Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Goodbye PowerPoint....Hello Biteslide!!



Can you Say the 4 Cs!!



...plus self-expression, imagination 
and just plain old fun!

Web-based presentation tools are a great alternative to doing a PowerPoint presentation.   In addition to traditional presentation concepts, you can have students use these tools to create web-based scrapbooks, portfolios, digital storybooks, mood boards, info graphics, posters, thought collages...you get the idea.   There are many free, online tools you could use, but I am going to feature "Biteslide" as it was designed for educators and received the 2013 Ed-Tech Digest Award. 

The key features of Biteslide include:  
  • Add images and videos directly from Google and YouTube 
  • Upload your own images and videos
  • Add text 
  • Add snazzy backgrounds, image frames, and stickers from the Extra Menu. 
  • Free to use (teacher can create a class of 30 students for free or have students create their own account)
  • Presentations can be embedded, email, downloaded, and printed
Reasons to try BiteSlide:
  • Students Develop 21st Century Skills
  • Aligns with Common Core ELA Standards
  • Great for grades 2-12
  • Site makes research fun
  • Incredibly easy to use 
  • Perfect presentations
  • Manage student projects easily
In the Classroom (borrowed from TeachersFirst.com):

"Use Biteslide to create a digital scrapbook page for any classroom activities. Print and display student work on classroom bulletin boards. Demonstrate how to add pictures, videos, and change backgrounds before allowing students to work on their own. Assign students to create a Biteslide collage instead of creating a drawing or other form of media. Be sure to provide rubrics for content to be included. Art teachers can assign students to collect images using the same design elements or build portfolios of favorite images. Teach ethical use of online images, etc. by demonstrating and requiring citations. Have student groups create scrapbooks about a decade, a famous person, or a science concept -- even a leaf "collection. Have students collect favorite poems and add images into a Favorite poems scrapbook (including their own, of course). Maybe make a class literary magazine!"
Here is an example Biteslide (scrapbook) that I made on the Life of Barack Obama. Enjoy!

 Check out the 2013 Favorite Historical Figures contest submissions on Pinterest!!   
Here are a few other web-based presentation tools you might like:
Empressr
Prezi
PreZentit
visual.ly