Multiplication Tables in a Presentation Program

It is interesting that Presentation Programs like Microsoft Office Power Point (TM) is so underused. In part this is due to the training requirements for teachers and staff and another part is the equipment requirements. The hardware requirements are at a minimum a laptop computer and a projector system. A good sound system would be a great addition. All of this equipment should be placed securely and locked to a cart. The laptop must have the ability to use the Microsoft Office (TM) products. Teachers need to be trained to not only use Power Point (TM) but to also develop programs using it. Most of the present training is at the level of use, but not construction. At the construction level extensive knowledge of creating buttons, creation custom actions and animations, creating forward buttons, back buttons, home buttons, and even an exit button.

The first graphic shows a multiplication chart that is a 10 x 10 chart. This type of chart can easily be constructed with a word processor and tables, with a spreadsheet, or with a drawing program. I used all three in this process and opened multiple paint programs to copy and paste between paint programs. Once the graphic was constructed and saved in the first format it was relatively easy to create the second graphic. Once the second graphic was constructed I then opened Power Point (TM) and started the presentation program with the intent of seeing what would be involved in construction a multiplication table lesson with these two graphics.

When the second graphic was inserted into the presentation program I then used the insert function to put a text box into the first blank cell and adjusted the font color to black and the size to about 30. I then used the custom animation function to cause this number 1 to fly into the presentation on a mouse click. If you click on the edge of the text box you can then use the copy function to past another 1 into the presentation. You can then move this to the proper location on the graphic and change the number if needed and finally add the custom animation needed.

The problem for teachers that even know how to do all of this is that it is very time consuming. Once completed this presentation program can become something that can be used every year. It can also easily be changed to present the numbers in different orders through the use of the "slide sorter" function. It would be possible to add music and/or voice to the whole presentation. Once voice is added, it may need to stay in the same slide order depending on how this was added to the presentation.

A presentation program can be packaged for distribution and can be used on a computer that does not have the presentation program installed. Everything needed is packaged at one time. Such packaging and distribution does not require any license fee as long as no fee is charged for the presentation. In some cases a "reasonable" fee for mailing the presentation may be allowed. In the past a reasonable fee for such mailing was not to exceed $5.00, but you should check this out officially. At one time "shareware" was a popular method of distribution of software and did create a great deal of software development.

A fully trained group of teachers familiar with such development of presentations could become a dynamic force in the field of education. The cost of laptop computers, projectors, and sound equipment is now making it possible to have more of this equipment available for every classroom.

Teachers interested in more effective presentation development may consider writing me about the process. My intention is to write more articles on the effective use of presentation programs.