10 Ways Teachers and Trainers can Improve Presentations

Jan 31, 2019

Introduction

In this episode we will explore ways teachers and trainers can improve their presentations (specifically, how they can improve their slides, we will save the communication aspect for another show).

This episode considers presentation slides as just one of a teacher or trainer’s teaching tools. If you use a presentation in every teaching session, or you are overly reliant on them, I encourage you to try a session without a presentation and see how it goes (after you’ve listened to this episode, of course!)

1. Consistent Design

• Set up a master slide so your design is consistent.
• Choose a colour scheme.
• Aim to create a stylish, aesthetically pleasing document.

2. Careful Image Use

• Do not use copyrighted image - especially those with watermarks!
• Choose age-appropriate images.
• Further reading:
  • Free Photography Resources for Teachers and Trainers
  • The Noun Project for Google Slides and Google Docs

3. Pay Attention to Fonts

• Pick a readable font (I favour sans-serif - it’s easier to read and looks more modern).
• If using a white background, opt for grey text to reduce “glare”.
• Use a maximum of two fonts - one for headings and one for text.
• Avoid underlining text as this can make it more difficult to read.

4. Avoid Text Heavy Slides

• Your slide text should be a prompt.
• Use speaker’s notes for more detailed text.

5. Use Shortlinks

• To avoid cluttered slides shorten all links.
• I recommend the link shortener Bitly but alternatives are available.

6. Embed Video

• In Google Slides INSERT > VIDEO (direct link to YouTube).
• Exiting the presentation looks clunky and wastes time.

7. Minimal Animation

• I don’t use animation.
• It wastes time and is distracting.

8. Use Audience Participation

• If you use Google Slides, experiment with their audience participation tools.
• Alternatively, use a back channel tool.
• Further reading:
  • Nine Classroom Backchannel Tools You Can Start Using Today

9. Use QR Codes to Share the Presentation

• Instead of giving paper handouts consider sharing the presentation electronically (if your organisation has sufficient tech to do so).
• Share using a shortlink and QR code.
• My favourite QR code generator.

10. Use GIFs

• Moving images can make slides more interesting and also inject a little fun into a dry subject.
• GIFs can sometimes be a good replacement for video if you are demonstrating something simple e.g. a short series of mouse moves on a computer.
• I use GIPHY for finding fun GIFs and Cloud App for creating my own GIFs.

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please check out my new book, The Productive Teacher at theproductiveteacherbook.com.