November Tech Tidbit: Sway!

Post date: Nov 08, 2018 6:24:30 PM

Our November Tech Tidbit is Microsoft Sway!

Sway is a digital presentation and story telling tool that can be used as an alternative to PowerPoint. Since it is an app, it is available across platforms and we have free access to it with our Office 365 accounts!

Sway is meant to make it easier and quicker to communicate information. Unlike PowerPoint, Sway is designed to be interactive and plays out as a continuous page of information.

Sway works to optimize the process by helping format it in a way that is cohesive, as well as allowing the user to pull from online sources instead of having to create their own visual content to upload.

It has some really cool features that make it interactive. I can see this as a way to have students do self guided notes. The photo stack is great for this (seen below). Students could also use it to summarize research or present an argument that you can embed into a classroom webpage.

It's definitely an adjustment to change from PowerPoint to Sway. They can serve the same purpose, but Sway really streamlines the process. If you want to give it a try, Sway does allow for you to import and existing Word, PDF, or PowerPoint file that will be converted to the Sway format! Microsoft made a short video sharing what they see as uses for Sway:

What to know more about Sway?

• We have an Ed Tech Conference session on March 26 that will be helping us learn to use Sway.

• In the meantime, our Ed Tech TOSAs featured Sway in a post on the Bit & Pieces blog. Be sure to check it out!

• Microsoft has created a Sway to teach your How to Sway; it's a good starting point!

If you want to learn more about technology in the classroom, consider joining our Ed Tech Conference!

Register here or search for #10329 Building Tech Series - Skyline

If you want to plan ahead, I have calendar invites available here. I’m looking forward to seeing a bunch of you for our next Ed Tech Conference Session on Tuesday, October 23!

• Future dates for the series include:

  • Nov. 20: Hour of Code with Cameron Parker

  • Dec. 11: Educreations with Jenny Godley

    • Alternate Date: Dec. 10 - Repeat Educreations Session!

  • Jan. 8: wizer.me with Tracy Schellberg

  • Feb. 5: Flipgrid with Courtney Gilpin

    • Alternate Date: Feb. 7 - Repeat Flipgrid Session!

  • Mar. 26: Microsoft Sway with Stephanie Olson

  • Apr. 30

  • May 21

  • June 4