COMPUTER
AND INTERNET TIPS WITH ERIC SPELLMANN
What is PowerPoint?
A while back I attended a large technology conference. I went to see new technology,
trends, and hear the latest prognostications from so-called experts.
While their topics varied, I noticed one trait they all had in common: their
reliance on technology to aid in their presentation. In 95% of the cases, that
technology could be summed up in one word: PowerPoint.
Designed by Microsoft, PowerPoint is to the presenter what Word is to the author
and Excel to the accountant. We, as teachers, learned a long time ago, that people
typically remember only 10 percent of what we say (if that much). If, however,
we visually reinforce our points somehow, that retention increases four-fold.
Enter, PowerPoint.
Remember back in the old days when people used overhead projectors to aid in
classroom note taking? Speakers used them, also, to bullet their points. Basically,
the presenter would manually place a new transparency on the projector every
time he/she changed points. By receiving the information visually, as well as
audibly, the audience was more likely to retain the important facts.
Think of PowerPoint as an "overhead transparency upgrade". It allows
you to make "slides" that can be projected, printed, or e-mailed to
your audience. At this point, you may be wondering why someone would use PowerPoint
over the low-tech transparency system. Well, many advantages present themselves,
not the least of which is "impression".
People are impressed with technology. If you put two equally skilled presenters
in a room, one with a set of transparencies and the other armed with a PowerPoint
presentation, I guarantee the audience will believe the technically-assisted
presenter is more authoritative, better prepared, and, therefore, more credible.
Right or wrong, good or bad, that's how people think.
PowerPoint also gives the presenter some interesting abilities not afforded to
the overhead transparency user. For instance, with PowerPoint, a presenter can
change slide content, rearrange slide order, or even delete slides minutes before
the presentation. Trust me, before I give a presentation, I'm tweaking it on
the plane, adding points, changing graphics, and personalizing the content for
my audience. Oh, and did I mention, "spell-check"?
PowerPoint can also liven up an otherwise boring topic. In addition to using
vibrant text and background colours, presenters can choose from a wide variety
of clipart and photos. And using PowerPoint's animation and sound options, these
graphics can "shake, rattle, and roll".
However, that's not always a good thing. Every 4 July, I enjoy buying a few firecrackers
for my kids to set off. While waiting in line at the fireworks booth, I often
witness a predictable scene. Mum/Dad give "junior" $10 to buy fireworks
with. Do you think Junior is going to buy 20 small firecrackers or one BIG one?
The answer's obvious. Junior wants the most "bang" for his buck!
The same goes for new PowerPoint users. I can always recognize a speaker's FIRST
PowerPoint attempt. It is full of dancing raisins, explosions, racecar sounds,
and anything else they can throw in. While the presenter may see these additions
as "cool" and "attention-grabbing", the audience will leave
the session remembering ONLY the multimedia entertainment, and NOT the content
of the presentation.
The over-use of technology can sabotage an otherwise interesting presentation.
Be careful. This program is full of powerful features; but, remember what a wise
man once said: "Use your power wisely, Master Luke."
People ask me all the time if the differences between Office XP and Office 2003
are worth making the switch. My answer is simple: If you are a heavy PowerPoint
user, make the switch. Of all the programs in the Microsoft Office suite, PowerPoint
shows the greatest gains in terms of features.
For example, videos can now be run in "full screen" mode, and objects
can follow separate animation paths simultaneously. Microsoft has also added
a "Package for CD" option, allowing you to put your entire presentation
(with the free PowerPoint Viewer software) on a CD. It can even be set to auto-launch
when they put it in their CD drive.
Folks, if you have any need to make presentations, check out PowerPoint (http://microsoft.com/office/powerpoint).
It can make you look much smarter than you really are. Trust me on that point.
I'll see you in Cyberspace!
- Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to nl@ericspellmann.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at his website: http://www.EricSpellmann.com
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