Bored with Powerpoint? There are many slideshow makers available online which make Powerpoint seem so last century. Some will allow you to add music or a narration to the slideshow, some include video as well as pictures. As with most online tools you can collaborate with others or easily allow your peers to view and comment upon your presentation. The main problem with using online presentations is that it is not always possible to download the completed presentation to your hard drive which means some cannot be viewed without a live connection. One possible solution is to use a Flash grabbing website such as Vixy. A further problem is that these tools tend to be quite popular with young people and unfortunately they do not always use them to post material which would be suitable for students to view in the classroom. It is worth having a look to see how suitable the general tone of the presentations on a siste are before you use them. Some websites will remove unsuitable material if you inform them. If you are looking for something different why not try using a Timeline Tool or Multimedia Scrapbook to host your presentation.


1. Rock You - One of the best looking slideshows but some of the material does tend to be a bit risque. If you were comparing these sites to television channels this would be a Channel 4 compared to others which are more BBC. You can add short pieces of text. You cannot add your own music but there is a reasonable selection to chose from. There are no controls in the player to allow Pause etc. but you can silence the music by clicking on the speaker in the bottom left corner. (If all the presentations on this page are playing it is probably a bit noisy by now!)



2. Animoto - This tool allows the user to create an MTV style music video. The basic version allows for a 30 second video, but if you register for a free educational account then your students can create a 1 minute video which can also be downloaded for use in class. In essence you put in your photos, add a piece of music (upload your own or use one of the samples) and the programme does the rest. You have no control over transitions etc. which on the positive side keeps the focus on the choice of music and photos. However, if you want more control over your slideshow then this is not the tool for you. I made the example below for a charity that I am involved with. Note that it can take quite a while for the programme to generate the finished film. You may want to return to the finished product in a later lesson and so long as the processing has begun you can log off with no fear of losing the finished product.



3. Go Animate - Technically this is not a presentation maker, but it can be used to make a presentation with an animated host who can take you on a guided tour of the presentation. You could use this for so many purposes in the classroom. Why not get the pupils to make an animation to teach younger pupils about a topic or concept. In my example below I used a computer generated voice but you can record your own. The one issue I had with this site was that I have found it impossible to get a copy of the presentation onto my hard drive; you will need to rely on a live presentation.



4. Voicethread - Voicethread gets a lot of attention in educational circles. It has a straight-forward logging in process that doesn't require e-mail validation before use. There are a series of flash based tutorials which is always useful for the teacher with a large class to teach a new tool to. You can add pictures or video to your VOicethread and then record a voice narration or add a text comment. The Video Doodle tool allows you to annotate and highlight sections of the slide to highlight them for your audience. This Doodle tool could be used for a peer assessment task where students could comment on pictures, video or documents that other students have produced. Alternatively, students could produce their own presentation about a topic or create a tutorial to explain a topic or concept to others. I have come across other very creative uses. One PE teacher showed an athletic video and students commented on the ethics of drugs in sport. A language teacher could insert a piece of text to be read and then their students can record and compare their linguistic skills. The free version should provide enough functionality for most student tasks but there is a paid version if you need that little bit more. There is also a special educational version which creates a secure environment for your classes and enables some other useful features specifically for teachers. Click Here to visit the educational site. Once published anyone can add a text comment or record an audio comment which again has great potential for formative assessment. You can also download your voicethread for presentations. You can also e-mail your voicethread to enable collaboration.




5. Emprssr - Simple log in does not require e-mail validation. There is a quick start facility which allows you to upload an existing Powerpoint or collection of photos. This is a simple tool to produce a basic slideshow with image and text. It looks and feels like Powerpoint and as such is very limited. It does have a facility to record audio but it didn't work for me when I tried it. Might be useful if you don't have Powerpoint on your computer or want just a basic presentation that can be shared with others online.


6. Trintuition Workbench 2 - Log in requires a validated e-mail and didn't work the first time for me. This is part presentation tool/multimedia scrapbook/website maker so I have included it in several sections. In terms of comparison, I would say this was the BBC styled tool compared to Rockyou's channel 4 feel. As such its look is very suitable for classroom use. The editor is Flash based so looks very professional although I found it to be very confusing at first and still quite confusing after some time. The easiest way to get started is to click on the Quick Start Menu that appears in the Library section of the page. To be honest I even found the tutorials a bit complex. In essence you have complete control over the look of your slide/page. Once you have got it looking how you want you can add links, pictures, videos etc. So you could have one page with links to a lot of objects and use it like a scrapbook, or you could have many pages and use it as a website. You can download the completed presentation to use offline although any links you create would need a live connection. Overall, definately one for the more advanced user but I do get the impression that you could produce dramatic results if you invest the time to learn it.


7. Magtoo - Another one of those sites which is hard to categorise. This is a presentation tool/panorama maker/mapping tool. You may find some of the material on this site to be inappropriate so make sure you have a look before using with a class. Has a very similar feel to Rockyou and looks as if it was produced by the same people.



8. Moonk - Very simple - upload photos and choose a player. You have no control over any other aspect such as transition between slides. Hard to see this being much use in the classroom.


9. Smilebox - I liked the look of this tool and the graphics may well appeal to younger students. I have not reviewed it here as it is a downloadable tool and not browser based. However, if you are looking for free software you may well wish to have a look. Creates slideshows, scrapbooks, photobooks etc.


10. Slide - This tool allows you to build a slideshow as well as jazzing up your photos. Very similar in look and feel to Rock You and Magtoo although I didn't see any obvious inappropriate material.




11. Slidestory - This tool allows you to record a narration with your slide show and post on the web for others to see. I have not reviewed it as it is a downloadable piece of software rather than browser based but some may want to have a look as it is a useful free tool.

12. Showbeyond - SImple log in does not require password validation. There is a 24 image limit which should be sufficient for most users. You can record 30 seconds of narration for each slide which does require a quick install (2 seconds) of a Java update in order to access the microphone. You can add a short piece of text to each picture. There is a very easy to use timeline feature to allow you to rearrange your slides. My only criticism is that there is no way of controlling the look of the slideshow by introducing themes or transitions. The only control is over the timing and the order of slides. However, as with other tools this can sometimes be a blessing as students don't get carried away with the 'Bling' and focus more on the story they are trying to tell. If wanting a simple and straightforward narrated slideshow this is well worth a look.



13. Slidelive - Simple tool to share your powerpoint with others. Upload and then give them an invitation or simply share the web address.


14. Sliderocket - Currently in Beta testing. You have the option to upload an existing Powerpoint or start from scratch. You can use shared pictures and videos or upload your own. There are a range of special effects to add some pizzazz to your shows. Your presentation is hosted online and you can either invite people to watch or publish it into your website. There doesn't appear to be any way to download it to your hard drive to watch later. A further issue is that while you can host a meeting to share your slide with others live, there does not appear to be any chat functions to communicate with your partners while you are viewing the slideshow. Not quite there yet but may be worth keeping an eye on this one.

15. StoryMaker - Requires an e-mail account to be verified before use. I tried two different accounts and didn't receive any confirmation. I eventually did get an account to work. In essence you record your story by video, text or picture and host it here. It is more a place to host stories than a tool to make them.

16. SLideroll allows up to 24 pictures to be uploaded. The terms of service does warn about posting lewd or offensive material and on the day I checked I saw nothing that would cause great concern for classroom use. Once photos are uploaded the tool creates an automatic slideshow which can be viewed on line or shared through an e-mail link. If you return to the slide editor you can then alter the saved presentation by adding text, hyperlinks and transitions. That said, I had difficulty getting the text and transitions to display in preview mode although they did appear in the final version - click here to view.

17. 280 Slides - When you arrive at the site you can begin immediately. If you wish to upload pics etc. it asks for a registration which is easily completed by providing password and email. Nevertheless, a bit odd not to have the registration at the beginning of the process. You can import an existing Powerpoint to begin or start from scratch. There are not a huge range of themes but sufficient to get you started. It did run a little slow but we are talking a few seconds not minutes. I couldn't get the image uploader to work and it would appear there are still quite a few glitches to iron out in the beta version. That said, some of the functions such as downloading to use as a powerpoint or sharing online make this a promising tool if you are looking for a simple Powerpoint type product for shared presentations

18. Flowgram - No longer in operation



19. Digital Vaults Movie Maker - I have included this more of an example of what can be achieved than a tool for widespread use. The tool is available from the National Archives Foundation in America. If you are researching an aspect of American history then this tool may well be useful to you. However, because you cannot import resources other than those within the National Archive, the use is always going to be limited. However, it does show what can be achieved by an educational organisation/museum to make its content more useful and appealing.


20. Viddix - And now for Something completely different! With this tool you get two panels on your screen. The first displays a video, the second displays text, pictures, links, videos, polls and other things you may want to include. The two panels work independently but are also connected if that makes sense. So for example, you can pause the video panel and click on a live link in the other panel to explore what the person was talking about. You can then restart the video and it will move the slides in the other panel from where you had originally left off. You also have the possibility of moving backwards and forwards. There are many uses to this tool. Students (or even teachers) could create a lesson about a topic or concept they like. In one panel they could have a video of them explaining it, in the other panel the resources they collected to illustrate. A science teacher could perhaps video an experiment and include slides, wepages etc. for further learning. It is worth noting that usage requires an authticated e-mail address before you can choose your own password. The password they supply is complicated so I would change before doing anything else. Also because you are dealing with video it will take quite a while to upload to the site. Perhaps students could do this before they come to class or you could upload some for them to use. Note that I waited ages for stage 3 (Video to Save) before I realised I had to type in a name for video and tags etc. Once I did this it was saved in seconds. Once the video is uploaded you simply add cuepoints whenever you want in the video. You can preview them by clicking on the i-panel but I was surprised how easy it was.The best way to understand this tool is to see it in action so click here to see an example. You will need to have the i-panel tab clicked in order to see the cuepoints I inserted. It is also possible to leave comments on what you have seen.



21. Bubbleshare - Straightforward Slideshow maker. Simple registration with username and password. A range of frames for the slideshow to choose from. The photos can then be added to using 'gizmos' which are not overly useful but may be fun for some. What makes Bubbleshare particularly noteworthy is the ability to add speech bubbles to your photos. So for example, you could create a series of pictures of different people and ask pupils to predict how they might be feeling or what they might say about an issue. Alternatively, you could use the pictures to tell a story. This tool would be excellent for younger children as it is so easy to use. It is possible to download the finished version or view it online. I had a bit of trouble embedding into this page as not all the captions showed but you will get the idea.



22. Muveemix - This tool enables you to upload pictures and video clips and create a final presentation. You have a range of music to choose from and it is easily added to the finished movie. The creation process is automatic although you can choose a style for your movie. Once you have finished the browser cannot be closed or the movie will be lost. Given a movie may be 100MB this could be quite a while. Similar in idea to animoto except animoto will complete the movie even with the browser closed. When complete they send you an e-mail with a link to view your movie. It can be embedded in another site but no easy way to download for offline viewing. Click here to view an example. This was made with 4 photos but you could put more in to produce a better end product.

23. Preezo - This is an online version of Powerpoint for creating basic slides. Very similar feel to Powerpoint which begs the question why bother? The two main advantages are that the slideshow can be viewed onlne by visting the Web address without any uploading etc. Secondly, by sharing the user name and password others can edit the same slideshow allowing for Groupwork. Click Here to see an example.

24. Thumbstacks - Still in Alpha development. Very similar to Preezo and creates a basic slideshow with transitions. Note that some of the tools are accessed through the toolbar at the top of the page but you can also right click on the slide show to access other tools such as add images. Finished presentations can be published on the web or downloaded onto your hard drive for viewing.

25. Qlipboard - This product can be used free onlime or as a free downloaded programme. However, does look quite impressive with the ability to make a presentation and record a narration. It seems to be a screencast/presentation maker. Using the online version I was only able to do one picture at a time rather than an entire slideshow. I suspect the online version is in its infancy and it may develop further. However, if you wanted pupils to speak about a single image then this would be a suitable tool

26. Flektor - You need to confirm you are over 14 to use. Similar to Rockyou and other slideshow makers for Myspace. Gives a nice finish to your photos but not much potential for doing anything else such as adding text.

27. Slideshare - Simple but effective tool. Upload your powerpoints and allow others to view. There is also a function to add narration to your slideshow by adding an MP3 file. You quite often find slideshare embedded in other websites to provide a tutorial on how to use the site.

28. Mixbook - While this is intended to be a photo book you can show the pictures (with text) as a slideshow.



29. Scrapblog - Technically not a slideshow creator but as the finished product can be viewed as a Slideshow and it also happens to be one of the best looking tools out there I thought it should be included here. For a fuller description see the review under Multimedia Scrapbooks.



30. Vuvox - The tool can be started without validating an e-mail account. There are 3 main tools here each of which deserve your attention. The first is a Panorama Collage tool. Here you can create a collage of several different photos and include hotspots which link to media, text and other sites. This in essence makes it into a multimedia scrapbooking tool. You can choose to make your Collage or have it automatically generated. Images can also be imported from picasa. flickr etc. There is an example below.




The second tool is vuvox studio. This is available in two formats (making 3 tools in total) either a fully customisable version or a quicker express version and is a more traditional slideshow maker incorporating video and images. That said, there is nothing traditional about the layout and it really does offer something different from the competition. This is a quick example I created below. You need to hover over the right hand side of the presentation to go to the next picture, you can also zoom into the images by clicking on them.



31. One True Media - This tool allows you to mix video, pictures and text in order to create your own multimedia presentation. A fairly powerful tool but as always you need to be careful of the content that has been published in the public areas.

32. Presentit - This tool is for creating basic Powerpoint slides. They can also be downloaded to be used off-line. The main advantage over traditional Powerpoint is that this tool enables several students to collaborate on a single presentation without the hassle of having to save files on pen drives, take them home and swap them. Anyone who has ever tried will no the obstacles, this tool should make such collaborative tasks much easier.

33. Vcasmo - Similar to Viddix above. This enables you to create a presentation which synchronises video with a second window that includes pictures, text , links etc. The example below gives you an idea of how it works although I suspect this example doesn't fully realise the potential of the tool



34. Prezi - Most presentation tools are variations on a theme but occasionally you come across something that is completely unique. Prezi is one such tool and I really look forward to giving it a proper try. If it works as well as it looks then this is bound to be a favourite. The homepage has a few examples which are sure to get you hooked.

35. Qlipboard - This tool allows you to make narrated slideshows of either pictures or screenshots. There is also a drawing tool which allows you to annotate the pictures in your presentation. You could use it in many ways, to explain a routine in an experiment, or how students solved a problem, to simple commenting on a set of pictures. The tool can be used on-line or downloaded and is available in a free and paid version. Well worth a look and I would compare to other similar tools like Voicethread.

36. Yodio - Another tool to make a narrated slideshow. You can give a rating the tool which may be useful for a simple assessment. Click on the example below.



37. Toufee - This site is designed to enable the novice to create Flash Movies with no experience. You could perhaps get pupils to create an advert or you may want to use it yourself to create some sort of presentation. There is a 14 day free trial otherwise you would need to pay. I am not sure what happens to any video you create after the 14 days but if you can see a short clip by clicking Here then it is still working since I created it in Aug 09. The free version is a bit limited but may suit your needs.