Teachers - Alternative to PPTs ???

[Iggyb]

I'm semi-competent with software I've used to create material for my classes - PowerPoint, video editing, DreamWeaver, and so on.

I have material I want to offer online for students to use outside of class. Many of them use iPhones and tablets.

What software is useful for creating material useful across platforms?

I just did a ppt with images and audio, but the download time and inability to make it open in browsers made it less user friendly than I need it to be.

Any suggestions?

 

[n4uau]

Of course you know Keynote is the Apple PowerPoint. It works fine on iPads etc.

 

[twerppoet]

Also, Microsoft now offers a version of Power Point for iOS. You have to sign up for a free Office 365 account to unlock most of it's features, and a few power user features are only available to payed accounts.

 

[Iggyb]

I've used keynote before, but wouldn't I have the same problem?

I'd prefer something that opens in the browser instead of being downloaded. The ppt takes too long to count on my students using on their own.

 

[twerppoet]

Perhaps Google Slides then. It's the third, least talked about, Google productivity app. Like Google Documents and Sheets, it lacks a lot of high end features, but makes up for it by being viewable and editable on most platforms, including a web browser. You need a Google account and Google Drive, but those are both free.

There is an iPad version in the App Store. I haven't used it myself, so I've no idea how well it works. It should be a better experience on the iPad than using Safari. The browser experience is skewed heavily to the desktop interface.

I listen to the Out of School podcast by Fraser Speirs. He and his co-host Bradley Chambers talk about technology in education. It's mostly about iPads, but recently they've been talking a lot about Google's services and Chromebooks. It tends more towards the implementation and support side, but occasionally delves into use in class. You might find it interesting.

Here is his blog: http://www.speirs.org