The 10 COMMANDMENTS OF POWERPOINT

 Thou shalt not put War and Peace on one slide.

Too much text is confusing.  Put 1--3 bullets on a slide.  Don’t use sentences.

 Thou shalt not use fonts smaller than 28 point.

The only exception is your bibliography slide or slides, because only your teacher needs to read it.

 Thou shalt not use busy backgrounds or ineffective colors.

                Busy backgrounds and light colors on Light backgrounds make reading the info impossible. Don’t 

                use yellow or fancy lettering.  Use dark backgrounds for accent, not for all slides.  They are hard on

            the eyes and make people sleepy.

 Thou shalt not complicate slides with too many graphs and tables.

                Keep them simple.  Use a handout if data is very complicated.  Complex graphics are too hard to  read and process from  a screen.

 Thou shalt use animation, audio and pictures in moderation.

            It’s fun to do FX (special effects), but keep them simple. Use sound only with your teacher’s permission.  Use FX  to help your message,

                not distract from the message.  (Remember, you’re not doing a cartoon!)

 Thou shalt acknowledge all references used.

        If you summarize, use a quote, insert a picture, make a graph, you must cite the source.

 Thou shalt surely back up thy presentation.

                Save often, and use a code for saving   your work.  Technology fails.  SAVE!

 Thou shalt not read the slides word for word. 

Your audience can read.  You should have more to say than you can put on a slide. Use the slides as a guide for what to say.

 Thou shalt practice.

Don’t try to wing it.  Transitions and animation take time and 3 seconds while you wait will seem never ending.  Make a good impression—practice!

 Thou shalt allow the listener time to process.

Don’t hurry on to the next slide, especially if your audience is taking notes.  Speak clearly and enunciate.  Some people need to hear and see to process properly.  Relax, and use the time to focus and breathe!