Beyond Slideshows

Alternate Presentation Options for the Classroom

Using G Suite apps and Chromebooks

This site and the resources below were created by Mike Petty. If you find these helpful, you can see all teaching resources on Classroom Games and Tech and you can follow him at @mpetty39 on Twitter.

Each presentation option below works on Chromebooks. The information below includes:

At least one example
A related video tutorial
A document of directions you can copy, edit and assign to students
Ideas for extending the project - Ask Mike Petty if you need more information on those options.

Text in an Image

This can be adapted for students at all grade levels.

Students can quickly add text to an image with Google Drawings. It's a quick way for students to sum up what they learned or to share an important quote or idea.

Examples:

Video Tutorial

The video at the right shows the process, including a simple way to cite the source of the image if they find it online.

Directions Document

Click here to access a copy of the directions. Make a copy and edit it as necessary for your assignment.

Extending the Project

Students can change the size of the Drawing and make larger digital posters with more photos and text. This option is in Page Setup in the File menu.
Images with text are great to share on social media. Students could be encouraged to post them online to see if they get likes and shares.
If appropriate for the lesson, students can take their own photos to use for the image. The could upload the pictures to Drive and that makes an easy way to insert them in the Drawing.
If you want students to edit the photos with filters and other effects, Pixlr Express is a good tool for this.

Using Google Drawings to Combine Images and Text.mp4

Podcasts or Audio Recordings Using TwistedWave

This project can be simplified for younger students. As described below, it's a great option for grades 5 - 12.

The TwistedWave online recorder allows students to record voice or other audio and edit it easily on a Chromebook. The final result could be posted online.

Examples

Here's a site that contains several audio essays created by high school seniors. The audio files do not have to be shared on a website. They typically end up in Google Drive first and are turned in that way.

Video Tutorial

The video at the right shows the process of recording and editing an audio recording.

Directions Document

Click here to access a copy of the directions. Make a copy and edit it as necessary for your assignment.

Extending the Project

SoundCloud is a good place to share audio recordings. The teacher can share files there if the students are not at least 13.
If the project would benefit from visuals, consider using the Recorded Slideshows project below instead.

Twisted Wave Tutorial 2018.mp4

Websites to Highlight Any Project

This option will work best with students in grades 6 - 12.

Students can share any type of project on Google Sites, even if it's a physical final product. They just need to get pictures or video of the results or possibly even the process. This is a great way for them to reflect on what they learned and to explicitly state that on the website.

Example

Here's a sample site created by high school students in my district. Their project was a physical poster, but then they took pictures and created a website about it to share with a wider audience.

Video Tutorial

The video at the right shows how to create a new Google Site and add images and video to it. Students would have to use the Google Drive app on their phones to transfer the files in their Google Drive prior to doing those steps.

Directions Document

Click here to access a copy of the directions. Make a copy and edit it as necessary for your assignment.

Extending the Project

Students could add pages to their site for different aspects or stages of their project.
Sites could be used to build a digital portfolio of the students' best work over time. (Keep in mind the current sharing settings do not allow students to publicly post their websites.)

Recorded Slideshow Presentations

This presentation option works best in grades 6 - 12. Simple ones with just a couple slides can easily be done by younger students.

Google Slides presentations are a common project, so this is a natural next step. Once students have created their slides, it's very easy for them to record it as a video. This bare-bones recording process doesn't allow for editing, so it requires the students to rehearse what they'll say. That's an added benefit!

Example

Here's an example of how these look when finished. Note this is an example I made for teachers, not students. It was an overview of the project and the PD session they were in.

Video Tutorial

The video at the right shows the process of recording and a Google Slides presentation with Screencastify.

Directions Document

Click here to access a copy of the directions. Make a copy and edit it as necessary for your assignment.

Extending the Project

This is a good way for students to create and share digital stories.
Students who have access to a full WeVideo account can use it to edit out mistakes or make other changes in their recorded video files.
It is possible to download the slides as individual slides and compile them with narration in a video editor. It takes more time, but the results can be more professional.

Google Sites

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