Creating a Google Slide presentation with a screen reader may feel initially feel intimidating! Here is a simple, step-by-step video tutorial by CATIS Certified Amy Snow. Per request from Paths to Technology viewers, Amy has added another video in her ChromeVox series; this post demonstrates how to use Google Slides with ChromeVox. (See the previous video tutorials in the ChromeVox: From Basics to Mastery in 6 Weeks! post.) According to mainstream Technology Scope and Sequence Standards, by first grade, students are being introduced to creating their own simple presentations. By second grade, students are creating a series of slides and organize them to present research or to convey an idea.
Don’t forget! Beginning in preschool, BLV students are accessing teacher-created ‘books’ in Google Slides, by simply navigating through the presentation, listening to the book and if appropriate, viewing the images. If you are working with a preschool or kindergarten student, be sure to provide opportunities to navigate Google Slides through creating customized emerging reader books about and/or for your student! See the Paths to Technology Book Library for ideas about emerging reader books. (Note: The ‘books’ in the Book Library are in various formats including PDFs, ePubs, and presentations. The book content can be created in Presentation format that students can easily access and navigate. You can include sounds (auditory clips) which are highly motivating as well!
In her video tutorial, Amy focuses on how students create and navigate Google Slides. This video is organized by chapters, making it easier for viewers to jump to the desired area:
- 0:00 Creating Google Slides with ChromeVox
- 0:41 Exiting the Theme’s Panel
- 2:10 Dropdown Menu Area
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5:21 Introduction to the Canvas Area and Navigation
- 6:58 Adding Text to the Canvas Area
- 7:28 Announce Fonts Attributes
- 10:22 Add a Slide
- 13:13 Navigating Editing and Formatting Text
- 20:37 Add a New Slide with a Different Layout
- 25:25 Increase and Decrease Font
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29:38 Introduction to the Filmstrip Area and Navigation
- 31:19 Moving Slides within the Presentation
- 33:00 Select Multiple Slides
- 33:50 Open a Context Menu from the Filmstrip
Creating and Modifying Google Slides with ChromeVox video:
Amy’s video includes the correct terminology for working with Google Slides, such as Filmstrip, Canvas, and Themes.
Resources
Best practice dictates that students are more invested to learn new tech skills – such as creating a Google Slide Presentation – when they are completing a classroom assignment with their peers. Tech skills should be embedded into classwork, not taught in isolation. What does this mean for a BLV student in a gen ed classroom? Initially, the TVI may need to teach the specific screen reader skills to create/access the presentation but the lesson should focus on the content being taught in the gen ed class. Ideally, BLV students should be familiar with Google Slides and ChromeVox in preschool and kindergarten, after navigating teacher-created “books” which are often customized to the individual student.
Note: There are numerous Paths to Technology posts on ‘presentation activities’, some posts might be device or application specific. The content in these posts can be duplicated with any device and any app. (Example: The PowerPoint Lesson Plan for Elementary Students can be replicated using Google Slides on ChromeVox.) Substitute VoiceOver commands with Amy’s ChromeVox commands for Google Slides with ChromeVox. The activities in these posts are popular gen ed topics that are commonly used to teach presentations to elementary students. The topics listed below are simple and are intended to be age-appropriate for young students (and not intimidating for teachers!) If your student’s class is creating presentations with a different topic, use the class topic.
PowerPoint Lesson Plan for Elementary Students includes activities to create “All About Me”, “Favorite Pet”, “School Day”, “Book Report” and “Advocacy” presentations.
K-5 Technology Lab has 60+ Presentation Activities, such as the Amazing Animals presentation. These activities provide topics and ideas of what to include on each slide. Example: Amazing Animals Activity has the Title Slide: “Amazing Animals”, with a picture of the animal and author. Slide 2: The (animal name) is Amazing for 3 reasons (list 3 reasons), Slide 3: First reason is it amazing (add 2 or 3 supporting animal facts), etc. To view all the presentation activities, select PowerPoint in the left column.
Pumpkin Life Cycle Lesson: Presentation (PowerPoint) includes creating a 6-slide presentation to explain the Pumpkin Life Cycle.
By Diane Brauner
