Thing #9 -- Library 2 Play 2

Regardless of the web site used to share PowerPoint slide shows...it's a great idea. Teachers can share work created and not have to reinvent the wheel for all presentations. Students can share slide shows created in class. There's a great wealth of info already out there.

I tested a couple of hosting sites by uploading a PowerPoint I had already created. The first upload was to SlideShare. The slide show is a program presented to a teen read club at our public library this summer on Genealogy for Teens. It was relatively simple registration and short wait time for upload. After choosing tags, titles, categories, etc. I then clicked Public and waited while SlideShare converted my PPT...which took less than 30 seconds. It allowed me to view online or embed.

Genealogy for Teens

View more presentations from sharanfarmer.

Observations: None of my animations work in SlideShare, however there is an embedded YouTube video and if you click on the video icon it will link and play in YouTube. Also all my font styles do not transfer.

I also tried uploading the same PPT Genealogy for Teens to AuthorStream. They asked the same basic registration questions and it too only took a few minutes to upload. It too had to go through the conversion process which took just a little longer than SlideShare. It also gave the link and html embed.

Genealogy for Teens

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by sfarmer Upload your own presentation

Observations: Voila! All the animations work and YouTube will play in the link. What I noticed on both platforms is that both will allow you to go to full screen with the PPT and the quality looks pretty good, but neither will let you advance to the next slide in full screen. My pick goes to AuthorStream because of the animations. Yet I agree with Joyce Valenza that it doesn't hurt to search in several hosting sites for PPTs that might be useful in your library or classroom.

I also took a look at 280 Slides as an option to Microsoft PPT. Even though it does not have as many bells and whistles, I like the fact that it is easily accessible via the web and students who do not have the Microsoft package on home computers can still work on projects at home and then convert to MS PPT at school.