Using PowerPoint:

 

You can open the PowerPoint program from the start menu/programs. It will be located in the main list of programs, or within Microsoft Office.  

 

Save your work regularly. Just click on the floppy disk icon on the menu at the top of your screen.  You should be backing up your work both to your own account on the server as well as a floppy disk (or USB drive) (or email attached file to yourself). Computers crash. Don’t lose all your work. When saving files to the server, make sure to save to the H drive. See Mr. Rick to get your own private account on the server. Saving to the generic accounts like isaguest is not safe.

 

* Use the help function when you have a question!! Click on the button! You can find all your answers here. For example, if you want to insert a new slide, type “new slide” into the box and press enter for instruction on how to do it.

 

Undo Typing: When you want to undo something, press ctrl z, or click on Edit on the menu and then choose Undo.

 

Adding Text: When you first open PowerPoint, your blank page might already have textboxes on it. Click on the box, and then you can move, resize and delete the box, as well as write text in it. To move the box, just put your cursor on the border of the box and click and drag. To resize it, put your cursor on one of the circles on the box border and drag. To add a new text box, click on the “Insert” button at the top of the page, then click on “Text Box.”

 

Adding Pictures: You can copy pictures from most Internet websites into your PowerPoint presentation. Just copy and paste it into one of your slides, and click on it to resize it.  

 

 

Changing Background color and design:

Click on Format and then Background, or right click your mouse outside the textboxes (or anywhere on the little slide on the left side of your page). Click on the downward pointing arrow to see your color choices, and click on Fill Effects for more options. You can apply the background to just the current slide, or to all of your slides.  If you forget how to do this, just type the word “background” into the help box, and you’ll find the answer.

 

Adding New Slides: Click on the “Insert” tab at the top of your screen. Click on “New Slide.”

 

Slide Transition: You can be very creative in deciding how each new slide should appear on your screen. Right click on the little slide on the left side of your screen and select Slide Transition. Or, click on Slide Show on the top menu bar, then choose Slide Transition. Click on the various options on the right side of your screen.

 

Text and Picture Entrance: You can decide how your pictures and text for each slide will appear on the screen. Click on Custom Animation, located in the Slide Show menu, and then click on a picture or text box in one of your slides. Click on Add Effect and choose one of the options. Notice that during your presentation, each text box and object on your slide will only enter the screen when you click on the mouse, unless you change the Start setting to make them appear automatically.

 

Order of Slides: To change the order in which your slides will appear, hold down the left button on your mouse on one of the little slides on the left side of your screen. Drag it to a new position.

 

View your show! Press the F5 key. Left mouse click to switch to the next slide, or select automatic advance.