Introduction to Google Slides:

Make a Presentation about a Career

Overview

Students will learn how to use Google Slides to make a simple presentation about a career that they have previously researched on www.mynextmove.org.

Important notes:

• This lesson is designed for a volunteer tutor (“learning partner”) to use when working one-to-one with an adult student.
• Prerequisites to this lesson are having a Gmail email account and completing the Career Presentation Planning Worksheet (see below).

Context for technology use:  Students in our ABE/GED program often want to find a new job or enter a new career path.  Mynextmove.org is a useful resource for students to explore careers of interest and learn about the skills and education they will need to enter a new field. Making a presentation about their research allows students to save their findings for their own future reference, share their findings with others, and practice professional communication and digital literacy skills.

Length of lesson:  30-60 minutes for introduction/modeling (depending on student’s prior experience); then as long as the student needs for guided practice/independent practice/reflection/connection

Standards

Northstar Digital Literacy Standards addressed:

Review:

World Wide Web                

11. Identify the address bar and enter a URL address.

14. Use scroll bars.

16. Create a new tab, open a webpage in a tab, and move between tabs.

New:

Basic Computer Skills

5. Demonstrate knowledge of function and placement of keys on keyboard: Enter, Shift, Backspace, Delete, Arrow Keys

8. Demonstrate appropriate use and ability to right-click and left-click.

10. Drag and drop.

PowerPoint

1. Open a new or existing PowerPoint presentation.

4. Manage text (insert, delete, use spellcheck).

7. Insert items into a presentation, resize, and adjust them.

College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) and/or Transitions Integration Framework (TIF) Standards addressed:

CCRS Writing Anchor 7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

TIF--Critical Thinking Skill 1.c Synthesize information, ideas, and components in a meaningful and structured way.

TIF--Developing a Future Pathway

Skill 1.b Identify personal interests.

Skill 1.c Reflect on successes and challenges to identify skills and aptitudes.

Skill 2.a Link personal skills and interests to various careers or community opportunities.

Skill 2.c Conduct research on community resources, education, and training options.

Lesson Objective

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to create and share a simple presentation in Google Slides.

• Student-friendly learning target: I can create and share a presentation in Google Slides.

Assessing Mastery of the Objective:  By the end of this lesson, students will be able to create and share a simple presentation in Google Slides as evidenced by creating a presentation and sharing it with the teacher.

Materials/Links

1. https://www.mynextmove.org/
2. www.pixabay.com 
3. Blank Career Presentation Planning Worksheet (to be completed by the student prior to this lesson): http://bit.ly/cp-plan
4. Example of completed Career Presentation Planning Worksheet- “Web Developer”: http://bit.ly/cpwebdev (print a copy for yourself ahead of time)
5. “Career Presentation with Google Slides” Student Checklist: http://bit.ly/cp-list (print a copy for the student ahead of time and add the email address(es) needed for the student to share his/her presentation)
6. Career Presentation Template: http://bit.ly/cpblank
7. Example of completed Career Presentation: http://bit.ly/cpexample 

Lesson Outline (directions for the volunteer tutor)

Introduction:

Ask the student what, if any, experience he/she has using PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Google Drive so you can tailor the lesson accordingly.

Talk about digital slideshows/presentations:

• What are they?
• When has the student and/or you used or seen someone else use PowerPoint or Google Slides?
• View the example career presentation (http://bit.ly/cpexample) and/or other examples
• What are some other possible uses in academic, professional, and personal contexts?

Talk about some differences between Google Slides and Powerpoint.  In Google Slides:

• Your presentation “lives” (is saved) in your Google Drive account.  You can access it on any computer with internet access.
• Your work is saved automatically.
• You don’t need to buy or have access to PowerPoint software to make a presentation.
• Multiple people can view or edit the same presentation at once (depending on how you choose to share it).
• It’s easy to email and share your work online through your Google account.

Explanation/Modeling:

Explain to the student, “You already researched a career on Mynextmove.org and wrote down what you learned on your worksheet.  Today’s activity is about putting the information from your worksheet into a Google Slides presentation.  You’re going to learn how to make a copy of a presentation template, add your own information to the presentation, and share the presentation with someone.  First, I’ll show you how.  Then, you will get to practice, with me here to help if you want.”

Have the student sit next to you at a computer so it is easy for both of you to see the screen, mouse, and keyboard.  Demonstrate how to do each of these tasks.  Talk through what you are doing and why at each step.

Go to www.drive.google.com and log in.  (You can use either your personal Gmail address or an email account provided by the literacy program for which you are volunteering.  The student will use his/her own Gmail address.  There is no need to share passwords.)

In a new tab, go to http://bit.ly/cpblank 

Under the File menu, choose “Make a copy…”

Rename the copy of the presentation “Web Developer.”

Demonstrate how to edit text and add information from the completed worksheet to the title slide and each subsequent slide.  On a PC, there are (at least) three ways to modify each instance of “XYZ” in the template:

• Place the cursor after the Z and press the backspace key.
• Place the cursor before the X and press the delete key.
• Highlight XYZ and type your new text.

Mention that Google Slides saves your work automatically, so you can take as much time as you need without worrying about being “timed out.”

Show how to move between different slides using the arrow keys and the thumbnail images.

Show how to use the “Undo” button.  Mention that you could also use the Edit menu or the keyboard shortcut (Control+Z) to undo changes.

Talk about why you might not want to use the “undo” function if you’re working on a shared presentation at the same time as someone else (you could undo someone else’s work instead of your own).

If it won’t be overwhelming to the student, mention some of the other frequently used buttons for formatting text (font, font size, bold, bullets, etc.) and/or changing the look of the presentation (Background, Layout, Theme).  Explain that you aren’t focusing on aesthetic decisions right now because the template has determined them for you.

Use the spell check on the Tools menu.

Show how to add an image to slide 2.

• In a new tab, go to www.pixabay.com.  All of the pictures on this site are in the public domain; they can be used for free, without attribution.  Talk about why this is useful in academic and professional contexts.
• Search Pixabay for a relevant image.  Talk about why it’s a good idea to add images to presentations (you don’t want to have too much text; images make the presentation more interesting and memorable).
• When you have chosen an image, right click on it and choose Copy.
• Go to slide 2 and paste the image.
• Resize and move the image as needed.  Cover up or delete the words “Put the image here.”

Click the Share button.  Talk about different ways to share a presentation.


• Link: a website address that you can copy and paste into an email or a document.  This is probably most useful if you want others to see your presentation but not make any changes to it.
• People (email addresses): This is probably the easiest way to share if you want others to be able to make comments or changes to your presentation.  The default setting is Edit, meaning the person you email would be able to make changes.  You can change the default setting so the recipient can only make comments or only view the presentation.
• In the People field, enter the student’s email address (and/or the email address of a program staff member, if desired).  Change the default to “Can comment.”  Add a brief note with your name, then click Done.

Guided Practice:

Switch seats with the student so that he/she is the one using the computer.  Offer support as needed as the student creates a presentation using his/her planning worksheet and the skill checklist.

Independent Practice:

The student works independently on one of the following options:

• Research a second career of interest on Mynextmove.org.  Complete a planning worksheet, and make another presentation using the process just practiced.
• Talk with a family member, friend, program staff member or volunteer, or someone else about that person’s career (what he/she does on the job, what skills are needed, what education/training was needed).  Complete a planning worksheet, and make another presentation using the process just practiced.
• Create a new presentation in Google Slides on a topic of your choice.  You may use the Career Presentation Template if you wish, but be sure to change all of the text so it makes sense for your new topic!  You may also use one of the free templates provided by Google, or create a new presentation without a template.  Ideas for topics:
• Explain something you read or learned about in class (parts of the water cycle, steps to solve a math problem, how to write a paragraph, rules for capitalization...).
• Teach how to do something you’re good at (cook your favorite recipe, fix something, find good deals when you’re shopping…).
• Persuade someone to do something you think is important (vote for a certain candidate, hire more people of color, protect land from oil drilling…).

Student Reflection on Learning, Closure, Connection:

The student shares his/her presentation with the volunteer and/or a program staff member, and adds a note with his/her name and the answers to these questions:

1. What are two important things you have learned about using Google Slides?
2. What are two things about Google Slides that you would like to learn or practice next?