Speech Rehearsal: Using MS PowerPoint for Effective Presentations

An Example of How to Use MS PowerPoint 2003 to Rehearse Timings and Record Narration Functions to Better Deliver A More Effective Speech

Rehearsing a PPT presentation Timings

1. Open your PPT Presentation.

2. You can rehearse how much time you will speak with a PPT slide displayed by choosing the Rehearse Timings option, under the Slide Show Menu option

3. You can see that 2 time counters are displayed while you speak when a slide is displayed. The first counter counts time on the slide being viewed, while the second counter is a cumulative time counter. When you press the arrow key, you will advance to the next slide.

4. If you are not satisfied with the amount of time you have spent on a slide, you can simply reset the slide clock by pressing the reset (redo) key.

Recording a narrative that accompanies a PPT presentation

1. For this you need to choose the Record Narration option.

2. You may find that you will want to place the sound file in a different location on your computer. If this is true, you can reset the location by browsing and choosing a different location, using the Link narrations setting (bottom option).

In this Example the default set at the Desktop Directory

In this Example the default set is changed from the Desktop Directory to PPT Narratives

3. As with the Rehearse Timings, as you move from one PPT slide to another as WAV sound file will become associated with the PPT slide. You can listen to your presentation when you playback your PPT presentation as a slide show.

4. You will also see that there is a small speaker in the bottom right corner of each slide, and a star with a length of time below each of the slides.

5. If you are dissatisfied with your recording for a slide, you can insert your own WAVE sound file and then create an action button for the slide, and associating it with your WAVE file. Alternatively, you can isolate the offending slide and re-record the narrative.