Peruse the presentation gallery for any presentations that could be used for direct instruction or inspiration for an original presentation for class use. Discuss the necessary elements for effective, appropriate visuals for presentations. With the whole class, discuss and prioritize the criteria for an exemplar presentation; using this rubric, provide students with links to certain presentations to evaluate, or let students evaluate presentations of their choice from the site. Let students collect data using to rubric to prompt class discussions on effective presentations. After students have validated research, assign the summative task of creating a powerful presentation showcasing that content. Finally, teachers can offer this tool as one of many options for demonstrating their understanding or presenting their work.
Continue readingSlideBean is a Web-based presentation creator that offers sleek presentation designs through an easy-to-navigate interface that allows for creativity in template, font, image, and media. While this site is not primarily meant for teachers and students, its features address and support presentation standards associated with high school literacy. SlideBean allows all members access to view other public presentations. Some presentations in the gallery are less useful or complete than others; to view more reliable presentations, visit the staff picks.
There are several versions of the product that range from cost-free, with limited creativity and privacy, to the Pro version, with more sophisticated features for privacy, creation, and collaboration. Though some paid versions seem pricey, there are discounts available: If teachers or students invite friends to join the site, SlideBean will offer a discount on any of the paid plans.
This tool can increase the "wow" factor of any presentation. It's a great method of summative assessment for skills associated to presenting, speaking, and listening, and it's a great way to get students to think about capturing their spoken words in an effective visual aid. Keep in mind that it doesn't offer any instruction for any of these skills -- just the application and delivery. That being said, SlideBean can serve as a powerful tool for student creativity and confidence with regard to presenting information. The presentation gallery, especially the staff picks, offers some useful resources for teachers, who can carefully monitor and advise students on the validity of the user-generated content. Anyone with an account can publish a public presentation regardless of its topic. Students can create free, basic accounts to use; however, their presentations will be public for other members to view. Confidentiality and student privacy could be a concern with any content included in presentations.