What ARE Google Slides?
In the most basic & traditional form, Slides are a presentation tool.
Slides are SOOOO much more!
Interactive activities
Newsletter:
Click here for more info
Photo album
Yearbooks:
Yep! It’s possible. Check out more HERE.
Unit project
Lab report:
Click HERE
Group projects
So many possibilities!
Video viewer
Table of Contents:
I plan to demo as much as possible … but I included videos on many of the Slide to help in case I don’t cover everything.
All icons are from The Noun Project Add-on. If you want to quickly “jump” to a particular topic, click the icon & you’ll navigate to that Slide.
Make a Slide
Toolbars
Vocab to know
Formatting
Theme
Master Slide
Background
Explore
Commenting
Audio
Voice Typing
Add-ons
Extensions
Additional Ways to Use Slides
Sharing & Publishing
Resources & more Resources
How do I make a Google Slides?
There is always more than 1 way to do something in Google. Here are my top 2 ways:
Yep, that simple. Type slide.new in the omnibox of your browser & a brand new Google Doc will appear!
Go to https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive
Open the folder where you want the SLide to “live”
Click in the upper left corner
Select “SLides”
(notice the ability to also choose from the template gallery)
Toolbars:
Just like the other Google Apps, Slides has 2 “toolbars”.
The “text heavy” toolbar. Very similar to the one in Sheets & Docs & many other Google Apps.
The “image heavy” toolbar.
This one will change depending on what you have selected (images vs text vs shapes etc).
Click here to learn more. (Slide 6)
Different icon toolbars:
Depending on what you have selected, your icon toolbar will change.
Toolbar when nothing is selected.
Toolbar when a shape or textbox is selected.
Toolbar when an image is selected.
Toolbar when WordArt is selected.
Allows you to animate items on slides as well as the transition from slide to slide (in present mode).
The “sleeping snowman” has even MORE options!
LOVE! Allows you to replace the image you have with another - same size & shape!
Resize; shadows; recolor; reflection; & more!
Same as “Transition” above in the blue, above.
Masking: change the shape of an image
Vocabulary to highlight:
“SLIDE”
Unique to Slides.
Allows you to add/ delete/ modify/ animate slides.
You can also edit the “master” slides.
(more about this on Slide 7)
“ARRANGE”
Unique to Slides.
Allows you to manipulate each item and the “layers” in Slides.
This is CRITICAL!!!
“ADD-ONS”
Allows you to add “extra functions” to Slides.
I use a few:
There are MANY great ones! (Some domains do not allow add-ons)
… and more!
Go to Slide 10
Formatting:
The sky's the limit!!!!
text
spacing
shapes
background
links
Word art
slide
layers
alignment
Text Box v. Word Art:
Yes! There is a difference & YES! It matters!
Allows you to add a box & type in it. Feels more like typing in Docs. You can:
Allows you to create highly creative text:
Themes:
So many options … how will you choose???
Master Slides:
This is seriously SUPER awesome … don’t be intimidated like I was!
The Background:
Colors, patterns, images, and more!
Explore:
Research within Slides? Yep!
Commenting:
Provide feedback or have a conversation? Absolutely!
Audio in Slides:
A teachers (& students) newest friend!
Voice Typing:
Allow your voice to help your typing.
(This is similar to Voice Typing in Docs … but there are a few differences.)
Add-ons:
Little additional programs you can choose to add to provide additional features to Slides.
I have a few I use regularly.
To manage/get add-ons
For images that are free to use
To create GIFs with my Slides (I don’t use much)
*PAID account* for icons to use ($20/yr for educators)
Flaticon … another icon generator; FREE
*Freemium* for activities w/students (I don’t use much)
For images that are free to use
Extensions:
Programs you add to CHROME to provide additional capabilities.
I have a few I use regularly with Slides specifically.
URL shortener - can somewhat customize the link.
An efficient way to create accurate citations for online sources.
Where was this when I was in college???
A screen capturing application. Record your screen, your webcam, or a combo.
Customize & match colors by finding the correct codes & insert in the “Custom” area for text &/or shapes.
A quick tutorial creator.
This is newer to me, but I’ve enjoyed it!
Click on the icon to take you directly to the Chrome Web Store for fast access to adding to YOUR Chrome account.
*** If you are in a school domain, this ability might be restricted by your Google Admin ***
Additional Ways to Use Slides:
Money (or other manipulative)
Make money (or manipulatives) to allow students to practice math. (Or demonstrate their understanding.)
*TIP*
Use the “gray” space to put the “tools”. Use the Slide for the problem/instructions.
Bring over enough coins to make a dollar in 2 different ways.
Additional Ways to Use Slides:
Graphic organizers.
Compare & contrast Anne (of Anne of Green Gables) to Laura (of Little House on the Prairie).
*TIP*
You can type IN shapes or add textboxes.
*TIP*
It might be a good idea to insert these on a Master Slide OR as the background.
Additional Ways to Use Slides:
Annotations
Textboxes can be added, too.
Additional Ways to Use Slides:
Science Labs
Some of my Favorites:
Create an app for better communication - a 1 stop hub for parents & students.
I worked with 3rd graders to write (& publish) a book inspired by Sandra Markle’s writing.
Amazing!
A co-created website where Beth & I share out over 40 templates … more to come! … for teachers to take, use as is, or modify.
Sharing & Publishing:
To Publish/Embed/Share:
Publish or Embed→ Go to File → Publish to Web → Select either Link or Embed … use this link to paste either to share OR embed
Share → adjust your setting to “Anyone with the link can VIEW” … then paste the URL
Template View → adjust your setting to “Anyone with the link can VIEW” … delete everything AFTER the final / and type “template/preview”
As with other Google Apps, Sharing a Doc works the same.
To Give a Copy to STUDENTS:
Preferred → use your LMS … Google Classroom has a great “Make a Copy” setting
Force a Copy → make your setting “Anyone with the link can VIEW” … then copy the URL & change then delete everything behind the final “/” and type the word “copy”
View Only → make your setting “Anyone with the link can VIEW” … add a note on the 1st Slide → “go to File → Make a Copy”
Resources & more ...
Activities, newsletters, & more!
More Resources ...