The Most Effective Use of PowerPoint.

25 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, PowerPoint, Presentations

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Comedy Central, PowerPoint, Stephen Colbert, Teaching Community, The Colbert Report, The Word, Tom DeRosa

What Stephen Colbert Teaches Us About Effective Presentations, by Tom DeRosa, Teaching Community

Although Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report has run its course and is no longer on the air, I have always thought that “The Word” was the best use of PowerPoint I have ever seen. The PowerPoint slides did not provide the content of the presentation, which is common. Instead, as the punchline, each PowerPoint slide hit the mark. -CCE

Great lessons for educators can be found in the most unlikely of places. One such example can be found on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, in a reoccurring segment called ‘The Word’. In ‘The Word,’ host Stephen Colbert uses one word or phrase as a jumping off point for his unique editorial commentary.

Now, some might dismiss ‘The Word’ on it’s face as partisan punditry. The truthiness, of course, is that ‘The Word’ is the best, most effective PowerPoint presentation ever broadcast. . . .

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Eeek! Microsoft Office Kills Clip Art, But You Have Other Options.

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Presentations

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Bing, Clip Art, Derek Walter, Microsoft, PCWorld, PowerPoint, Presentations

How To Find Images For Office Documents Now That Microsoft’s Killing Clip Art, by Derek Walter, PCWorld

http://tinyurl.com/kwku5tu

But Microsoft is sending its Office clip art to the digital beyond, where it shall rest in glory with Clippy, Zune, and the rest of the Redmond saints.

In other words, those wonky, yet charming images that graced countless PowerPoint presentations are in their last days. Microsoft already nixed the website where you could download Clip Art, so it may not be long before it disappears from Office entirely.

These guys won’t be around much longer.

So it’s time for a different plan. The good news is that Office already has better options for spicing up your files than relying on the dated and questionable-looking Clip Art. For example, Office’s integrated Bing Images search is solid, parsing the web for copyright-free images that you can use to bring some life to the staid world of business presentations.

That’s not the only available solution, however. Here’s a rundown of your best options for grabbing the clip art that’s still there—and learning some new strategies for better images. . . .

Avoiding PowerPoint Suicide At Your Next Presentation.

10 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, PowerPoint, Presentations

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Ken Lopez, Legal Technology, PowerPoint, Presentations, TED Talks, The Litigation Consulting Report

12 Ways to Eliminate “But I Need Everything On That PowerPoint Slide,” by Ken Lopez, The Litigation Consulting Report

http://tinyurl.com/m5ozef8

Have you ever heard any of the following during a PowerPoint presentation?

‘It may be hard to make out the details of this slide.’

‘I’m not sure if you can read this in the back of the room.’

‘In case you can’t read this, let me read it for you.’

‘I know there is a lot on this slide, but bear with me.’

‘Let me try to zoom in on this part of the slide [proceeds to fumble with remote]’

Of course you have heard these apologetic statements. If you are in the business world, you have probably heard them all. However, there is never an excuse to say these things whether in a boardroom or in a courtroom. As much as you may want everything you have to say about a key message on a single PowerPoint slide, as hard as it may be to imagine another way of doing things, I promise, you most definitely do not need everything (or even a lot) on one slide. And, you can still get your point across.

The number one video in my recent article The Top 14 TED Talks for Lawyers and Litigators 2014 as well as other articles I have written like 12 Reasons Bullet Points Are Bad and 7 Ways to Avoid Making Your PowerPoint Slides Your Handout describe methods for limiting the amount you put on your slide.

With all this said, it is important to remember that sometimes you just need everything on a slide. Sometimes it is an advantage. So, in this article, I want to offer twelve easy methods for eliminating PowerPoint slide clutter and focusing your audience’s attention on what matters – you and your message . . .

PowerPoint Basics and Beyond for 2010, 2007, and 2003.

29 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, PowerPoint, Presentations

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About.com, Legal Technology, PowerPoint, PowerPoint Guide, PowerPoint Presentation, Trial Tips & Techniques, Wendy Russell

PowerPoint for Beginners – How to Use PowerPoint, by Wendy Russell, About.com

Beginner’s Guide to PowerPoint 2010

http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpoint101/a/begin_guide.htm

The basics, beyond the basics, and tips and tools. Additional links, quick tips, presentation tips, and related articles. If you don’t have 2010, information for 2003 and 2007 PowerPoint is also included. -CCE

“How To” For PowerPoint Graphics.

14 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Legal Technology, PowerPoint, Presentations

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Graphics, Ken Lopez, Legal Technology, PowerPoint, The Litigation Consulting Report, Trial Tips & Techniques

16 PowerPoint Litigation Graphics You Won’t Believe Are PowerPoint, by Ken Lopez, The Litigation Consulting Report

http://tinyurl.com/oosuacz

Litigators do not need to know how to create advanced PowerPoint litigation graphics. However, litigators do need to understand what a skilled artist is capable of producing using the program. Most will be surprised to learn what’s possible, and even veteran users of PowerPoint will think there’s an element of magic in some of the presentations shared in this article. . . .

Powerful PowerPoint Courtroom Presentations.

27 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Closing Argument, Experts, Jury Persuasion, Legal Technology, Opening Argument, PowerPoint, Presentations, Technology, Trial Tips and Techniques

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Elliott Wilcox, PowerPoint, Presentations, Trial Tips & Techniques, trialtheater blog

Adding Power to Courtroom Presentations, posted by Elliott Wilcox, TrialTheater Blog

http://tinyurl.com/lddsa49

I ran across this blog today, and I like what I see. PowerPoint is a powerful tool. Like you, I have seen far too many poor presentations.

A good power PointPresentation is an art. It doesn’t just happen. If you have never bothered to find out whether there are guidelines or rules for a good PowerPoint presentation, then you may be guilty, regardless of how witty, entertaining, or persuasive you think you are.

Take some time to read all you can about what makes a good presentation. Do not read your slides. Instead, let them compliment what you say or let them be the “punchline” to your idea. Pay attention to font size. Resist the temptation to fade in, face out, and use dancing graphics that scamper across the screen in every slide.

This post from TrialTheater will tell you how. Please also note that there are additional posts listed at the end that are also interesting. This is a blog I plan to watch more closely. –CCE

The lights dim, and the first slide appears. You think to yourself, “Oh no, another boring PowerPoint presentation.” The first line of text soars in from the left, each character twirling and dancing across the screen. You count eleven bullet points on the first screen (the shortest of which is sixteen words long). The second slide is even more confusing. The third is a picture of his kids. Fortunately, the room is dark, so no one notices as you start to fall asleep…

Why are most PowerPoint presentations so dreadful? When was the last time you saw a presentation that was actually enhanced by PowerPoint? The reason PowerPoint decimates the effectiveness of most presentations is because the presenters don’t understand how or why to use it. But, when you need to illustrate a point in the courtroom, PowerPoint can be a tremendous addition to your trial skills toolbox. This article will give you tips for improving your presentations, both inside and outside the courtroom. . . . .

At Last! The Microsoft App For iPad, With Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

29 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Apple, Apps, Excel, Legal Technology, Mac, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Word

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ABA TECHSHOW, App, Excel, iPad, iPhone J.D. Blog, Jeff Richardson, Microsoft, Microsoft Office Mobile, PowerPoint, Word

Microsoft releases Word (and Excel and PowerPoint) for iPad, by Jeff Richardson, iPhone J.D. Blog

http://tinyurl.com/l44cvjy

I’m at ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago right now, and the big news on Thursday was that Microsoft released a version of Word (and Excel, and PowerPoint) for the iPad. I have been kicking the tires on this app since it was released Thursday afternoon, and I am incredibly impressed. Unlike Microsoft Office Mobile for iPhone released last year, the new Word app for the iPad has virtually every feature that lawyers want to use. Every attorney who uses an iPad will want to get this app. . . .