the recording.
Remove the megaphone or sound symbol by dragging it off each slide.
For further information, go to http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials/talkingBooks/powerpoint.php http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-create-a-talking-book-in-microsoft-office-powerpoint-2003 http://atclassroom.blogspot.com/2007/04/talking-powerpoint-books-using.html
I incorporated talking power points in my English Fundamentals classroom this spring by first having my students write five-paragraph essays about “Where in the World” they want to travel. Once they finished the writing piece, they put together talking power points. Most of them were familiar with power points, but none of them had ever created one with sound.
Power points are so versatile. Other ways students can use them include: creating a summary or character analysis of a book recently read, defining terms/vocabulary in any subject matter, as a teaching tool to learn the values of coins and bills, figuring out how to tell time, creating social stories, to note the steps of a specific recipe and as part of an oral presentation for (again) any subject.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Learning Photo Story
Using Photo Story is a great way to inspire, introduce and enhance any lesson. Like its name implies, this type of medium allows the user to tell a story in a digital format, using pictures, narration and or music. Made by Microsoft, it's free and can be downloaded off the internet.
It might be simpler to list what Photo Story can't be used for--as the possibilities are vast and wide! It's a high-interest tool that appeals to students whose learning preferences are visual, auditory or both. The combination of pictures with music intrigue emotionally, or leave the viewer curious to know more about the subject at hand. Of the three options presented to us in the technology class I'm taking through Chico State--voice thread, podcast and photo story, I knew I wanted to choose the latter because it seemed the most interesting and looked like a lot of fun.
Putting together the photo story was a blast! I began by selecting photos of Austria off the internet. I wanted to make a presentation to my English students, who at the time, were researching places in the world they would like to travel. All the pictures I selected—whether from sites recommended by technology instructor Glenda Hampton Anderson or otherwise—turned out blurry when I imported them. Could be a pixel problem or because certain sites don’t want their photos to be used. To avoid the blurry issue, I decided to put together a photo story of my students who are embarking on a service learning project. About midway through the story, I realized submission of this story means these students’ images would be on the web. Although I do have permission slips signed on each student, I felt I should talk to each parent so they know exactly where the assignment would end up (on the web, albeit for a college course). I knew a couple of my protective parents would be reluctant. Plus, in addition to already having county approval, I needed district approval, which isn’t easy to get without knowing all parents are on board. So, I decided to come up with a third photo story. My English students will each interview a person of interest who has resided in Modoc County a number of years. The introductory photo story I created—which is intended to inspire them-- included scenic photos around Alturas. These students need practice listening and writing and I thought this lesson plan—where they have to interview someone—would be a good hands-on exercise for them. I used John (Cougar) Mellancamp’s Small Town as background music. It was simply a blast to put together (as was the service learning story) and fun to dabble in photography once again.
By the time I was ready to submit Small Town, I had challenges emailing it (using both my work and personal email accounts) because it was too large. No surprise there. So I downloaded WinZip off the internet and compressed and recompressed. Still too large, I went back into the story to remove some of the photos—which I hated doing—and eventually the size was small enough. With 15 minutes to spare, the story emailed successfully! However, I checked the attachment in my email’s sent file, and a box to buy winzip popped up instead of my story! [I noticed later that someone else in the class had the same result]. I was at a loss as to what to do. I contacted my sister-in-law (who’s technologically savy) and together, we transferred the original photo story to a flash drive and submitted it through her email successfully.
It was good to go through the compression process, but it seems like a waste of effort that you can compress a file only to have it become “corrupted” and therefore unable to send by way of email.
For more information, go to http://photopeach.com/ http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/learnmore/ballew_photostory3.mspx and http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/tech_quick_guides/photo_story.shtm
It might be simpler to list what Photo Story can't be used for--as the possibilities are vast and wide! It's a high-interest tool that appeals to students whose learning preferences are visual, auditory or both. The combination of pictures with music intrigue emotionally, or leave the viewer curious to know more about the subject at hand. Of the three options presented to us in the technology class I'm taking through Chico State--voice thread, podcast and photo story, I knew I wanted to choose the latter because it seemed the most interesting and looked like a lot of fun.
Putting together the photo story was a blast! I began by selecting photos of Austria off the internet. I wanted to make a presentation to my English students, who at the time, were researching places in the world they would like to travel. All the pictures I selected—whether from sites recommended by technology instructor Glenda Hampton Anderson or otherwise—turned out blurry when I imported them. Could be a pixel problem or because certain sites don’t want their photos to be used. To avoid the blurry issue, I decided to put together a photo story of my students who are embarking on a service learning project. About midway through the story, I realized submission of this story means these students’ images would be on the web. Although I do have permission slips signed on each student, I felt I should talk to each parent so they know exactly where the assignment would end up (on the web, albeit for a college course). I knew a couple of my protective parents would be reluctant. Plus, in addition to already having county approval, I needed district approval, which isn’t easy to get without knowing all parents are on board. So, I decided to come up with a third photo story. My English students will each interview a person of interest who has resided in Modoc County a number of years. The introductory photo story I created—which is intended to inspire them-- included scenic photos around Alturas. These students need practice listening and writing and I thought this lesson plan—where they have to interview someone—would be a good hands-on exercise for them. I used John (Cougar) Mellancamp’s Small Town as background music. It was simply a blast to put together (as was the service learning story) and fun to dabble in photography once again.
By the time I was ready to submit Small Town, I had challenges emailing it (using both my work and personal email accounts) because it was too large. No surprise there. So I downloaded WinZip off the internet and compressed and recompressed. Still too large, I went back into the story to remove some of the photos—which I hated doing—and eventually the size was small enough. With 15 minutes to spare, the story emailed successfully! However, I checked the attachment in my email’s sent file, and a box to buy winzip popped up instead of my story! [I noticed later that someone else in the class had the same result]. I was at a loss as to what to do. I contacted my sister-in-law (who’s technologically savy) and together, we transferred the original photo story to a flash drive and submitted it through her email successfully.
It was good to go through the compression process, but it seems like a waste of effort that you can compress a file only to have it become “corrupted” and therefore unable to send by way of email.
For more information, go to http://photopeach.com/ http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/learnmore/ballew_photostory3.mspx and http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/tech_quick_guides/photo_story.shtm
All About Bookshare.org
Bookshare.org is an internet-based, digital library funded by award monies through the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This resource avails anybody with a print disability access to materials in print. Students in grades kindergarten up to age 26 who have specific learning disabilities, are visually impaired or who are physically disabled are eligible to use Bookshare free of charge.
An online library, Bookshare is helpful for students who have mild to moderate disabilities, because its collection includes not only books, but textbooks, magazines and newspapers as well. Readers can browse, request and download items any day of the week, at any hour.
Bookshare memberships include individual, organizational and gift.
Individual: Offered freely to anyone who has a qualifying disability, whether in public school, private, home-school post-secondary or adult education. In addition to having an individual account set up, these members can also be included through organizational membership. If under age 18, students need parental permission to obtain membership. Cost is $75 for all other individuals in the United States. Costs vary for those outside the U.S. Up to 100 books per month may be downloaded!
Organizational: Membership is free for the following: schools, libraries, rehabilitation facilities, resource agencies, retirement communities and group homes inside and outside the U.S. that work with people who have print disabilities. Cost varies for all other U.S. organizations (by the quantity of books used) and international organizations.
Staff members download books for students and clients, providing Bookshare with both a roster of sponsors and members.
Gift memberships: Benefit those who have qualifying disabilities. Through gift membership, books may also be ordered in Braille. Recipients of gift memberships register on the website and provide Proof of Disability.
ADVANTAGES FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DISABILITIES:
Struggling readers have access to print items in alternate forms, such as enlarging the text, changing its color, font, putting fewer words on a page and following the text while listening to a narrator. This last option, known as a text-to-speech, also lets readers choose the tone of the narrator’s voice and how fast they want the text read. Text-to-speech programs such as Read:OutLoud are downloadable and read files in Microsoft word, Microsoft internet, PDF files and emails.
Although Bookshare is available for students beginning at the kindergarten level, it’s recommended for students in upper elementary grades (and beyond) if reading strategies have proven unsuccessful. Secondary education includes multiple teachers and greater expectations, which can be overwhelming to students who find reading difficult.
How do teachers provide support to students? Through Bookshare, teachers can help students access books as easily as students who don’t have disabilities. The best case scenario is that teachers will help students change their attitudes about reading by helping them enjoy reading and succeed at learning by reading. Alex Clark, a 13-year-old student at Lowville Academy in Lowville, New York, states in a promotional video that Bookshare makes him feel smart. Reading through Bookshare helps him know what’s going on, whereas before, he didn’t understand what he read. Having text-to-speech access makes it easier for him to pay attention and relax. The information stays with him and has helped him raise his grades, he says. He is now prepared for tests and finds them “easy”. Testimonials from other users note that Bookshare helps them focus. The words on the page “move” through highlighting. Reading becomes easier, is more accurate and helps students gain independence.
For more information, go to Bookshare.org and http://twitter.com/BookShare and http://atclassroom.blogspot.com/2007/10/bookshare.html
An online library, Bookshare is helpful for students who have mild to moderate disabilities, because its collection includes not only books, but textbooks, magazines and newspapers as well. Readers can browse, request and download items any day of the week, at any hour.
Bookshare memberships include individual, organizational and gift.
Individual: Offered freely to anyone who has a qualifying disability, whether in public school, private, home-school post-secondary or adult education. In addition to having an individual account set up, these members can also be included through organizational membership. If under age 18, students need parental permission to obtain membership. Cost is $75 for all other individuals in the United States. Costs vary for those outside the U.S. Up to 100 books per month may be downloaded!
Organizational: Membership is free for the following: schools, libraries, rehabilitation facilities, resource agencies, retirement communities and group homes inside and outside the U.S. that work with people who have print disabilities. Cost varies for all other U.S. organizations (by the quantity of books used) and international organizations.
Staff members download books for students and clients, providing Bookshare with both a roster of sponsors and members.
Gift memberships: Benefit those who have qualifying disabilities. Through gift membership, books may also be ordered in Braille. Recipients of gift memberships register on the website and provide Proof of Disability.
ADVANTAGES FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DISABILITIES:
Struggling readers have access to print items in alternate forms, such as enlarging the text, changing its color, font, putting fewer words on a page and following the text while listening to a narrator. This last option, known as a text-to-speech, also lets readers choose the tone of the narrator’s voice and how fast they want the text read. Text-to-speech programs such as Read:OutLoud are downloadable and read files in Microsoft word, Microsoft internet, PDF files and emails.
Although Bookshare is available for students beginning at the kindergarten level, it’s recommended for students in upper elementary grades (and beyond) if reading strategies have proven unsuccessful. Secondary education includes multiple teachers and greater expectations, which can be overwhelming to students who find reading difficult.
How do teachers provide support to students? Through Bookshare, teachers can help students access books as easily as students who don’t have disabilities. The best case scenario is that teachers will help students change their attitudes about reading by helping them enjoy reading and succeed at learning by reading. Alex Clark, a 13-year-old student at Lowville Academy in Lowville, New York, states in a promotional video that Bookshare makes him feel smart. Reading through Bookshare helps him know what’s going on, whereas before, he didn’t understand what he read. Having text-to-speech access makes it easier for him to pay attention and relax. The information stays with him and has helped him raise his grades, he says. He is now prepared for tests and finds them “easy”. Testimonials from other users note that Bookshare helps them focus. The words on the page “move” through highlighting. Reading becomes easier, is more accurate and helps students gain independence.
For more information, go to Bookshare.org and http://twitter.com/BookShare and http://atclassroom.blogspot.com/2007/10/bookshare.html
Triumphs
This section is devoted to anything good that happens--WHATEVER helps improve students' access to the curriculum.
- Just Like That--I told the SELPA secretary about Bookshare.org, who passed the word onto the SELPA director, who--within two weeks, signed us up! What a GIFT we now have to pass onto our students who have difficulty reading! May this be the beginning of a beautiful turning point for them.
Student Showcase
This section is to showcase (and show off!) student work. If a student has worked particularly hard at an assignment, then it will be displayed here for others to see.
This semester, my English Fundamentals students each wrote essays on what they felt is the biggest problem in America. Topics such as drunk driving, teenage pregnancy, animal abuse, kidnapping and drugs were researched. Profiled here is freshman Victoria Hamilton's essay on child abuse.
Child Abuse in America
By V.H.
Jan. 8, 2010
Out of all the problems in America, child abuse is one of the worst. Child abuse is bad for three main reasons. It results in physical abuse, mental damage and causes relationship problems.
First, physical child abuse is when parents hit and kick their child. This is bad because it can kill the child. Some abused children may be hospitalized with brain damage, or may suffer other injuries like broken bones, bruises and burns. Children should not endure such suffering.
Second, child abuse causes mental suffering. Abused children feel unloved and rejected. Years of abuse can lead to mental illness. Children should not be made to feel worthless. They should feel happy and loved. All children deserve loving parents who care for them and protect them.
Third, many children who are abused have relationship problems as adults. They find it hard to trust anyone. In addition, they may have unresolved anger. Left untreated, the cycle of abuse may repeat itself when abused children grow up and begin to have children of their own.
Child abuse should not be tolerated. Parents who abuse children need to be counseled, and their children should be placed in foster homes. Older abused children should get to choose where they live for the rest of their lives. Abusers should be educated about the dangers of child abuse. According to the Child Abuse Council of Santa Clara County, “Child abuse prevention costs only a fraction of the millions of dollars currently needed to respond after a child has been abused,” (2010). Prevention makes sense.
Clearly, child abuse is a problem in America because it affects the lives of many children in a negative way. Children deserve loving homes where they feel safe. They should be treated with respect and love. Children are too young to protect themselves, so the rest of us should make sure that child abuse is not allowed to continue.
Work Cited
“Child Abuse Statistics”. Child Abuse Council of Santa Clara County. 28 January 2010
www.cacscc.org/statistics.htm.
This semester, my English Fundamentals students each wrote essays on what they felt is the biggest problem in America. Topics such as drunk driving, teenage pregnancy, animal abuse, kidnapping and drugs were researched. Profiled here is freshman Victoria Hamilton's essay on child abuse.
Child Abuse in America
By V.H.
Jan. 8, 2010
Out of all the problems in America, child abuse is one of the worst. Child abuse is bad for three main reasons. It results in physical abuse, mental damage and causes relationship problems.
First, physical child abuse is when parents hit and kick their child. This is bad because it can kill the child. Some abused children may be hospitalized with brain damage, or may suffer other injuries like broken bones, bruises and burns. Children should not endure such suffering.
Second, child abuse causes mental suffering. Abused children feel unloved and rejected. Years of abuse can lead to mental illness. Children should not be made to feel worthless. They should feel happy and loved. All children deserve loving parents who care for them and protect them.
Third, many children who are abused have relationship problems as adults. They find it hard to trust anyone. In addition, they may have unresolved anger. Left untreated, the cycle of abuse may repeat itself when abused children grow up and begin to have children of their own.
Child abuse should not be tolerated. Parents who abuse children need to be counseled, and their children should be placed in foster homes. Older abused children should get to choose where they live for the rest of their lives. Abusers should be educated about the dangers of child abuse. According to the Child Abuse Council of Santa Clara County, “Child abuse prevention costs only a fraction of the millions of dollars currently needed to respond after a child has been abused,” (2010). Prevention makes sense.
Clearly, child abuse is a problem in America because it affects the lives of many children in a negative way. Children deserve loving homes where they feel safe. They should be treated with respect and love. Children are too young to protect themselves, so the rest of us should make sure that child abuse is not allowed to continue.
Work Cited
“Child Abuse Statistics”. Child Abuse Council of Santa Clara County. 28 January 2010
www.cacscc.org/statistics.htm.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Daily Schedule
1st Period: Math, Study Skills
2nd Period: English Fundamentals
3rd Period: Prep
4th Period: Study Skills, Reading
5th Period: Assessment
6th Period: Social Stories
7th Period: Work Study
2nd Period: English Fundamentals
3rd Period: Prep
4th Period: Study Skills, Reading
5th Period: Assessment
6th Period: Social Stories
7th Period: Work Study
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