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Authors: Ruth Soetendorp and Bartolomeo Meletti
Illustration: Davide Bonazzi

The use of materials protected by copyright is essential to the learning process. Educational resources exist in all formats that are recognised as 'works' in copyright law.

To minimise the burden on teachers and students who want to make use of copyright materials as part of their teaching and learning experience, the law includes a number of exceptions that allow for the use of all types of copyright work for certain educational purposes.

If you are using materials in an educational context this does not mean that you can forget about copyright. What it does mean is that you need to be aware of when you can use a work without obtaining permission or paying a licence fee, and when permission or a licence is required.

For example, the law makes clear that certain exceptions for education can only be relied upon in the absence of a relevant educational licensing scheme. This means that if a scheme has been set up to license the use of copyright material by educational establishments then the exception does not apply. For instance, if a school or college wants to record television broadcasts for use within a classroom, it should get a licence from the Educational Recording Agency. Other educational licensing schemes to be aware of are those run by the Copyright Licensing Agency, such as the CLA Schools licence and the NLA Media Access Schools licence. Where, however, the use of a work is not covered by one of these schemes, users can rely on the underlying exception.

Within any educational institution there is usually someone who is responsible for copyright issues. A first step could be to find out who has that role in your place of study or work. They should be able to help you understand whether your use of a work is permitted by an exception, or whether a relevant licensing scheme applies. In general, it is important to remember that you are not permitted to make commercial use of any copies created for educational purposes.

Exceptions for education and teaching

One of the most important exceptions for education permits the use of any type of work for the purpose of teaching (or as the law puts it: 'for the sole purpose of illustration for instruction'). This means that copyright in the work is not infringed by an individual teacher or a student as long as they are copying the work to give or receive instruction (or when preparing to give or receive instruction), and the copying is used to illustrate a point about the subject being taught. Also, the law makes clear that 'giving or receiving instruction' allows copying when setting examination questions, communicating questions to students, and answering questions.

However, the exception only applies under the following conditions:

1) The purpose of the use is non-commercial
2) Where practical, there should be sufficient acknowledgement of authorship of the work
3) The use of the material is fair

There is no legal definition of what is fair or unfair in this context. It is an issue ultimately decided by courts depending on a number of factors, such as the amount of the work taken and whether the use would commercially compete with the copyright owner's exploitation of the material. According to the UK government 'minor uses, such as displaying a few lines of poetry on an interactive whiteboard, will be permitted, but uses which would undermine sales of teaching materials will still need a licence'. You can find the government's guide on exceptions to copyright for 'education and teaching' here.

So, it is OK for a teacher to copy material onto a blackboard or an interactive whiteboard under this exception. And it is OK for students to copy that material into their notebooks or laptops. For example, a teacher might show a copy of a work by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol or Tracy Emin on an interactive whiteboard for a class of students studying art in the 20th century.

What the teacher cannot do under this exception, however, is make photocopies of a work for the students in their class; that type of copying is covered by a different educational exception (see below: Copying and using extracts of works).

There are two other important things to know about this exception. First, it applies to all types of teaching, not just teaching within a traditional educational establishment. Second, the exception cannot be overridden by contract. This means that any term of a contract seeking to prevent or restrict copying under this exception is unenforceable in law.
The law also recognises a number of other situations in which educational establishments are allowed to benefit from suspension of the rules that normally govern the use of copyright works.

Compiling anthologies for educational use that include published literary or dramatic works

No more than two pieces of a copyright work can be included in an anthology within a five-year period, and only provided sufficient acknowledgement is given.

Performing, playing or showing copyright literary, dramatic or musical works in the course of activities of an educational establishment

This exception applies where the audience comprises teachers, students and others directly connected with the establishment, and extends to cover showing a film to such an audience. Persons external to the educational institution such as parents and friends are considered not 'directly connected with the establishment'. Therefore, if the establishment intends to include parents and others in the audience of the performance, playing or showing of a copyright work, permission must be obtained.

Recording of a broadcast for use in an educational establishment

In order to record a broadcast and play the recording within an educational setting, a licence from the Educational Recording Agency is required. However, if a particular broadcast is not covered by the ERA licensing scheme, the law provides an exception that allows educational institutions to record and play the broadcast anyway, without infringing copyright. This exception also allows institutions to play the recording over secure networks to students receiving instruction online. But, the exception only applies when the educational purposes are non-commercial, and when the recording is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement of authorship (where practical).

Copying and using extracts of works

The law provides an exception that allows an educational establishment to make copies of extracts of certain types of work (everything apart from broadcasts and free-standing works or art) for the purpose of instruction. So, under this exception, a teacher could make copies of a work for students in their class.

But, as with the exception for recording and playing broadcasts, copying and using extracts of works is only permitted in the absence of a relevant educational licensing scheme.

For example, if an educational institution wanted to make photocopies of a part of a book for students, it would have to get a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency. The Copyright Licensing Agency provides a number of different licences for schools, permitting copying from books and magazines, from newspapers, and from published sheet music.

If there is no relevant licensing scheme available, then the educational establishment can rely on this exception. However, the exception only applies under certain conditions: the copy must be made for non-commercial purposes; it must be accompanied by an acknowledgement of authorship (where practical); and, no more than 5% of a work may be copied within any 12 month period.

Copies made under this exception can be communicated to students online, so long as the material is made available within a secure network that can only be accessed by staff and students.
It is important to note that most educational establishments already hold the relevant licences mentioned above. The combination of these educational licensing schemes and copyright exceptions means that teachers and students do not have to worry about seeking permission every time they want to use a copyright work for educational purposes.

Legal language:

There have not been many cases concerning the use of copyright materials in educational establishments. One decision, Universities UK Ltd v Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd [2002] EMLR 35; [2002] RPC 36 concerned the use of copyright materials in the preparation of course study packs. The tribunal concluded that if copies of artistic works were to be included in course packs (as opposed to ordinary class room use) an enhanced licence fee was payable.

Legal references:

The law on use of copyright materials in educational establishments in the United Kingdom is found in Sections 32-36 of the Copyright Designs and Patent Act 1988, which you can read here:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/part/I/chapter/III/crossheading/education
For the changes to sections 32 (copying for teaching), 35 (recordings broadcasts) and 36 (copying and using extracts of works) made by the Copyright and Rights in Performances (Research, Education, Libraries and Archives) Regulations 2014 see here:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1372/regulation/4/made

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The use of materials protected by copyright is essential to the learning process. Educational resources exist in all formats that are recognised as 'works' in copyright law.

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Clear your Chrome cache:
Open Chrome > click More (three dots) in top right corner > hover over More Tools > Select "Clear browsing data" > Set the time frame > Check the boxes next to Browsing History, Cookies, and Cached Images and Files > Click Clear Data

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Reset Screen Rotation:
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Always check to make sure the charging light comes on when you plug your Chromebook in.

If the light does not come on, check the following:
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Bring your Chromebook to the Media Center for assistance!

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- Keep up with your assigned Chromebook and charger.

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At Mojo, we rely on collaboration tools and productivity apps to get more done throughout the day. We use a variety of apps like Basecamp, Pivotal, Slack, and Dropbox to communicate and share files, notes, and tasks. But what about collaborative document editing? We've got you covered with this detailed how-to.

We use Google Workspace (formerly GSuite, aka Google Apps) and one of our favorite apps is Google Docs. As part of the apps suite, Google Docs is a word processing app for teams and it allows you to create and manage documents online very easily.

So why would you want to use Google Docs?

Simple: collaboration. I'm sure you've experienced the clunky, frustrating process of editing a Word document via email between one or more people. Track changes, forward the file in an email, accept changes, revise, email back ... etc. Who has the most recent version? Where is the most recent version? In my experience, it is the opposite of a streamlined process.

Google Docs eliminates these frustrations, and adds some really cool collaborative features that Word just doesn't have, like real-time commenting - but we'll get to that in a minute.

But, we know from experience that not everyone is on board this train. Working in a Google Doc is still unfamiliar to many people.

One issue we run up against is knowing how toinvitesomeone to edit a Google Doc, and making sure that the person we're asking knows how to edit it. It's happened a few times - we send a Google Doc to someone (accessed by a link) only to have them save it or paste it into a Word document and send it back to us with their changes. This defeats the purpose of document collaboration, but it happens because the recipient is simply not familiar with how a Google Doc operates.

In this post, we'll discuss how to create a document, how to invite someone to edit a Google Doc, and all of the steps in between.

How to Create a Google Doc

To create a document, you first go to your Google Drive interface. Drive is where all of your G Suite documents are stored. Once you are logged in with your Google account (either via Gmail or your Google Apps for business account) you can get to your apps in a few ways, but one easy way is to find this icon at to the top of your screen.

Click "Drive" and you'll see a list of all of your current documents. If you have not created any, the screen will have no documents.

To create a new doc, click on the "Create" button and you'll see some options:

Drive has familiar file management tools, like add a new folder or upload an entire folder. From here, you can create a new document. You can also create a new spreadsheet (Sheets, similar to Excel) or presentation (Slides, similar to PowerPoint), but we'll stick with a standard document for now.

Once you create a new document, you'll see a blank page with a standard set of word processing tools at the top.

The first thing you'll want to do is name your doc. Do this by clicking the words "Untitled document" at the top and giving it a new name. Note that it automatically saves as you go.

Now you are ready to write! You can treat this just like a regular Word document. Type and format away.

Additionally, your document is stored in the cloud, which means you don't have to worry about saving it to your computer or losing it. It auto-saves continuously, so all you need to do to get back to it is open your web browser, go to your Google Drive, and click on it. Easy!

Collaboration

Now that you have created a doc, it's time to see where Google Docs really shines. Let's set up a scenario that might be familiar to you. You are working on a document that requires feedback and input from others in your office. So you put together a report as a Word document and email it to a group of four other people with the note: "Please give me your changes." Each person then makes notes and changes in the doc and emails it back. Now you have five different versions that you need to consolidate back into one. Ugh!

A Google Doc eliminates this headache. All you would need to do is "share" the doc with your co-workers and ask them to make their changes directly in the same document. You are now working on one document as opposed to 5 different docs.

To do this, click on the "Share" button in the upper right.

You will see the share screen, which presents many options. We'll go through a couple of our most frequently used share options.
1. Share With People Outside Your Company
Get shareable link: Here is a trick that will save you a TON of time, not to mention tears and headaches. If you need to share this doc with someone outside of your company, who may or may not even have a Google account, this is the place to go. Click on "get shareable link."

Next, you'll want to select "Anyone with the link" and below you can select the access level (can view, edit, etc).

Now, click Save. You've made the document accessible to anyone who has this particular link.

Now, copy the link and can send an email to the person or group you want to collaborate with. This feature comes in really handy when you know someone doesn't necessarily use Google Apps or they're unfamiliar with signing in to access a Google Doc.
2. Limited Sharing for Higher Security
The above example would allow anyone to access a document, provided they have the link. If you want to share a document with just a particular person and you want to guarantee no one else can access it, use this method. Just remember, you may have trouble on the other end if the person you're inviting doesn't have a Google account attached to the email you're sending to.

Make sure link sharing is set to "Off" and send to particular email addresses. You can still control access levels here, as well as send an invite and personal message directly to the individuals. Click "Send" and they will get an email notification.

Note that if you start typing an email address that is already in your contacts list, it will auto-complete with their full name, so you can just select them from a list as you can see above. Otherwise you can just type in their entire email address. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.

Also note that by default you are inviting people to edit the doc, although you can change access to view only. If Edit is selected, this means that the people you invite will be able to make changes. However, don't worry ... you can always undo their changes (more on that later).

So what happens now? Well, the people you invited will now get an email with a link to the doc.

Real Time Collaboration in Google Docs

Now they can simply click on the link to go to the doc and edit it directly online. So, what does real time collaboration in Google Docs mean?

Here's the cool part: they can make all the changes they wantat the same time, and every version is tracked and saved automatically. Additionally, you can compare and roll back to any earlier version you want. People can also add comments to the doc as a way of offering feedback without actually editing it.

While people are editing the doc, you can see it in real time. You will be able to see who is viewing it based on their icon in the upper right, and you can see who is making what changes in real time. Here you can see Amy is editing, and in the second image below Amy has left, but now Abby is in the document. If they were all three in there at the same time, all three icons would appear.

How to Revert and See Revision History

If you want to see the entire revision history of the doc, go to the "File" menu and choose "See revision history."

Then, you will be able to track every change. You will see a list of all the different versions along with time stamps and who made the changes.

Clicking on a version will show that version of the document to you. If you want to roll back to a previous version, you can choose to "restore" that version.

This is my favorite part about Google Docs: real-time collaboration and the flexibility to revert back to any version of the document at any time.

As you can see, using a Google Doc for collaborative editing is a very efficient process. It means that everyone is only editing one document; everyone always sees the latest version; and all changes and comments are tracked and saved. Additionally, it can be edited from tablets and mobile devices for even more flexibility.

Save In Different Formats

You or your fellow editors may download a copy of the doc in another format, like Word or PDF, at any time. Go to File and select "Download as" to export the doc in another format.

Ways to Collaborate with Google Docs

You are probably getting an idea of all of the ways you can use this tool, but I want to share a few specific use cases from our experience. You can share docs within your own organization (via Google Apps) or you can share docs with people outside your organization, as well.

Some ways to use this amazing tool include:

Gathering Feedback:Draft a memo or policy in your office that needs group feedback

Meeting Agendas:Create your agenda and share the link in a Calendar invite for upcoming meeting

Meeting Minutes:Take notes during a meeting and share doc with attendees

Sales Team Data:Share a Google Spreadsheet with your sales team and ask them to keep it up to date with stats

Team Content Collaboration: Start with an outline, gather feedback from team, and keep evolving the piece you're writing.

Board or Committee Planning:Group work when serving on boards and committees

The possibilities are endless. Any time you need to collaborate on a document with someone else, it's a good possibility that Google Doc is the tool you need. Some other advantages include:

Compatibility: It works on Mac, PC, iPad, mobile, and with no software required

Cloud Storage: Your document is stored in the cloud, so it's accessible anywhere and won't get lost.

Saves Time: Much more streamlined, since there is no need to email attachments back and forth

At SpinWeb, we find that Google Docs is a great place to keep "in-progress" stuff. We don't treat it as a permanent home for a doc; rather, we use it as a stream of working docs that may eventually be exported to a more permanent home, like Dropbox. It's a great place to collaborate and create without committing to saving a bunch of files on your computer.

I hope this has given you a good primer on the advantages of collaborating with Google Docs.
Image Credit: dennizn/Shutterstock.com

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Official Gmail Help Center where you can find tips and tutorials on using Gmail and other answers to frequently asked questions.

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Create spreadsheets for your data and collaborate with your colleagues.

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/en/googlespreadsheets/working-with-multiple-sheets/content/

Introduction

When working with numerical information, Google Sheets can be used to perform calculations. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create simple formulas that will add, subtract, multiply, and divide values. You will also be introduced to the basics of using cell references in formulas.

Creating simple formulas

A convenient and time-saving feature of Google Sheets is its ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numerical information for you. Google Sheets uses mathematical expressions called formulas that make handling these calculations easy. In this lesson, we'll focus on formulas that contain one mathematical operator.

Most of the time, you will be using a cell's address in the formula. This is called using a cell reference. The advantage of using cell references is that you can change a value in a referenced cell and the formula will automatically recalculate. Using cell references in your formulas will make sure the values in your formulas are accurate.

Watch the video below to learn how to work with simple formulas in Google Sheets.

Mathematical operators

Google Sheets uses standard operators for formulas: a plus sign for addition (+), minus sign for subtraction (-), asterisk for multiplication (*), forward slash for division (/), and caret (^) for exponents.

All formulas must begin with an equals sign (=). This is because the cell contains-or is equal to-the formula and the value it calculates.

Using cell references

When a formula contains a cell address, it is using a cell reference. Creating a formula with cell references is useful because you can update the numerical values in cells without having to rewrite the formula.

By combining a mathematical operator with cell references, you can create a variety of simple formulas in Google Sheets. Formulas can also include a combination of a cell reference and a number.

Creating formulas

In our example, we'll use simple formulas and cell references to help calculate a budget.

To create a formula:

1. Select the cell that will display the calculated value.

2. Type the equals sign (=).

3. Type the cell address of the cell you want to reference first in the formula. A dotted border will appear around the cell being referenced.

4. Type the operator you want to use. For example, type the addition sign (+).

5. Type the cell address of the cell you want to reference second in the formula.

6. Press the Enter key on your keyboard. The formula calculates, and Google Sheets displays the result.

To see how the formula recalculates, try changing the value in either cell. The formula automatically displays the new value.

Google Sheets will not always tell you if your formula contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your formulas. To learn how to do this, read our article on why you should Double-Check Your Formulas.

To create a formula using the point-and-click method:

Rather than type cell addresses, you can point and click the cells you want to include in your formula.

1. Select the cell that will display the calculated value.

2. Type the equals sign (=).

3. Click the cell you want to reference first in the formula. The address of the cell appears in the formula.

4. Type the operator you want to use in the formula. For example, type the multiplication sign (*).

5. Click the cell you want to reference second in the formula. The address of the cell appears in the formula.

6. Press the Enter key on your keyboard. The formula will be calculated, and the value will appear in the cell.

To edit a formula:

Sometimes you may want to modify an existing formula. In our example, we typed an incorrect cell address in our formula, so we need to correct it.

1. Double-click the cell containing the formula you want to edit. The formula will be displayed in the cell.

2. Make the desired edits to the formula. In our example, we will replace C4 with C5.

3. When you're finished, press the Enter key on your keyboard. The formula recalculates, and the new value displays in the cell.

Challenge!

1. Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File > Make a copy.

2. Select the Challenge sheet.

3. In cell D4, create a formula that multiplies cells B4 and C4. Be sure to use cell references.

4. Use the fill handle to copy the formula to cells D5 and D6.

5. In cell D7, create a formula that adds cells D4, D5, and D6.

6. Change the quantity in cell B4 to 15. You should also see cells D4 and D7 change.

7. When you're finished, your spreadsheet should look something like this:

/en/googlespreadsheets/creating-complex-formulas/content/

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How to Make *AMAZING* Presentations in Google Slides

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How to Make *AMAZING* Presentations in Google Slides

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There are many reasons that people like to use Google Slides. It could be for a school project, work presentation or just to share information with friends and family.

Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: you want your design to look amazing! If you want an easy way to create a great-looking design for your next presentation then this blog post is for you.

In this article, we will go over 15 tips on how to make an amazing design using Google Slides. Whether it's your first time creating a presentation on Google Slides or if you're an experienced professional, these tips are sure to help guide you in the right direction!

So, let's get started!

Note - if you are strapped for time, simply considering outsourcing the presentation design process to a professional! I'd recommend using Fiverr. It is completely hassle-free to set up and start using. Plus, you don't need to pay anything to hire a professional. You only pay for the slide design! And, you can start with as little as $5 to $10 per slide!

Tips to Make an Amazing Google Slide Presentation Design!

Since this is going to be an action-packed article with a ton of suggestions, let's just dive right in with the tips!

1. Create a Compeling Narrative Through a Story Arc

A presentation is only as good as the narrative it holds!

If your presentation doesn't leave " food for thought " for your audience, they are less likely to remember your presentation, and even less likely to take any action afterward (which is mostly bad news especially if you are trying to convince your investors to give you more money!)

Presentation design goes hand-in-hand with the content that is going to be used for the presentation. Thus, start with a compelling story.
The best way to create a convincing story for your presentation is to use the "Story Arc".
A " Story Arc " or a "Narrative Arc" is something that has been successfully used by storytellers and writers for ages. The keyword here is "successfully"!

A powerful narrative can not only help your audience understand the intricacies of the subject of the presentation, but it also makes the presentation engaging and entertaining.

The best way to start working on a story arc is to either look at what is the most important aspect of your presentation and how can it be emphasized in a manner that takes the role of a protagonist?

Another way that I've used the story arc in my presentations successfully is to work backward. Think of what is the end outcome that you expect, and try to track things backward in order to achieve the end outcome.

No matter what approach you take, if you are able to fit a story arc in your presentation, you'd be golden!

Finally use stories from your life, or what you experienced while working on a project! I've seen this works really well and resonates with the audience. Here's a quick video on tips for using storytelling in your presentation.

2. One Topic Per Slide

Now that you've identified the larger part of what you going to cover in your presentation - in other words, the content, you now need to lay it out on your presentation such that it can be consumed by your audience comfortably!

One of the simplest tips to design a better presentation is to make sure that you don't cramp all the information in a single slide or 4-5 slides! Make sure that you spread out the presentation on multiple slides so that the audience can absorb all the information, but in short bursts, and then move on to the next topic!
A good rule of thumb for a good design is to try and cover just 1 topic on a slide.
I've seen this work plenty of times, and I personally also use this technique for my presentations. Simply divide the content of your presentations first into multiple key sections. Then, divide the sections further into key topics that should be covered within that section.

You can do this activity on a sheet of paper or just on the first slide of the presentation. Once you're done with this activity, you'll realize that the outline that you've just created also serves as the "Agenda" or the "Table of Contents" slide.

Now, all you're left to do is fill in the information that needs to go under each topic.

You may be wondering how is this a design tip. Well, when you have just one concept present on a slide, it is not only easier for your audience to consume, but also easier to design. You'll realize this when designing the presentation and thank me later!

Remember, there will be times when you will not have much to say about a particular topic, your slide will look empty, and you will be tempted to add another topic on the same slide. Don't fall for that. Instead, use images that accentuate the text or the topic of the slide.

3. Start with a Template (Don't Design from Scratch!)

This next tip might seem a bit obvious to some.

But, the reality is that quite a lot of people tend to miss out on the fact that you can use presentations that already look good, and just customize the slides for your content!
Google Slides already provides you with a number of free templates. Here's how you can access them -

1. First, visit your Google Slides dashboard page.

2. Login to your Google Account (if prompted)

3. Choose a template from "Start a new presentation" section

4. You can also click on "Template Gallery" to view more templates.

The one template that I end up using over and over again is the file name " Consulting Proposal ". It has got a sleek modern design, a good mix of image slides as well as different text placeholder slide layouts for you to easily edit your presentation.

But, feel free to check out other templates and see which one fits your need the best.

The point here is that if you are not great at designing a presentation, you'd perhaps be better off using a template rather than starting from scratch!

4. Use Fonts the Right Way

When it comes to designing a good presentation on Google Slides (or any application for that matter), fonts do play a key role in how your presentation looks!

Thus, it is important to make sure that you use the fonts correctly when creating your presentation.

Here's what you need to remember when using fonts for your presentation -

1. Use Just One or Two Fonts - Don't use too many fonts in your presentation. Your presentation design will not look good. Plus, using too many fonts in a presentation shows lack of consistency and professionalism in design.

2. Combine Fonts - Ideally, just use one font if you are unsure of which fonts work great together. But, you can also combine fonts to make the content of your presentation standout!

If you do want to go with a two-font option, use the Google Fonts tool to identify the font combination.

Here's how you can find a good font combination for your presentation -
Step 1 - Visit Googe Fonts and Search for a Font
Google Fonts site provides free fonts that are compatible with most modern internet sites and web browsers. Google Fonts are considered the gold standard for sites as these look very modern and are light.

The best thing is - most of them are already available in your Google Slides presentation by default.

So, the first step is to visit the Google Fonts website. Then, search for a font, to begin with. My favorite font is Montserrat. But, you can also go with Lato, Roboto, or Source Sans Pro if you are looking for a Sans Serif Font.

If you are looking for a Serif font, I would recommend using Merriweather.
Step 2 - Choose the Font and click "Pairings"
The next step is to choose a font. You can either type one of the fonts that I mentioned in the search bar and click on it once it appears OR you can also simply choose from the list provided below.

Just make sure that you click on the font that you like to open it.

Once the font is open, click on the "Pairings" tab on the top (as shown in the image).
Step 3 - Choose a Font Pair
Now simply choose one of the font pairs provided by Google Fonts. You can also click on a font pair to see how it looks on the section on the right.

Play with the options provided and choose the font combination that you like.

Now, simply go back to your Google Slides presentation and change the fonts according to your selection.

5. Choose the Right Color Combination

Just the way fonts are an important part of your Google Slides presentation design, choosing a good color combination can make your presentation look visually appealing, consistent, and professional.

Unfortunately, a lot of struggle with choosing a good color combination. Thus, I highly advise going with a monochromatic color scheme.

A monochromatic color scheme in a presentation provides a variety of color combinations of the same color. This makes your presentation look consistent and professional.

Moreover, using a monochromatic color scheme is a perfect way option for a beginner as it requires the least amount of time and effort to set up!

Check out my other article on using a monochromatic color scheme for presentations to understand the topic in-depth.

Then, also check out how to use the eyedropper tool in Google Slides to implement the color scheme that you end up choosing.

Make sure that you change the color at the theme level in Google Slides instead of changing it on every single slide. This will save you quite a bit of time!

6. Use the Expore Tool to Generate Slide Designs

Once you've decided the fonts, color scheme, and theme, and you have the content structured out, you've done most of the hard work!

All you are now left to do is create the slide designs. And, to help you with that, make sure that you use the " Explore Tool " in Google Slides.
The "Explore" feature in Google Slides generates slide designs based on the content that is already present on the slide. It is a great way to get a slide designed almost instantaneously!
The "Explore" feature in Google Slides works much as the design ideas feature in PowerPoint.

Based on the content on the slide, it will throw a few suggestions on how the content can be laid out on the slide. You can choose the design you like. If not, you can still design your own slide. But, it is definitely worth trying out first. Pretty cool, isn't it!

I wrote a detailed article on the Explore Feature in Google Slides. Make sure you check out that article to learn where to find this tool and know how to use it!

That said, one thing to keep in mind is that this feature is still an experimental tool. And, while it is getting better with time, I wouldn't recommend using it with every single slide.

In my experience, I've noticed that using the "Explore" feature in Google Slides works best when you want to create a title slide, a section break slide, or just want to get a few ideas on how the slide can be designed.

7. Apply the 3 by 3 Design Rule

The 3 by 3 design rule, otherwise also known as " the rule of thirds ", is a principle that has been borrowed from photography. But, it is every bit applicable even for slide designs and other design elements!

As per the 3 by 3 design principle, you basically need to divide the visual canvas into 3 equal-sized vertical and horizontal grids with the help of 2 vertical grid lines and 2 horizontal grid lines.

Here's a video that explains the concept of the rule of thirds for presentations -

Using these grids helps place the content correctly in the grids such that the key message usually aligns with the way our eyes like to see them visually!

The 3 by 3 design principle may seem confusing at first, but once you've understood how to use it, you can literally take your presentation design skills a few notches above the rest!
Using 3X3 Grids to Properly Layout Content on your Slides
The interesting thing is, you can take the same principle to make it work with elements apart from the images that are present on your slide. And, the results are just amazing!

The picture above shows how most people design their slides (on the left). However, you can literally transform the way your slides look by applying the concept of 3×3 grids to any existing content on the slides! (as shown on the right part of the picture above)

Here's another video that explains how this concept of 3 by 3 grids can be used to take any existing slides and make them better (if they aren't properly organized).

8. Use Powerful Images

They say - "An image speaks a thousand words!". This absolutely holds true when it comes to big impact presentation!

If you recollect any one of the top presentations from Steve Jobs. His presentation was almost always using powerful images with very few words on them.

Using images, as opposed to a lot of text, on your presentation has a few advantages of its own -

1. Visual Appeal - Using images makes the slide visually appealing. Think about it - if there aren't too many objects placed on the slide, the chances of making design related mistakes are also far lower!

2. Emotional Connect - Using images creates a subtle emotional connect in the minds of the audience with the topic of the presentation and/or the presenter.

3. Audience Focus - When you use text on a presentation, often the audience just reads the text and doens't want to listen to the presenter. Instead, when using the images, you control the focus of the attention of your audience. Once you have their attention, making a presentation impactful is a lot easier!

4. Faster Design Process - In most cases, it is faster to find an image and add it to the presentation rather than think of a way to design a slide to communicate a concept. This is especially true if you have only basic design skills.

If you watch some of the most famous TED or TEDx presentations ( know the difference between TED and TEDx presentations here), it is quite common to see presenters using high-impact images with text. Ever wonder why is it so?

Well, one of the most important reasons is that you are able to control the attention of the audience!

Now, if you are wondering how to find images for your presentation, keep reading as I've got some great recommendations for add-ons later in the article!

9. Keep the Text on the Slide Readable

If using images for most slides is not the way for you, then this section is going to be quite important!

In fact, even if you do plan to use just images on your slides, there may still be a few slides where you will need to have some text. If so, make sure that the text on the slide is readable!

Make sure that you don't use text that is too small to read.

As a general rule - the further the audience is going to be away from the screen, the larger the size of the text!

Here's what to remember for the size of the text on the slides -

1. Presentation seen on a computer screen - If the presentation that you are designing is going to be seen on a computer screen (either over an email or a zoom call), then make sure that the font size used for the presentation is not less than 16 points.

2. Presentation seen on a large screen - If the presentation is going to be delivered in an auditorium, then it is recommended to use a font size no less than 30 points. For the rest of the situations, anything in between should be fine!

Also, make sure that you don't use too much text on the same slide. Remember - you only need to cover one key topic on one slide.

It is totally okay to just use one word in the middle of the slide, and talk about that topic rather than using text from a complete word document on a slide!

If your audience will have to squint to read what is written, it just creates a bad user experience and they quickly lose interest.

Also, for the above reason, don't include everything on the slide that you plan to say! If you do so, you may come across as a person who is just reading from the slide! Most importantly, the audience is going to end up reading the text from the slide faster than you speak, and end up losing interest in the presentation!

10. Ditch the Bullet Points (Use Infographics Instead!)

Using bullet points on a presentation is so 1990s! It's just not the way good presentations are given anymore!

If you want your presentation design to look good, make sure that you get rid of bullet points. Instead, you can either use images, icons, or even infographics!

I've written an entire article on how to use infographics in Google Slides where I also talk about SmartArt and charts in Google Slides. Make sure you check out that article!

There are a ton of different ways in which you get infographics for Google Slides. I've talked about that also in the same article that I've linked above.

Likewise, you can also use icons instead of bullet points. Although adding icons to Google Slides is not an option that is available by default, there are a few ways you can work around this problem. For instance, you can use an add-on like "Flaticon" that provides free icons for Google Slides!

If you are wondering how to create a slide with bullet points and use icons or other methods, here's a good example of an actual client slide that I redesigned -

As you can see on the image, simply using icons and structuring the text to give proper hierarchy to the information can make all the difference to the design of the slide!

In case you don't want to use icons, you can also use numbers with circles, and use a similar design instead of just adding bullets to your presentation. If you do so, your presentation will still look good!

11. Avoid Using Just Table or a Graph

The next tip to remember is to avoid using just a table or a graph on a slide. Make sure that you also include a few points that act as key takeaways from the information that you provide.

Using just a table will present a lot of information on a single slide. This will definitely cause an information overload. And, even though your audience may be able to assess what is being presented to them, it is important to either highlight key pieces of information in the table or a graph.

Alternatively, you can also add a couple of lines of text indicating the key learnings from the data set.

Don't get me wrong, it is important to have data sets on a presentation if you have one! But, just make sure that you also highlight key pieces of information that your audience should pay attention to.

12. Keep Animations and Transitions Subtle

Another design tip that you should keep in mind is the use of animations and transitions in Google Slides.

You want to make sure when using animations in Google Slides, you don't add any funny movements. Think old school when using animations and transitions in your presentation.

Any additional movement or sudden transitions can distract the attention of the audience from the core topic and the messaging of the presentation.

So, make sure that you keep the use of such animations or transitions to the minimal!

13. Use Professional Google Slides Templates

If you find that the free template doesn't have enough slide layouts for your presentation or doesn't really fit the topic of your presentation, you may want to consider using professional templates!

There are a ton of different ways you can get templates for Google Slides. Unfortunately, most of the free options (and even most paid options) have outdated designs!

My personal favorite method for getting amazing Google Slides presentation templates is using Envato Elements.

The best part about using Envato Elements is that not only does it provide you with the best-in-class designs for your templates, but it also provides you with an option to download an unlimited number of presentations! (yes, you hear that right!)

Moreover, the pricing of Envato Elements is also really affordable! All you need to do is click on Envato Elements to visit the website, view the templates, and click on the " Get Unlimited Downloads " button on the top.

You will be prompted to sign up and pay a subscription. Just go for a monthly subscription and pay for one month (You can easily remove the payment method and cancel your subscription anytime).

Once you've logged in, simply cancel your subscription. Your subscription will be valid until the next date of renewal even if you cancel it.

Now, for the one month that you've paid, feel free to download all the templates that you like including templates for Google Slides, and PowerPoint!

14. Use Add-ons for Faster and Better Designs

One of the challenges with Google Slides, as opposed to some of the most reliable presentation design software, is the limited number of features it offers.

I suppose we should not really be complaining about it given that we do get a great presentation design application for free along with several additional advantages with Google Slides! That said, you do feel the need for a few pro-features that PowerPoint has to offer.

However, one way to fix this problem is to use add-ons with Google Slides!

Using add-ons allows you to use third-party tools and bring additional functionalities to your Google Slides presentation!

Add-ons on Google Slides are easy to add. Simply go to the Google Marketplace, and search for the add-on that you would like to add. Install it, and you are done!

Check out my complete guide on using Add-ons on Google Slides where I not only talk about how to use add-ons in Google Slides, but I also provide you with my personal favorite top 5 recommendations of add-ons that you should be using in Google Slides!

15. Hire a Professional

Well, the last tip is not so much as a tool that you can use on Google Slides. But, it is a great hack to ensure that you create great presentation designs!

Simply hire a professional to do the design work for you! You may be wondering that hiring a presentation professional might be difficult. However, that is not the case.

You can easily find some really good presentation designers on Fiverr, and you can start at as little as $5 to $10 dollars per slide! I've personally used freelancers from the site, and although finding a good freelancer may take you 15-20 minutes, you can easily outsource your work and let the designer worry about the rest!

The best part is - you don't have to pay a single penny to hire a professional. You only pay to get the work done!

There are a ton of other platforms to hire professionals that can design a good presentation for you. However, I have found Fiverr (especially for presentation design work) and Upwork to be the most effective.

A Few Things to Remember When Delivering the Presentation

Once you have created an amazing Google Slides presentation, you are perhaps ready to deliver the presentation. However, I'd like to also share a couple of tips that can be helpful when you plan to give the presentation!

So, here they are -

1. Use a Presentation Remote

It doesn't matter whether you are giving a presentation in an auditorium or online through Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Using a presentation remote helps you keep your hands free and allows for free movement and hand gestures. This does help engage with your audience.

Check out my other article on using presentation clickers with Google Slides where I provide you with a few tips and recommendations on which remote you should go with.

2. Use the Q&A Tool in Google Slides

A unique feature that Google Slides provides is the Q&A tool. This is great especially if you are delivering a webinar-style presentation or if you are simply addressing a large gathering.

This tool allows your audience to send questions during the course of your presentation. Then, at the end, you can simply view the questions in the Q&A session and answer them one by one!

It is a great way to deliver an engaging presentation using Google Slides!

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).

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15 Tips to Make an Amazing Google Slides Presentation Design!

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There are many reasons that people like to use Google Slides. It could be for a school project, work presentation or just to share information with friends and family. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: you want your design to look amazing!

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Purdue OWL - MLA Formatting & Style Guide

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Purdue OWL - MLA Formatting & Style Guide

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In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in MLA style

Works Cited Page

Resources on writing an MLA style works cited page, including citation formats

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.

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Works Cited: A Quick Guide | MLA Style Center

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MLA Style Center, the only authorized Web site on MLA style, provides free resources on research, writing, and documentation.

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Image Credits

Woman Writing a Thesis Statement

Student: valentinrussanov / E+ / Background: Tolchik / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Used under Getty Images license

A thesis statement is one sentence that expresses the main idea of a research paper or essay, such as an expository essay or argumentative essay. It makes a claim, directly answering a question.

As you can see in the thesis statement examples below, you must be very specific, summarizing points that are about to be made in your paper, and supported by specific evidence. Generally, your thesis statement can be the last line of the first paragraph in your research paper or essay.

Thesis Statement: Bad vs. Good

It's worth reiterating that a strong thesis statement is specific. If you find yourself using general words like "good," then you're not digging deep enough.

For example, saying "European travel is a good way to spend your summer," is not specific enough. Why is European travel good? Further examine the heart of your topic and focus on very specific areas of European travel that you can realistically cover and support with solid evidence.

"Solo European travel requires independence which, in the end, bolsters personal confidence." This is much more specific and targeted. Now, you can hone in your research on solo travel through Europe, the need for independence, and its positive effect on personal confidence.

Here are six more thesis statement examples for you to consider:

Bad: High levels of alcohol consumption are bad for you.
- This is too broad. What are the specific detriments of alcohol consumption that you would like to discuss?
Good: High levels of alcohol consumption have detrimental effects on your personal health, such as weight gain, heart disease, and liver complications.
- Notice we got very specific in our reasons why. In your thesis statement, you don't need to state every single detriment you're going to lay out (in fact, you shouldn't as it will risk becoming arun-on sentence) but you can point to the main areas you will explore.

Finding Your Point of View

A good thesis statement is developed from the point of view of the reader. Be very careful you're not developing a topic that is of interest to you alone. This is a harsh yet necessary question to ask yourself: will my readers have any reason to care about what I'm writing?

In the example about European travel above, readers might be interested in travel around Europe but will they be interested in solo travel, and greater independence and confidence? Hopefully, the answer is yes. Just make sure you examine all viewpoints before investing your valuable time in a well-written piece.

A thesis statement is powerful on two fronts. First, it allows the reader to get excited about what, specifically, is coming their way. Second, it stands as the point of reference for your entire paper.

Think of it as a loving mother steering her children away from danger. Essay writers run the risk of getting off track and wandering into thickly wooded forests of needless tangents. (This is also why a well-planned outline is essential.) However, a solid thesis statement will help keep you in check. Refer back to it and ask have you wandered off topic?

Always Be Specific

When searching for a new home, realtors will tell you there are three important factors: location, location, and location. When developing your one-sentence thesis statement, it is important for you to be: specific, specific, specific. Write your thesis statement once and then rewrite it again with greater specificity.

Also, make sure your audience will want to learn these new facts and possibly embrace these new opinions. Now, you have a compass for your entire paper, keeping you safely on course.

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Master the art of creating a thesis statement! Compare good and poor thesis statement examples to find out just what a strong thesis statement should be.

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As its name indicates, Photos for Class provides access to a huge library of photos to be used in classrooms and in educational settings. Photos for Class provides provides the following features:

Age Appropriate Images

Automatic Citation

Creative Commons

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Search now to download properly attributed, Creative Commons photos for school!

Teachers have told us they need a place to access safe images that are available to be used in the classroom and for educational purposes. Plus, they want accurate image citations. We've heard you and created "Photos For Class" to meet your needs for images!

Age Appropriate Images - All images are appropriate for the school setting, thanks to Flickr and Pixabay SafeSearch and our proprietary filters - Read More

Automatic Citation - Downloaded images automatically cite the author and the image license terms - Read More

Creative Commons - All photos shown are, to the best of our (and Flickr's / Pixabay's) knowledge, licensed by Creative Commons for public use

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Photos For Class - The quick and safe way to find and cite images for class!

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The World's easist way to search for safe, creative commons images and cite them.

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Pics4Learning is another great resource that provides free images for educational use. 'Teachers and students can use the copyright-friendly photos and illustrations for classroom projects, web sites, videos, portfolios, or any other projects in an educational setting.’

You can search for images using Pics4Learning search functionality or browse its collections which includes History, Music, Oceans, Objects, Plants, Animals, MAPS, Culture, Holidays, Geography, space, Countries, Education and more. Also, note that Pics4learning is a user-generated platform meaning you too can contribute your own images to help other teachers and students use them in their projects.

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Thousands of copyright free and copyright friendly images and photos for teachers and students.

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Uploading PDFs or Other Files to Google Drive