{"id":289,"date":"2016-03-03T22:08:14","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T22:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/coderascals\/?p=289"},"modified":"2020-11-16T20:49:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T20:49:31","slug":"slides-slides-slides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/coderascals\/2016\/03\/03\/slides-slides-slides\/","title":{"rendered":"Slides, slides, slides"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s the middle of the semester and most of the Code Rascals are busy with library instruction. As an instructor, I typically\u00a0rely on slide decks created in PowerPoint to deliver workshops and presentations to courses. Slide decks help me stay on track during a talk, prompt discussion and explain workshop activities, and create a record of how I’ve tailored sessions for different sections of the same class to meet student or instructor needs. I also really like designing\u00a0slides. It’s a creative, almost soothing activity, that offers a brief distraction from more complex tasks.<\/p>\n

Each semester I find myself dusting off slide decks from previous semesters to reuse and repurpose in\u00a0old and new courses. Locating and editing slide\u00a0files is a reminder of the\u00a0ways PowerPoint falls short as a presentation tool for me (storage and access to the files can be cumbersome, custom fonts don’t display on some machines). I’m getting better at\u00a0keeping my instruction\u00a0files organized, but I still find myself scrambling to identify the\u00a0most recent version of the slide deck, to remember which version I used for which instructor, and to ensure\u00a0the slideshow will display properly on older PCs in campus classrooms I may have\u00a0never set foot in. And,\u00a0then I also have to successfully transport the files with me to various campus locations. OwlBox<\/a> has been great for cloud storage and organization, but navigating within OwlBox to locate the file at the beginning of class\u00a0can cut into instruction time, and there’s always a worry that wireless access will cut out leaving me unable to access my files. I hear that some folks use USB thumb drives, but I have a talent for losing those<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I do like PowerPoint, and this is not a rant against it. It’s typically my go-to presentation tool, but I’ve experimented with a couple of other tools this semester.<\/p>\n

Slides (slides.com<\/a>)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Slides<\/a> is\u00a0a web-based tool (with a free version) that allows you to create and store your slides in one place. The slides are HTML-based, built on reveal.js, an open source\u00a0HTML presentation framework<\/a>, and are viewable through a browser, so you don’t need to\u00a0to\u00a0have access to PowerPoint or other software to access them.<\/p>\n

\"screen
The Slides editing screen has the same basic features as PowerPoint. You can insert\u00a0and edit\u00a0text, media, shapes, and choose from\u00a0a few basic style\u00a0templates.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"screenshot
Another benefit is that you can use your phone to view speaker notes and advance through slides during your presentation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits<\/p>\n