1. Presentation Tools aaron.roggia@usu.edu
(This ppt is best viewed in presentation mode)
©Aaron Roggia

2. Here’s what you’ll find in this PowerPoint:
Shortcuts to use during a presentation
How to embed websites to view during a presentation without leaving the presentation.
Ideas for embedding YouTube, Twitter, & Google Docs.
Ideas for in-class activities with text messaging and ppt.
Ideas for in-class activities using Google Docs and ppt.
©Aaron Roggia

3. PPT Shortcuts for During the Presentation
Go here to find the help menu in presentation mode for the long list of shortcuts.
©Aaron Roggia

4. My Favorite PPT Shortcuts for During the Presentation
CTRL+ P (Pen)
CTRL + E (Eraser)
CTRL +T (task bar)
CTRL + A (Arrow)
B (black/unblack screen)
W (white/unwhite screen)
©Aaron Roggia

5. Presentation Mode
Sometimes your computer is not recognized by a projector, so hit ‘F8’ (or ‘Alt F8’ on a laptop) for the projector to recognize the computer.
It is also good to know that in order for the connection to be made properly between your computer and a projector or monitor, sometimes your computer’s resolution needs to be set to 1024 X 768 (right click on the desktop background>Graphics Properties>Display settings). If that one doesn´t work, try another resolution.
©Aaron Roggia

6. Embedding Websites in PPT
Instead of clicking on a link to a website or a pdf that will take you out of presentation mode while you teach, you can create an object that will link to the website and display it live in PowerPoint.
First, go to and download and unzip the ‘liveweb’ add-in for PowerPoint. Follow the instructions on the site to install it on your computer and to insert websites.
©Aaron Roggia

7. Embedding Websites in PPT
Because there are so many different websites and urls, you can be very creative!
You can even click on the links on the website to go to other web pages within the presentation!
Next are a few examples (you need to be connected to the internet to see them). One is of USU’s website and one is of an activity I did once with a newspaper website.
If you need to refresh the embedded website in PowerPoint hit, ‘F5’ with your cursor in the box.
You may need to give it a second to load for the first time.
©Aaron Roggia

8. USU’s website (view in presentation mode)
©Aaron Roggia

9. Troubleshooting Embedded Websites
If a website does not want to play, you can refresh the browser by clicking on the screen’s arrow to go to a previous slide and then go back to the website slide.
If a script is having problems, just click ‘yes’ to let it play.
If PowerPoint asks to debug something, I just tell it ‘no’ and to not repeat the message.
When you have macros/Active-x inserted on a slide, the CTRL shortcuts don’t always work in presentation mode on that slide or in the special objects.
It helps to have a fast internet connection.
You can exit presentation mode easiest from a slide with an embedded website by hitting ‘Escape’ while it’s loading or by going to the next slide and then hitting ‘Escape’.
©Aaron Roggia

10. Embedding YouTube in PPT
I find that the easiest way to embed a link to a YouTube video is by inserting it like a website.
You can click on full screen, too.
There is a great add-on that will let you embed a YouTube video as a smaller box, but it won’t play some videos.
©Aaron Roggia

11. Communication with students
To interact in real time with students during class, I like to use embedded Google Docs and ‘Poll Everywhere’:
You could also embed your Twitter page as a website on the PowerPoint slide, but most students don’t use Twitter.
You could also just have students add comments and questions to a bulleted list in a Google Doc embedded in a slide.
Next are some examples.
©Aaron Roggia

12. Embedding Twitter in PPT
You can embed a link to your Twitter site (or a link to a Twitter search of your site) in PowerPoint by inserting it in a website object. (I gave it a try to the right.)
This can be good for some students who use Twitter to ask questions in class.
Most people really don’t use Twitter, but nearly everyone uses a cell phone. That’s why I prefer ‘Poll Everywhere’.
©Aaron Roggia

13. Poll Everywhere http://www.polleverywhere.com/
You can make a poll by signing into the website. After you create it, you can download it for free and paste it into a PowerPoint slide.
The free version lets you have 32 responses max, but you can always reset the poll during the presentation.
These polls are great for encouraging participation.
You can enable the polls so that people can use the website, Twitter, or their smart phone to respond, but I like to keep it to just text messages for simplicity.
©Aaron Roggia

14. Poll Everywhere
Once you make the poll on the website, download it in a PowerPoint file. Then just go to the slide at the end with the poll object and copy and paste the poll object into your PowerPoint.
You can repaste and resize the poll objects in PowerPoint too.
Instead of making lots of polls, I just do one for a certain purpose and then reset it after every time I use it. At the poll everywhere website, you can also just copy a poll you’ve already made and then edit it to make a new poll.
©Aaron Roggia

15. Poll Everywhere
I’ve used the bar graph poll (like the one below) to have students vote on who gave the best presentation in class (like on American Idol). (I replace A, B, C, D with group numbers through the website and list group members in the special text box to the left).
If you mouse over the poll, you’ll see ‘Show Instructions’. If you click on this first, students won’t be able to see how others are voting and you can reveal the results after everyone has voted.
You can also restrict how many votes per phone can be submitted, change the font size, style, etc. To give it a try, answer my question:
©Aaron Roggia

16. Poll Everywhere
I’ve used the commenting poll below to review in class by having students use vocabulary words creatively in a sentence followed by their name (this also lets me secretly take roll).
I also put a timer and instructions for the activity on the slide.
You can change the font size by editing the poll. The wider you resize the poll object, the larger the font will be too.
Text me what you like the best about Utah State to give it a try:
3 min
2 min
1 min 3
©Aaron Roggia

17. Questions via Google Doc
You could also embed a Google doc on the right or the bottom of your presentation to have a place for students to ask you questions. I give an example of how this could be done below:
(By the way, I’ve tried using the ‘Discussions’ and the ‘Chat’ features of Google docs, but the font is too small for everyone to see.)
©Aaron Roggia

18. Saving the PPTM file
I save my presentations with the special text boxes and website objects as ‘pptm’ files to enable the macros/active-x.
Since students sometimes have difficulty with pptm files in handheld devices, you may want to later save them as pptx files (as I did with this one).
When I open such files, PowerPoint often will show a security alert and give me the option to enable the macros/active-x. I just click to enable them since I was the one who put them there.
©Aaron Roggia

19. Combining the tools to design class activities
You can plan class activities by combining the special text boxes, timers, websites, polls, online videos, and so forth on one slide. I have combined them in several ways for class and group activities.
Once you have one slide done for a particular activity, just copy and paste it later to readapt it for another lesson to save yourself time.
I have found that my broadcast students particularly enjoy my Google doc activities (that you are about to see), poll activities, and video activities. They say that they are interactive, engaging, and entertaining. This is especially good for classes with students at more than one site.
Next you’ll see how I like to use Google Docs in Powerpoint.
©Aaron Roggia

20. Using Google Docs in PPT
Create a Google document and embed it in the PowerPoint presentation to let students communicate in real time through your PowerPoint in front of the class.
This is great for having students write in groups and then show what they have written to the class.
It also makes it easy for me as an instructor to see what they have written in groups at multiple sites and give them instant feedback through PowerPoint.
I have found that it is very successful when students get to type creative answers to questions as groups and then I award them points for creative responses.
©Aaron Roggia

21. Using Google Docs in PPT
Here are the general instructions (details come later):
To use the Google docs in PowerPoint, first create the Google documents. I like to make one for the whole class and one for each group.
Change the sharing settings of each Google doc so anyone with the link can edit it.
Embed the link to the Google document in your PowerPoint using the ‘liveweb’ add-in and resize the objects as necessary. You could use my upcoming slides as a template to alter.
Laptops with a fast internet connection seem to work a little faster than the ipad or smartphones with the Google docs.
©Aaron Roggia

22. Using Google Docs in PPT
I usually the whole class one link to a Google doc that has a list of links to the other Google docs for each group. I distribute the link to the ‘class wide’ Google Doc in an so that all students can easily find the Google docs on their computers and know when to be sure to bring their laptops to class.
I also type a list of who is in which group in the Google doc before class. I sometimes reform groups in class so that every group has at least 1 laptop.
Students can access the Google doc to study later.
Your students and you can view each change to the Google doc and when it was made by going to ‘File’ and then ‘See Revision History’.
©Aaron Roggia

23. Using Google Docs in PPT
Here are the detailed instructions:
To add a google doc to powerpoint, first go to and sign in.
Once you are in, click on ‘create new’ then ‘document’.
Click on ‘Private only to me’ and then ‘change’. Then click on ‘Anyone with the link’ and then ‘Allow anyone to edit’ and click ‘save’.
In the ‘Sharing Settings’, you’ll see a link. Copy that link.
Go to Powerpoint and click on ‘Insert’. Then go to the ‘LiveWeb’ add-in and click ‘Web Page’. Click ‘Next’ and paste in the URL link and click ‘Next’ again and select any features you want. Once the object is inserted into your slide, you can resize it as you need it.
©Aaron Roggia

24. Using Google Docs in PPT
By embedding multiple Google docs on one PowerPoint slide or by creating hyperlinked buttons between slides, you can go from group to group to monitor what work is being done by each group in real time.
If you have more than 5 groups in your class, create a slide for each group and then one ‘home’ slide with hyperlinked buttons to each group. Put a hyperlink button to the home slide or to other groups’ slides on each group’s slide.
©Aaron Roggia

25. Using Google Docs in PPT
You can hyperlink text boxes and such by right clicking on the box, go to ‘Hyperlink’ and then ‘Place in this document’ and choose the slide you want to make the textbox take you to when you click on it.
It’s also a good idea to tell the class to boot up their laptops and be at the Google doc when the class starts so you don’t have to wait for some group to get connected.
I like to have every group use 24 point font in the Google doc so everyone can easily see what they write.
©Aaron Roggia

26. Using Google Docs in PPT
I have provided an example of how this can be done in upcoming slides, but I have disabled the Google Doc editing feature here.
Make sure you are in presentation mode for the next slides. You can click on the hyperlinked group numbers to see each individual group better.
If it says ‘Your browser does not support all features of Google Docs’, just click ‘Dismiss’. Also, to see all 5 Google Docs on one slide and not slow down the presentation, go to ‘view’ in each Google doc and then change the view settings to ‘Compact controls’ or ‘Full Screen’ on each one before you click anywhere else.
©Aaron Roggia

27. 10
10 min
9 min
8 min
7 min
6 min
5 min
4 min
3 min
2 min
1 min
5 min
4min
3 min
2 min
1 min 5 1 2
7 min
6 min
5 min
4 min
3 min
2 min
1 min 7 3
3 min
2 min
1 min
15min
10min
5 min 15 3 1 2
1 min
.5 min 1
2 min
1 min 2 3 4 5 7 10 15

28. Google Docs in Tabs
Sometimes it is easier to just open up each groups’ Google doc in a different tab in your browser rather than embed them in a PowerPoint.
Then you can switch between the tabs to see what each group is doing. I put the links to each individual group’s Google doc, a link to the timer, and a link to the ‘whole class’ google doc all in a folder on my browser. I middle click on the folder to open all of the google docs in tabs.
Using my own laptop, I also like to use the ‘Always on top’ add on for Firefox to keep one window of a timer on top of the tabs.
I use the timers at
©Aaron Roggia

29. ©Aaron Roggia

30. Google Docs in Tabs
To form groups, I just ask students to put themselves in groups and type their names next to where it says ‘Group 1:.., Group 2:,’. Etc.
I often have groups write short paragraphs or answer problem sets on their individual group’s Google doc.
Sometimes I have groups answer short questions on rows in a chart in the main Google doc and then award a point for the fastest correct response.
©Aaron Roggia

31. Main Google Doc
©Aaron Roggia

32. Whole Class 1 2 3 4
4/4
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33. Group 1 1 2 3 4 A
4/4
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34. Group 2 1 2 3 4 A
4/4
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35. Group 3 1 2 3 4 A
4/4
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36. Group 4 1 2 3 4 A
4/4
©Aaron Roggia