Google Presenter
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Setting up a Google presentation |
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Real World Example: Lesson Plans |
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Title and Developer
"Google Presenter," a web-based 2.0 application, was developed by Google in September 2007, the latest addition to its web office suite and is an internet-network wide presentation program similar to that of Microsoft PowerPoint.
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Purpose of Google Presenter
The purpose of Google Presenter is to enable people from different locations the ability to collaborate and/or view and/or comment on a project. With Google Presenter a group of people are able to login to Google Presenter and upload a slideshow or they can start from scratch, and from different locations and/or computers can work together for whatever reasons they may have. This enables distance collaboration on projects. It also saves the Presentation every time it is updated, so at any time the user can go back to an earlier version. This is crucial if say the document is sabotaged by a competitor or in case you just don't like the changes you have made.
It seems that the ability to work on a project as a group without the hassle of e-mailing each other back and forth is the main reason Google has created Google Presenter. Since they are allowing users to upload their PowerPoint documents, it seems that they were also creating a way that multiple users could view a presentation of the document at the same time even though they are not in the same room but rather spread out all over the world.(#1)
How Does it Work?
Google Presenter works by way of the internet. Every document created, or uploaded, in Google Presenter is accessible anywhere there is an internet connection available. You can simply log in to your google account, go to google docs location, and from there work on all your projects.
It has the familiar UI (User Interface) look and feel similar to their other office web applications, Google Docs and Spreadsheets and is simple, intuitive and easy to use, which reduces the learning time for new users.
Another main part of Google Presenter is the way you can pick and choose who gets to see and/or edit your document. This is done by using the "Share" feature. Clicking on the Share button, located at the top right of the Google Presenter program, will load up a new page and ask if you want the people you are inviting to see the presentation to be collaborators, which means they can edit the presentation, or just viewers, who can basically just look at the presentation. When it comes time to present, there is a sidebox feature which allows all viewers to talk about the presentation while it is going on. Google has also added a language feature that can translate 25 different languages to deal with multi-cultural presentations.(#2)
Setting up a Google Presentation
Creating a New Presentation
To begin, you'll navigate to the Google Docs home page. If you are not already logged in to your Google account, it will prompt you to do so. A link to the Google Docs page where Presentation can be found is given below.
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/presentations/
If you are already logged in, go to the Google Home Page:
To open a presentation, first click on Documents at the top on the toolbar.
From the Create Menu, select Presentation.
From here on in, the functionality is very similar to that of Microsoft PowerPoint but lets walk through how to do a couple of simple things on Google Presenter.
From the slide menu, you can add a new slide, duplicate a slide, delete a slide, or zoom in or out.
The insert menu allows you to import video, images, or slides from other sources.
These are some of the basic things you can do with Google Presenter. Other abilites of the program, like sharing with others and picking out a theme, are not that hard to learn it just takes a little time practicing with the program.
Other Important Features
The slides sidebar lets you navigate through your slides and move them around.
The usual top tabs are present: for editing and working with revisions on the left side, and the sharing and publishing options on the right.
On the toolbar area, there are two toolbars: the main toolbar which provides the functionalities that apply to the whole presentation such as themes, slide management (new, duplicate and delete) as well as text and image insertion.
The editing toolbar provides all the rich-text editing functionalities for formatting the presentation content.
As mentioned, Google Presentation has a theme feature that lets you change the appearance of all your slides. There's enough themes available that will make your presentation look pleasing and appealing.
Different templates for slide layouts are also present, but you can only set this when creating a new slide. You can't take advantage of the pre-designed layouts when modifying an existing slide.
Starting a presentation shows the interface below, complete with a chat box to allow for discussions among the collaborators during the presentation.
The sharing looks exactly like the ones found in its brother apps, and again, consistency of the UI wins here. You can also publish your presentation as a stand-alone presentation page, which you can share with anyone.
Google Presentation is very easy to use. Although lacking in more advanced presentation features such as animations and timings, this product will capture the hearts of users who wants a quick, easy and installation-free presentation tool.
Benefits and Limits
According to the website http://edtechlife.com/?p=1863 there are many benefits, as well as limits, of Google Presenter. One benefit is that there is a chat feature available since the slideshow is presented online. This is beneficial because anyone has the capability to have a synchronous discussion. With this feature, individuals can ask questions or add comments and receive immediate feedback.
Another benefit that Google Presenter offers is the capability to have different color displays and text options. This is important for teachers, as well as anyone, using Google Presenter because choosing the correct colors and font makes the presentation more visually appealing and when done correctly, easier to read. It is necessary to choose the correct colors and size/style of font so the audience does not have to struggle to see the presentation and they can have a clear understanding. In fact, Google Presenter has a zoom option so the presenter can magnify certain parts of the presentation.
The limits are also important to understand while using Google Presenter. First, there is no audio feature available in Google presenter. This is important for teachers, as well as any presenters, to understand because there could be audience members with hearing disabilities. The abilities and disabilities of your audience are always important to think about when making a presentation. Next, it is important to know the resources your audience will have because a computer must be available for every person that wants to chat. Also, Google Presenter does not keep an archive of the chat, so it is important to understand that one will not be able to review what was previously discussed over the chat feature.
Different Colors Available No Audio Available
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Real World Application: Lesson Plans
Lesson plans have been provided by students in order to provide examples of how Google Presenter can be used to enhance learning within the classroom. The lesson plans listed below include both a .doc and .pdf file for viewing purposes.
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Elementary Education: Animal Alphabet
"Animal Alphabet" Lesson Plan .doc
"Animal Alphabet" Lesson Plan .pdf
Objectives |
1. Students will recite the alphabet and identify the sounds each letter makes. |
Materials |
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Procedure |
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Evaluation |
The teacher will look through all of the drawings and decide which students did not successfully grasp the concept of the letter sounds. Those students will then work quietly with the teacher during group time and more time can be spent practicing letter sounds to help them better understand. |
Lesson Plan Courtesy of: Discovery Education
Elementary Education: Peace Poems and Picasso Doves
Peace Poems and Picasso Doves .pdf
Peace Poems and Picasso Doves 2.doc
Overview |
This lesson supports third- through fifth-grade students as they apply think-aloud strategies to reading, as well as to the composition of artwork and poetry. Activities include collaborative as well as individual work. Technology tools are integrated as students’ research symbols of peace and as they prewrite, compose, and publish their poetry. |
Standards |
NCTE/IRA NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS5. |
Resources and Preparation |
1. Collaborate with other group members to organize instruction, gather resources, and review websites. |
Student Objectives |
Students will
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Assessment |
Students will be graded on their use of Google Presenter and development of their own poem |
Adapted from Judi Moreillon
Elementary Education: Color Mixing
"Color Mixing" Lesson Plan. doc
"Color Mixing" Lesson Plan. pdf
Objectives |
Students will use Google Presenter to showcase their knowledge about what colors can be created by mixing 2 primary colors together. |
Materials |
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Procedure |
How to Use Google Presenter
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Evaluation |
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Secondary Education: American Influence
Secondary lesson plan American Culture.doc
Secondary lesson plan American Culture.pdf
Objectives |
1. Students will identify differing social groups within a culture. |
Materials |
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Procedure |
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Evaluation |
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Lesson Plan Courtesy of: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSSocietySocialGroupsHS.htm
Secondary Education: History of American Currency
By: James Ross
Secondary Education: My Favorite Artist
"My Favorite Artist" Lesson Plan .doc
"My Favorite Artist" Lesson Plan .pdf
Objectives: |
Following this activity students will be able to successfully use Google Presenter to present their slide show of their favorite musical presenter |
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Materials: |
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Procedures: |
Google Presenter Overview (20 Minutes)
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Expectations: |
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Teacher Reflection: |
Grade each students overall presentation to the class and their ability to use Google Presenter with the following grading scale
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Group Ecosystem Project
Objectives |
Throughout this activity, students should become familiar with:
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Teaching Standards |
Students collect and organize data and compare information. |
Materials |
Materials needed include:
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Procedures |
Access Google Presenter through Google Docs by logging onto the internet and navigating through Google.com. Create a new project through Presenter, then choose an Ecosystem that interests you (students will be in groups of 4-5 and Ecosystems can only be chosen once). Collect information from online sources or through book in the library and create a project that helps other students learn about your project. Be as creative as you’d like and include interesting facts that you think your peers would enjoy. Include pictures and facts, but remember: cite your sources! MLA format guidelines are available through the teacher. |
Evaluation |
Students will be graded on how well they are able to:
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Grading Scale |
Information collected ___/10 |
More information |
Students should take notes on each Ecosystem to prepare for quizzes or test within the classroom. |
Lesson plan created by Billy Brown and can be used by anyone, no permission is required.
Edited by Ashley Spargo
College Education: Parts of a Flower
"Parts of a Flower" Lesson Plan .doc
"Parts of a Flower" Lesson Plan .pdf
Objectives |
1. The student will be able to identify, dissect, display, and label the parts of the flower. |
Materials |
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Procedure |
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Evaulation |
The teacher will go over all of the group's papers with the parts labeled and correct those that wrong. |
Lesson Plan Courtesy of: TeachNet
The Role of the Food Chain
Project 1 lesson plan food chain 1....
Objectives |
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Materials |
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Procedures |
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Teaching Standards |
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Assessment |
Following this lesson and exercise, the students will be able to explain the importance of the food chain in an ecosystem |
Lesson plan created by: TJ Beckett. Anyone is allowed to use this lesson plan without permission.
Business Application: Discrimination in the Workplace
Business LP.pdfBusiness Application .pdf
Objectives |
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Materials |
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Procedure |
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Evaluation |
Over the next few weeks, talk individually with many different workers and ask them if they think the business atmosphere has changed as far as discrimination goes since this exercise has taken place. |
Lesson Plan Courtesy of: Advocatesforyouth.org
How is it Related to Other Applications?
Google Presenter is actually very similar to that of Microsoft PowerPoint. Just like PowerPoint, it is a slide based presentation creator that allows the creator to choose a common theme among all slides, create graphs, insert photos or videos, and it even allows you to upload a PowerPoint (ppt or pps) document and turn it into a Google Presenter document. However, Google Presenter goes far and beyond Microsoft PowerPoint in that it allows group chat while the presentation is being viewed and also allows for multiple persons to edit the same document instead of multiple people editing several different copies of the document.
Dircetions on how to convert a Powerpoint Presentation to a Google Presentation:
http://youtu.be/odSQlNlaNn4
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Examples of Use Right Now
Since Google Presenter is so much like Microsoft PowerPoint, it can easily be used in the business world for giving presentations on really anything desired. However, there are endless other types of reasons to use Google Presenter including teaching, informing, and persuading.
There is one man who used Google Presenter to create a presentation to show what could all be done with Google Presentations as he was trying to encourage people to use Google Presentations for Sunday School purposes. His presentation can be found at this link: http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dcq269t4_79vhv646&fs=true. It really shows how easy it is to create a presentation and embed it on to a web site.(#3)
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Uses in Foreign Countries
Using Google presenter in other countries is easily achievable as Google Doc's offers language settings in many foreign languages. Select settings on the Google Doc's home page (top right corner) and then choose language, this option changes the interface to suit the individual's preference. Google Presenter offers twenty-five different languages which makes it very convenient all over the world. With this feature, international, national or local learning institutions or businesses of different ethnicities can use this application as a learning tool or strategy for collaboration or for disseminating information/training. For Example, an Italian international organization with representatives in different locations throughout the world can congregate online simultaneously and set their Google Presenter interface to their native language, then proceed to give input into a presentation collaboratively for teaching students/employees on new products, information or techniques. However, it appears if you were to collaborate internationally and two languages were present, the presentation slides only appear in the language of the original creator. Unless the users were bilingual or the original creator had this ability and applied two different texts on the slide a major issue applies for international correlation. For example, if the Italian organization had representatives of different nationalities throughout the world they could all simultaneously congregate online with the interface set to their native language. However, to collaborate on the presentation, the creator would have to use different texts on each slide or make multiple copies of the presentation in different languages to overcome the language barriers. As far as uses of Google Presenter, not much changes from the U.S. to the rest of the world.^(^#4)
This link elaborates on the universal use of Google and Google Presenter: http://youtu.be/fIc_VEQ7Vo0
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References
1 (September 22, 2007) Google Presentations Added to Collaborative Suite. Retrieved March 25, 2008 Web Site: http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749:Topic:50392
2 (September 18, 2007) Google Presentation Launched. Retrieved March 20, 2008 Web Site: http://googlified.com/google-presentation-launched/
3 (September 19, 2007) 5 outside the box uses for Google Presentations outside the box. Retrieved April 5, 2009. Web Site: http://healyourchurchwebsite.com/2007/09/19/5-outside-the-box-uses-for-google-presentations-out-of-the-box/
4 (February 5, 2009) Language and person unknown in contact. Retrieved April 4, 2009. Web Site: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Docs/thread?tid=4da4000ead67f556&hl=en
16 Comments
Cook Camilla Jane
Hi
My name is Camilla Cook, and im a student from USQ Fraser Coast. I am totally unsure of this assignmet, as I have never used a wiki before. I hope somehow I can be helpful, the more I get to understand the project. I have skype, and a webcam, so hopefully it might be useful! If anyone want's to contact me via email, go ahead, beacuse im always online
. Looking foward to working with everyone.
Camilla Cook
milla_on_the_beach@hotmail.com
Unknown User (jwuethri)
HI
Im Jesse and I am the project manager for this group. I look forward to working with you all.
Remember three posts are due on this site about the Presenter by Tuesday, March 31. Just research it and post what you find.
Thx
Jesse
Unknown User (jwuethri)
Also, for the first three posts this week, put them on the children page named research so our front page can be kept nice and neat.
Its at the top of the main page just click on it and it'll take you there
Unknown User (kaubrey)
Hey everyone!
My name is Kaitlin Aubrey. I'm a freshman at Purdue and studying to be a Consumer and Family Science teacher. One little fact about me, I'm the oldest of five girls from outside Chicago. Usually people are surprised by the five girls thing and remember me better because of it..
just a little fyi... idk...anyways I'm looking forward to working with all of you!P.S. My email is kaubrey@purdue.edu and my screen name is Aubz28, where you can webcam me..I also have skype but I've only used it once so iChat is my preference.
Unknown User (jbartick)
Hey guys,
I'm Jenn and I go to school at Purdue University. I applied last semester to change my major from pre-law to elementary education. I guess I'll just start with some information I found on google Presenter...
My email is jbartick@purdue.edu. I have skype and iChat as well... Whatever works!
Unknown User (thalko00)
Hello,
My name is Taylor Halko. I am a freshman in Elementary Education. My email is thalko00@purdue.edu if you need to get a hold of me. I also have skype.
Martina Gamble
Hi everyone,
My name is Martina, I´m a second year Bachelor of Education student at USQ, Fraser coast campus (same as Camilla). Looking forward to working with all of you.
Smiles
Martina Gamble
Hi Jesse,
I would like to do the page for Google Presenter on ' How to use Google Presenter'
Our tutor has asked for a draft of what we are doing by weds - so can you let me know if I can go ahead
Cheers
Martina
Unknown User (jwuethri)
Hey Martina,
Im glad that you are willing to do that for us, however, I think everything is going to be posted on one page and just be separated by divisors and section heading titles. So basically you would just be working on the section ' How to use Google Presenter '. But yes that is fine.
My email is jwuethri@purdue.edu if you have any questions and want to contact me.
Martina Nay
Hello everyone, this is Martina (Nay) from Gold Coast Australia studying through USQ. I had some trouble with my log in so have only just got it sorted. I am looking forward to working with you all.
Cheers
Martina
Craig Prout
Hi my name is Craig, I'm from Mt Isa in Outback Australia (that's way out back). This is all new learning for me and am not really sure how to navigate around the site. Have read that a post is due by the 31st March so am going to have to forfiet this unless it is alright to post it late. Jesse, I have sent you an email to try and clarify what is required. The subject title is Aussie Goggle Presenter, so I hope this is not an omen of how things are goinig to go for me. Anyway, I will research Google Presenter instead and hopefully make some progress. All the best everyone and look forward to working with you all.
Cheers Mate
Unknown User (ameubank)
Hey, I'm Drew. email is ameubank@purdue.edu. I'm not on facebook or any form of IM, but i do have skype if i can remember my log-in.
Martina Gamble
Hi Jesse,
I've put a word doc under attachments on our page. It's titled 'Google Presenter - How To' . I hope this is ok. Can you let me know if what I've done is adequate or if there is something else that I should add.
Smiles
Martina
Unknown User (jwuethri)
Hey Martina,
Yes that is great, we'll probably just go ahead and use that one on the final draft and replace the picture "how to" I have on the rough draft right now.
Thanks,
Jesse
Craig Prout
Hey Jesse
Seen our peer review and we only scored a fair for uses in foreign countries, so have expanded on the topic and placed it into the rough draft of google presenter. Hope it helps, not sure where else to take the topic. Maybe we could place a demonstration of how to change the language setting like you have done under the topic setting up a google presentation. Also I am not sure what our schedule is for the final presentation and if there is anything else you need me to contribute?
Cheers
Craig
Martina Nay
Hi Jesse
I noticed your recent changes and I thank you for your input. Just a couple of points. The reference (below) I had added has been removed and I just wondered the reason for this as this site was one of the main sites I accessed for my input? It's quite possible that it was accidently removed as it looks similar to the second reference listed as has the same date. Also the lesson plan on Google Presenter has been taken off - perhaps I misunderstoon the question - but my intention here was to add a lesson plan under the subject of Information Technology with Google Presenter / Presentation being the topic for that particular class lesson. Do you know when the final presenation is and if you would like me to do anything further? Thanks again Jesse - I really appreciate all the work you and the others have done here. It has been a pleasure to work with you all. Cheers for now....Martina
[5 (September 18, 2007) the-new-google-presentation-app. Retrieved April 19, 2009. Web Site: http://www.googletutor.com/2007/09/18/the-new-google-presentation-app/.