There are a number of programs for creating presentations. What you
use should really be a personal preference. However, there are a few
choices for you to use.
Table 1. Presentation applications
Application Name | URL | Notes |
---|
MagicPoint | http://www.Mew.org/mgp/ | Presentation-only. Reads text files for creating presentation. Exports to PS and HTML |
StarOffice | http://www.staroffice.com | Good conversion to and from Microsoft PowerPoint. Not really good for laptops, as it consumes a lot of memory and CPU cycles. |
Applixware Office | http://www.vistasource.com | Commercial application, but smaller requirements than Star Office. |
So how do you create the your content? First, you'll want to have
some introductory information. Your first slide should contain the
title of the presentation, your name, and who you're representing
(if anyone). Remember that it's good form to include the name of
the organization that is paying for your trip, even if they're not
who you're representing.
Your second slide should contain the agenda for the remainder
of the presentation. This serves two purposes - it not only
tells the audience what to expect, but serves as an outline
for you as you create the slides.
Your third (or forth, depending on how big the agenda is) should
contain some information about you. This sets your credibility
with the audience as to your expertise with the subject matter.
After that, it is up to you to start creating your slides. However,
here's a few hints to keep in mind as you go along:
Make the text of the slides big, and the amount of text
small. You want everyone to be able to read what is on
the slide.
There is no real need to write in full sentences. You
will want to make short points, since your talking will
fill in the details.
If you use backgrounds in your slides, make them of light
colors. Dark colors will contrast the text when they
are printed out as handouts for attendees.
Stick to one topic per slide. You can have multiple slides
per topic, just title them "Topic", "Topic (cont'd)", or number
them.