Today You’re YOU!
How to Introduce Yourself in PowerPoint
Instructions to the PowerPoint Presentation
Hello and welcome to the Ripples@Work Virtual School of Smart Learning!
As tradition dictates, we should introduce ourselves before delving into the exploration of the R@W learning model.
I suggest we do this in an authentic R@W fashion, using multimodality, which includes text, shapes, color, graphics, and more, to make the introduction meaningful to you.
Imagine that Dr. Seuss wrote this about you:
Today you are YOU,
That is TRUER than TRUE.
There is NO ONE alive
who is YOUER than YOU!
Even though today may not be your birthday, the occasion for which this poem was written, think about your uniqueness and introduce yourself by illustrating it.
Since I am an initiator of such a daring suggestion, I will take the first plunge.
Let’s open our first PowerPoint document.
Representing yourself in a meaningful way does not mean that we should not have rules. Please only correct the grammar. Please write in English language.
1. The first rule in our project is a traditional one: state your name and your relation to this course.
My name is Lena Reman. I am a former teacher of Art, Visual Communication, Design, and Multimedia. In my doctoral dissertation at Monash University in Melbourne, I explored multimodal and interdisciplinary methodology for knowledge production. Ripples@Work is the model that resulted from this exploration and was reworked and refined through years of post-doctoral toiling.
2. The second rule is to introduce yourself by sharing the first thing you want people to know about you when they first meet you.
For my introduction, I would like people to know that I am Russian. I will explain why. When people know that English is not my first language, I do not need to apologize for any mistakes I make speaking it. Once I make it known, I feel relieved and can talk about other things.
Today, there is an added layer to this need of mine. I want to express my solidarity with Ukraine in the war that Russia is currently waging against it. You may have already noticed this by the colors I have chosen in my introduction.
3. The next rule is to tell us one thing you think you can do better than other people.
In my case, I guess I’m good at complaining 🙂. Not just complaining and doing nothing, but complaining and taking action at the same time. This may count as my “special” ability to do things while complaining about them.
4. The last rule is to share the best advice you usually give your students. In my case, it would be Einstein’s words: “Never lose your holy curiosity.” I believe curiosity is a natural fuel for people to have active and purposeful lives.
____________________________
Now, I want you to have some fun and create a quick introduction of yourself to the group. In R@W, PowerPoint is our main tool for organizing our collected multimodal data and recording our thinking and analysis, which gradually evolves into students’ portfolios.
When presenting my model to other learning theorists, I was advised not to stick with the overused software like PowerPoint. There are many ‘cooler’ apps that are easier and more fun to use – Canva and Adobe Express, for instance. However, after checking some of them, I came back to PowerPoint, even more confident that it is the right choice for R@W learning. It offers a much richer range of functionalities not only to be used as a portfolio but also as developmental, analytical, and creative software. Besides, it is so widely used that it is perhaps the easiest way to keep everyone on the same page.
I have no doubts that some of you may be more proficient in using PowerPoint than I am, but for those whose skills are not yet so good, I have a quick video that you can use for instructions on working on your introduction.
Most people know how to insert an image in a PowerPoint document. But just for those who need to be reminded, this function can be found under the Insert tab on the left upper bar.
Most people have some photographs on their computers that could be used for this presentation.
I use a screenshot from one of my videos.
We need to crop it. The Crop option can be found under Picture Format > Crop, but make sure that the photo is selected.
Here, the image has been cropped.
To create an oval head instead of a rectangular one, follow the second cropping step.
Select the image and go to Picture Format > Crop to Shape. Then choose an oval shape.
Now we have the face sitting inside the oval. We can further improve the clear-cut around the face, but we won’t do it today.
I would like to lighten the photo a bit. With the image selected, go to Picture Format > Corrections or Color > Artistic Effects, depending on the changes you want to make.
We also make the image smaller by dragging it from the corner towards the center, and then placing it closer to the top right of the page.
Now, we will draw simple shapes to represent the body.
Go to Picture Format > Shapes > Freeform. Draw by clicking at four corner points to form a trapezoid.
Once the trapezoid body is selected, let’s change the color and outline of the shape. Go to Shape Format > Format Pane. Here, you will see options for shape color to choose from. Select the yellow color, or choose the color you want. Also, choose the No Line option. You can also use pattern or texture fill.
In the Shape Format, go to the left upper bar and select Shapes > Freeform and draw a simple shape that looks like an arm.
In the Format Pane, change the color and the line of the shape.
To create another arm, you can copy-paste the shape.
You can find the copy-and-paste options under the Edit tab.
Put the copied shape in the right place and rotate it to the right position.
Use the Freeform tool to draw a skirt or pants.
If a new shape of the skirt or pants appears in front of the body shape, send it back by going to Shape Format > Arrange > Send to Back.
You can also use the link for the PP gallery I created for you.
There, you can choose from a collection of hands, legs, tops, skirts, pants, hats, or scarves. Here is the link. Simply copy the item you need and paste it into your PP page.
Use the Animation tab and select the animation you prefer.
Open the Animation Pane to add effects and arrange the order of the animations.
If you need assistance, please ask me.
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