So… Microsoft has this cool presentation tool called Sway.  Have you seen it?  It’s different than  PowerPoint in the way it’s constructed, the interface, and the very way it moves.  It’s another way to get your message out there and another option to offer your students when it comes to presentation time.

I recently got certified as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Training Provider, and now I’m excited to share about the things that I’m excited about…and I’m excited about Sway.

Sway is a free site/app that allows users to create interactive stories, reports, and presentations.  As a technology teacher, I’m particularly excited about the ease of use.  I have no qualms at all about introducing this to even my youngest elementary students, and I know that they’ll find and discover even more cool things about Sway than I already have. It has many built-in formatting options from which it’s easy to select, drag, and populate the items you want to use.  My three pervasive thoughts about Sway are:

  1. Students will love having another option to make and share really beautiful presentations.
  2. I appreciate all the ways content can be added!  Check out the screenshot at the below.  The students will love having all those choices!
  3. Sway felt like “PowerPoint Goes To The Theme Park”.  It’s just fun to create graphically dynamic presentations.

If you did need a little help or really wanted to dig into some training about all of the features, c’mon – this is Microsoft…they’re great with tutorials!  Here’s a place to get started: What Is Sway & 10 Great Tutorials.  As part of my certification, I did watch most of the tutorial videos, and they really did help me make the most of Sway.

Once you create a Sway, there are lots of great ways for you or your students to share it, too!   They can just leave it in their Office 365 account, or they can email, post to social media, share to Yammer, or even upload it to a docs.com account.

I’m still learning and exploring (do we ever stop?)…and having tons of fun with it!  I hope you play with Sway, and get your students to, also!  I’d love to see your creations if you’re willing to share.  You can post in the comments on this blog, find me on Twitter @kerszi, or go to my Facebook page called Integration Innovation.