So, some of us might allegedly remember when PowerPoint came about and may have even thought IT WAS FANTASTIC! But it didn't take long before we were buried in blue backgrounds with white text and yellow headers. Worse, the speakers simply read the content, line by line giving PowerPoint presentations a bad name. Eventually, presenters became more savvy in its use. They remembered that the point of it all was communication and began using it as a tool to illustrate points rather than to present. But there is still a limitation to PowerPoint--it is linear. To be fair, most of our worship services are still pretty linear. We have an order of service--whether it is given to the congregation or not. And for the most part, the communication is from the platform outward.
However, there are some tools that are changing that model.
SlideKlowd.
SlideKlowd is designed for engagement by creating opportunities to participate for the audience. SlideKlowd allows the audience to login to the presentation on a tablet, smart phone or PC. They can post questions, comments and be able to recall their own notes after the presentation. To the presenter, it reports on audience engagement--you know who is following with you and who is surfing other content, so that you can adjust in real time to capture attention. SlideKlowd's tag line is "know what your audience is thinking."
Google Docs.
Using Google Docs onscreen can allow anyone with the link in an audience or congregation to add to the content in real-time. You set the privacy of the document to "public on the web" or "anyone with the link" then share the link via QR code or simply by sharing the URL.
YouVersion Live.
YouVersion Live gives congregations a way to interact with church services and other live events using their mobile device. They can follow along with message outlines and take notes, read related Bible verses and click through to the expanded passage, vote on a poll and see the results live, ask questions anonymously, give, request prayer, and take it all home with them on their phone. It works with any web-enabled phone, as well as any computer with an internet connection.
Prezi.
Prezi allows you to create a visual, interactive mindmap where you interact with a virtual canvas. While you can use the path tool to create linear presentations, you can also simply zoom in and out to different parts of the canvas based on where you click.
Projeqt.
Projeqt looks intriguing. The platform is device-agnostic and works on any modern browser. Presentations become multilayered by pulling live tweets or blog feeds, inserting an interactive map, adding audio notes or adding streaming videos with all living in real-time and shared. It also allows you to layer presentations, so that you can go down a few levels and make that decision in real time while presenting.
ProPresenter
ProPresenter works like a pallet of content allowing presenters to dynamically select content from a palette. While many ministries already use ProPresenter for lyrics in worship, it isn't limited to that capacity. It can also give skilled presenters the opportunity to select material in real time creating a non-linear presentation.
PowerPoint2013
The "presenter mode" in PowerPoint2013 has a slide navigator which allows non-linear navigation of slides. It also allows you to click on the magnifying glass to zoom in on a slide. The new design is tablet and phone friendly. Good to know that the software that launched a visual presentation revolution is continuing to grow to meet the needs of a digital world.
