Lunch & Learn - Slide(ing) Into the Deep End

Lunch & Learn - Slide(ing) Into the Deep End - Google Slides

Slide(ing) Into the Deep End - Google Slides

Using Google Slides

Google Slides is probably one of my favorite tools in G Suite. I love all the possible things that you could do with Google Slides. When I look at Google Slides, I look at it as a replacement for PowerPoint, but also Publisher. You can even create movies in it. I love because it is really a multitool when it comes to what it is capable of. Google Slides is available as part of the G Suite through the Google Waffle or at slides.google.com.

Grabbing Templates from the Templates Gallery and Outside Sources

There are lots of templates that available to you. Going to slides.google.com will provide you with many options for slides to use. There are also third-party sites, such as Slides Carnival that will allow you to use cool templates for free (as long as you give credit where credit is due). The Old Template Gallery also has options for you to use.

In many cases, if you find a template for PowerPoint, you can use it with Google Slides, so please understand that you can move beyond the available options and into something new.

Making Google Slides your Own

One of the coolest things that you can do with with Slides is customizing them to fit your needs. There is a tremendous amount of freedom that Google Slides gives you when it comes to designing to meet your needs. You can change the master slides, change the size of the slides, add images and text boxes, and really create different, cool things.

Editing the Masters

The Master Slide is what controls the way that all of the other slides appear. Google Slides gives you the opportunity to adjust and change the slide to fit your needs and make the presentation your own. To access the Master Slide, follow the steps below:

Select Slide from the toolbar
Locate “Edit Master” in the menu
Make your adjustments to the Master Slide

When working, you can change specific slide types or all slide types. The top option is to change all slide types.

Save when done

Editing the Master Slide - Google Slides - Animation

Adding Photos

Photos can really help you documents stand out. When you are creating photos, you have many different options for what you can do with them. For instance, you can format your document around photos, wrap text around them and much more.

To add pictures to your document, follow the steps below.

Start by locating the “Insert” option on the toolbar near the top of the screen.
Next, select “Image” from the menu.
Once you are in the Upload Image Area, you have many options. Below, I describe the options.

Upload - the image is stored in your Google Drive (on a Chromebook) or on your Hard Drive
Snapshot - Snapshot activates your Camera to take a picture
URL - Is the file hosted somewhere else? Link to it! (There is some danger to this, if they change the link structure, you will lose your picture)
Albums - Using Google Photos? Your albums are absolutely linked here for easy access
Google Drive - Have pictures stored on your Google Drive? You can easily find them with this tool.
Search - Search photos that you are allowed to use from Stock Images, Life Magazine, and Google Images. It is a very powerful tool.

Adding Images to Google Slides - Animation

Cropping Photos

Google Slides allows you to crop the photos that you are using. In order to access the crop option, insert an image using the steps above. Once your image is in the presentation, you can crop the photo. Cropping the photo allows you to zoom to one part of the photo or show only part of the photograph.

To Crop your Photo

Insert Photo into presentation. Once the photo is inserted, simply click on the photo.
Next, locate the “Crop Image” button on the toolbar. This will look like two angles with a line extending through them.

The Black Bars will become the frame. Use the blue dots (Corners ONLY) to extend and expand the image
You can easily move the most important part of the image into the frame as well
When Done, click off and you image will be saved to your document.

Cropping Photos in Google Slides - Animation

Change The Size and Orientation of your Slides

Google Slides lets you change the size of your slides to fit your needs. Need to print a full sheet? Change the size. Need to write a newsletter? Change the size. Want to create postcards? Change the size. Changing the size is incredibly easy to do with Google Slides. They make it easy. Follow the steps below to get started.

Find and Click on “File” in the Toolbar Menu
Locate “Page Setup in the Menu”
In the Middle Drop Down Menu, select “Custom” or the size that is listed for you

In the Custom Menu, you can change the Width and Height of the slide (in respective order)
Hit “Ok” to save your work\

Changing the Slide Size in Google Slides - Animation

Adding Additional Fonts

Fonts can do a lot to change the appearance and style of a document. To add new fonts to your Google Drive files, follow the steps below.

Select the Text box where you want to save the font (Remember, to change on all slides, Edit the master)
Select the fonts area of the toolbar above (Probably says “Arial”)
Choose Fonts from the Menu

Additional Fonts can be added using the more fonts button at the bottom

Sort by different options to find great fonts

Be cautious, as more fonts will slow load times

Changing and Adding Fonts in Google Slides - Animation

Google Sites Updates - Align Objects and Updates about the old Google Sites

Google updated their Google Sites in the fall. As the application grows, it continues to get more and more powerful. Some of the updates since launch include the ability to use page dividers and incorporate company logos. This week, they introduced the ability to group object vertically. From the Google Updates Blog While grouping objects vertically may not see that powerful, but what it does is allow you to align the page better. From a design standpoint, it is now easier to incorporate captions for images as well as to make images and text fit better next to each other. Google's willingness to continue to develop this a great sign of the direction they are taking their web design tool. It will not be easier for students to create powerful websites to tell their stories and share their knowledge. In all of the changes, Google also announced that the end of life is coming for the old Google Sites. Google will be introducing a migration tool to allow users to migrate their w...

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