PowerPoint Slides as Virtual Background in Zoom

 

Do not readjust the visual settings on your computer. I am writing about PowerPoint. If you are reading this, it may come as a surprise to see me write about a Microsoft product instead of Google. That being said, although I specialize in Google, I aim to be device/platform/app agnostic. I actually use Microsoft Office pretty regularly for certain tasks, but Google is still my go-to. 

Not too long ago, a colleague of mine was tinkering with Zoom settings and discovered a new beta feature that allows you to set PowerPoint (Apple Keynote too) slides as virtual backgrounds. Google Slides is not an option yet. What this does is put your slides as the background when you share the screen and your torso in front of them. This creates an effect like you're on stage and your slides on the screen behind you. You can move a little bit horizontally as well as point to parts of the slide. Your body gets cut off from the screen if you rise or point vertically more than roughly one third of the way up from the bottom of the screen.

This feature, still in beta, is available on PCs and Macs using the Zoom Desktop Client app. You must have PowerPoint installed on the device. You students will need to also have the Desktop Client app on their Chromebooks, PCs or Macs. If using their mobile device to join your Zoom, they will need to use the Zoom mobile app and their mobile device must be a relatively updated model. Click here for a more detailed look at specifications from the Zoom Help Center.

Get started by having your PowerPoint slides saved on your computer. If you are like me and have all your slides saved in Google Drive as Google Slides, open the presentation, click File, hover over Download and click Microsoft PowerPoint. Your slides will be in your device's download folder as a PowerPoint presentation.

When your Zoom call has been initiated, click Share Screen.

At the top of the Share Screen window, click Advanced. 

In the new menu that appears, click Slides as Virtual Background. Notice this is still in beta so there will be updates to this feature in the near future.

Your computer's files will pop up. The example below shows what it looks like on a Mac. A PC will look different, but it will function similarly enough. Select the PowerPoint presentation you want to use and click Open.

The first time you try this, you will be prompted to give Zoom access to control PowerPoint. Click OK. 

After loading, your Zoom screen will appear with the first slide of your PowerPoint Presentation and you'll see your torso at the bottom of the screen. At the bottom middle of the screen, you'll see a control button that will allow you to move ahead and backwards through the slides.

You are able to move horizontally across the bottom of the screen. Your ability to stand or point vertically ends at about one third of the way up from the bottom of the screen. Going past will see you cut off.

I think this is such a cool feature. It allows you to really personalize your presentation and better connect with students. Now they can see you while you teach. This seems like something very trivial, but it does make a difference for those looking to connect with you. There are some limitations now, but this is still in beta and will likely improve greatly over the coming months. You can bet I will be downloading many of my Google Slides presentations as PowerPoint. 

If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Chat at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. My book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Digital Learning, co-authored with my wife Katherine Goyette is now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase. It is published by Dave Burgess Publishing. Be sure to follow the hashtag #OrganicEdTech and #CVTechTalk for updates.

Mark Text with Booksnaps

Booksnaps are absolutely one my favorite activities to help students interact with text. Booksnaps was invented years ago by my friend Tara Martin. Originally, Booksnaps were done with Snapchat, but as time went on, teachers have adapted it so it can be done with Google Slides, PowerPoint and Seesaw. In a nutshell, Booksnaps empowers students to read curated text, identify evidence or theme, and justify their conclusions. 

Hanging with Tara at Tech Rodeo 2020

The beauty of Booksnaps is how they can be adapted to any grade level and or subject. When I do Booksnaps, I always start with a title slide that shows the students the topic. This can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous work.  

Booksnaps are set up by adding an image of text to a slide and adding a task for students to accomplish based on their reading of the text. Below are some screenshots of some Booksnaps I have used this semester in my 11th grade US History class. 

On this version of Booksnaps, I instructed students to identify "argument". They had to underline evidence of the argument. 

On this slide, students were instructed to underline/circle evidence and add an emoji in the empty box that represents the feelings of those they are reading about. 

Below is how I set up a "generic" Booksnaps slide. The large area is where I paste an image of text. To the side is where I enter instructions, tasks and more. Part of the tasks can be to paste in images and emojis that support what students identify when they read. 

Here is a sample of the setup of a Booksnaps slide. An image of text was pasted in and, on the right, two tasks were entered in for students to complete using that text. On this example, students are tasked with underlining evidence in red. They also will paste a picture that represents the feeling of those they are reading about.

For underlining or circling, I teach students to use the Line tool. Next to the line tool, there is a little arrow that provides a dropdown menu. From the menu, I have students select the Scribble tool. This allows them to underline and circle. Their circles and lines may be a bit crooked at first, but over time, they get better with the tool using a mouse or trackpad.

After drawing a circle or line, they use the Line weight tool to make the line thicker. This will make it easier for teachers to see when evaluating student work.

The Line color tool allows you to change the color of any line or circle you draw. Underlining and circling different aspects, themes, types of evidence, etc. in different colors is a great strategy for students to demonstrate understanding. 

Here is a sample of a completed Booksnap. Evidence was underlined and an emoji the represented a feeling was pasted. 

Booksnaps are extremely versatile. If you are familiar with Hyperdocs, you can apply many of the design elements from there to Booksnaps. They have been one of my go-to activities for years when teaching any subject. If you are looking a new way to get kids engaged in reading and analyzing text, give Booksnaps a shot. How might you use Booksnaps? If you have some cool ideas, please share with me. 

If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Hangouts at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. If you would like to unsubscribe from this blog, go to bit.ly/tcjinbox.

My book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Digital Learning, co-authored with my wife Katherine Goyette is now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase. It is published by Dave Burgess Publishing. Be sure to follow the hashtag #OrganicEdTech and #CVTechTalk for updates.