PowerPoint Presentations

I really enjoyed watching the PowerPoint presentations last class period. I found that they were very informative and fun to listen to. I liked to see how everyone incorporated the design elements into their presentations.

 My two favorite of the day were Staci's and Hannah's projects. I could tell they both had passion for their areas of study. However, what really wowed me was their designs. Staci's topic was about global warming. She included relevant pictures, comic strips, and diagrams to illustrate her point. She had an impressive animation in which she showed how the "green house effect" happens. Her slides were cohesive and well put together. Overall, I thought it was a great presentation. 

Hannah's presentation was on broadcast journalism and she made that her theme throughout. All her slides were televisions which broad casted the information, or news, on this field. She included YouTube videos in her presentation, as well. It was a fun presentation to watch. I both learned and was entertained.

Some Pointers on Power Points

Power points keep presentations interesting. They provide visual support for the presentation including pictures, sounds, videos, and important bullet points. The key to an effective PowerPoint though is to keep it looking sharp by not distracting the audience with too much. Your PowerPoint should support what you have to say, not the other way around. It is easy to get carried away because PowerPoint has so many options! The number one goal is not to distract your audience. 

Here are my five tips for PowerPoint:

1) Less is more- Make sure your slides have plenty of blank space. Too much writing or pictures on a page will distract the audience from your focus. They will spend more time reading your slides than listening to what you are saying. Highlight a few points of what you are saying.

2) Pictures speak louder than words- When possible use a picture in your presentation. You can edit pictures using Photo Shop or the tools provided on PowerPoint. Pictures provide a great visual display for your presentation.

3) Tie it all together- Use the same color scheme throughout your presentation. All the slides do not have to be the same color, but they should flow together. Keep the colors simple. This will make your images and text pop more in contrast.

4) Keep transitions simple- I know transitions like flying in or the typewriter may seem fun, but they are not. Do not use these! They are painfully annoying. Transitions should be simple and all the same. 

5) Practice- Make sure you spend time going over your presentation several times with the PowerPoint. Use the notes function to write down what you are going to talk about for each slide. Make sure your presentation flows. Practice will smooth out any kinks in the presentation.

Microsoft Excel

Coming into this class, I did not know much about Microsoft Excel. Now, I feel like I have a good handle on this problem. I know I will use it for my personal life as well as in school until they create something better.

I found the exercises we worked on relevant for everyday life. Balancing a checkbook on Excel is much more efficient than balancing one with pen and paper. Excel has formulas that do the simple addition and subtraction to find a running balance. I have already started keeping track of my expenditures on an excel document.

Excel is useful in any type of business setting, as well. It can quickly draw up graphs and charts for a presentation. It can also help manage payroll and bonuses. Excel offers tons of functions that allow for one to calculate averages, percentages, medians, standard deviations etc. There is even a function that puts in the date for you!

Overall, though excel may not be the most fun program out there. I think it is very useful. I know I will use it to help me organize. Plus with all the fast tricks I have learned from class, I'll be able to get work done faster!

The CLT

Located one the first floor of the library, the CLT offers everything for the techies needs. Computers for editing film, programs to design websites, computers to listen to pod casts, and an audio studio has a lot of options. The staff is really friendly and knowledgeable, as well. The CLT is the hidden jewel in the library. I know I did not learn about all its great resources until we visited as a class. Great chairs also add to this comfortable environment!

I know now I'll visit the CLT to work on school projects and personal interests. I want to learn how to edit film, so this lab will help me learn on great software. I was really impressed.

Pictures that Lie!

Photoshop can work wonders! With the ability to alter every detail of a picture, one can change the whole focus. This cool website called Pictures that Lie allows viewers to see how pictures in the media have been altered. I've included the link at the end of my blog so everyone can check it out!
I looked at the before/after picture of Katie Couric released by CBS. In the first picture, her suit is brown, she looks a little heavier, and the image is rather blurry. However, in the second picture, her suit is now black, she is slim, and the shot is crystal clear.
The altered image appeared in a magazine later that year, but why was the original changed so much? Photoshop offers so many options to change pictures. By making her suit stand out more and her slimmed down physique, Katie stands out more. Black is a sophisticated color, and, nowadays, everything that goes to print is airbrushed. The camera does add ten pounds.
Overall, when the two pictures are side-by-side, one can see the difference. The alterations are apparent. However, if I saw each individually, I would not know what or how much was altered.The changes could be harmful, but they play into what society wants. What society demands, though, is a whole other issue!

://news.cnet.com/2300-1026_3-6033210-1.html?tag=mncol