Google Slides Are More Than Simple Slides

Google Slides are more than simple slides. We all know that Google Slides is an amazing tool for creating interesting slide shows. But did you know that Slides can also be used to make interactive activities? These interactive activities can range from creative writing to interactive posters and online games. The ability to link to different slides or websites is the key. Google Slides can easily make interactive activities to use in the classroom. Learn how teachers, students, and homeschool families can use Google Slides to create more than just simple presentations.

For an in-depth look at Google Slides and its application beyond slideshows, register for my On-Demand Webinar.

Session Description: We all know that Google Slides is an amazing tool for creating interesting slide shows. But did you know that it can also be used to make things like “choose your own adventure” stories, interactive posters, and online games? With the ability to link to different slides, you can easily make these interactive activities. Learn how teachers, students, and homeschool families can use Google Slides to create more than just presentations.

ON DEMAND WEBINAR

Presenter: Danielle Rochford

Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Time: 1 hour

Interactive Slideshows

So, what exactly is an interactive slideshow? Well, I think it might be easier to start off with what it is not.

Usually, slideshows are designed to show slides in a sequential order. You start with a slide deck of images and information to help illustrate the things you are speaking about. You start at the beginning with slide #1 and continue to click through slide #2, then slide #3, etc. until the end. This is probably the most common way that slides are used.

Linear Slideshow

This type of format is what we would call a linear slideshow. It is ideal for things that need to be presented in a particular order. For example, this webinar, a teacher’s lecture, or maybe a book report a student puts together.

However, we don’t always have to do that. We can go beyond the linear slideshow that so many of us are comfortable with. We can instead use a non-linear or non-sequential slideshow.

What you can do is create all of your content as normal, but then you can use hyperlinks. Hyperlinks allow you to take images or text in one slide and link it to another slide. I can start on slide 1, but based on what I click on, I might move to slide 2 or slide 3 or any other slide in the deck. It doesn’t have to go in order. I can follow whatever path makes sense to me.

Non-Linear Slideshows

These are non-linear or interactive slideshows. And they do serve a lot of neat purposes.

For example, you could create an online activity that allows someone to quiz their knowledge of a particular subject area. You could have a question with several possible answers, where each option is a hyperlink so clicking on an answer will take you to a different slide depending on if you got the right answer or not. A wrong answer would take you to a slide that prompts you to try again and gives an option for going back to the question page. Where a correct answer would congratulate you for choosing the correct response and prompt you to move on to the next question.

Another great use for an interactive slideshow would be creating online games like Jeopardy or Bazinga! Here, you would design the playing board and use hyperlinks to navigate various questions or actions for the game.

Create Your Own Adventure Stories

For those of you who teach writing or simply enjoy writing, you can use an interactive slideshow to create or collaborate on a choose your own adventure story. I remember these stories from when I was a kid. I would make weekly trips to the library to check out a new one. I loved being able to read the story and have a different outcome each time. As a classroom teacher, I have also had my students work collaboratively to create their own choose your own adventure stories.

Yet another example would be to take the idea of a traditional poster to the next level. Why just have a static image for a poster or even an anchor chart when you can create an interactive one? The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Are you curious about how we can use Google Slides to make these creations? Good! Because I have a FREE Google Slides webinar that goes through the basic skills you need to create these activities. Then, I demonstrate a create your own adventure story template. I also provide a free copy of that template for you to use. In addition to that, I demonstrate online games and interactive posters with Google Slides. Each of those demonstrations also come with free templates for you to use.

Sound interesting?

You can register for my on-demand webinar below.

ON DEMAND WEBINAR

Presenter: Danielle Rochford

Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Time: 1 hour

Author: Danielle Rochford

Danielle Rochford is a Google certified educator and teaches online courses and workshops for middle school students, their parents, and other educators on topics such as content area instruction, organization, life skills, stress and anxiety management, and curriculum development. She also hosts a YouTube channel called Rochford on Demand where she aims to help students become independent learners and educators create positive learning spaces.

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