Lesson 1: The Basics of PowerPoint
View, Toolbars, and O.C.S.
Now we know how to find additional PowerPoint help when we need it. So let’s take a look at how to navigate around the PowerPoint application. First we’ll take a look at the different PowerPoint “Views”, including how and when it is appropriate to use them. Then we’ll talk briefly about the various PowerPoint toolbars.
PowerPoint Views
PowerPoint provides several different “views”. Each view offers the user different options and will be used at different times. Let’s see what views are available by selecting the “View” menu. You will find the following views: Normal, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, and Slide Show. There are a few more options such as “Master”, but we will not talk about this view as it is a more advanced option.
Let’s look at each view more in the depth.
Normal View
This is the default view. It consists of the Outline, Slide, and Notes panes. The best way to understand how to use these different panes is to work with an actual slide. Any type of slide will do.
Slide Pane
The right pane is the “Slide” pane. This pane contains the colorful text, images, and depicts what you will see during your actual presentation. You can type directly onto this slide by double clicking on the text boxes. You can add images by double clicking directly on the image icon on the slide. I prefer to work extensively with this pane. You can add text in the other panes, but it easiest to get an idea of what your slide will look like by working with the slide pane.
Outline Pane
Located on the left side is the Outline pane. This pane contains only the text for each slide acting as an outline. If you are in a rush you can quickly add text to a slide by just typing in this pane. Put your cursor where you wish to add text and type in the text. This pane also provides a quick overview of your presentation without having to click through each slide.
Notes Pane
Located on the bottom of the screen is the “Notes” pane. This pane allows you to add notes to your presentation. For example, let’s say that for a certain slide you want to remember to mention a specific bit of information. When you create that slide and have it selected, you just type your notes in the notes pane. Your notes will NOT appear on screen during the presentation. You would need to print them out prior to your presentation. The notes pane essentially provides electronic note cards, which you can print later for reference.
Slide Sorter View
The Slide Sorter does exactly what the name implies. It sorts slides. At the end of creating your presentation, or even in the middle, you might decide that you need to rearrange the order of your slides. The slide sorter provides an easy method for doing just that.
Select “Slide Sorter” from the “View” menu. A thumbnail picture of each of your slides will be displayed. To change the order of the slides just select a slide by clicking once on it. Then drag the slide to the new desired position. This option can be fun to play around with. To get back to the normal view, just select “Normal” from the “View” menu.
Notes Page View
Remember the Notes pane we talked about in the Normal view? Well, selecting the Notes Page view will allow you to see a small version of the slide with your notes below it. You can modify your notes from this view. You can also print out each slide and notes to use as a reference during your presentation.
Slide Show View
This runs your slide show. We’ll talk about how to run your slide show in a later lesson.
Toolbars
As I’ve mentioned before, the toolbars are very similar to those of other Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. We’ll talk about specific PowerPoint toolbar features in the coming lessons. I just want to provide a quick tip about toolbars. If you are missing a toolbar for some reason, select “toolbars” from the “View” menu. Make sure there is a check mark next to the toolbar you wish to see.
O.C.S. of PowerPoint
O.C.S. stands for Opening, Closing, and Saving a PowerPoint presentation. You might wonder why I chose the end of this lesson to discuss these basic features. The reason is that you have to create a presentation, or part of a presentation before you can use these features.
These features can be accessed from the “File” menu and work exactly like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
Note: The file extension for PowerPoint is .ppt
Topics for Discussion
1) Try to search for help using the online resources. Was your question answered to your satisfaction?
2) Play around with the different views. Do you think you will use “notes” in your presentation?
3) Ask any questions you may have!
