When I was a classroom teacher, I used PowerPoint for a few different things — I created presentations, my students created presentations, and I also created tutorials or personalized learning activities for my students.

PowerPoint was limited in what it could do. I loved all the features PowerPoint had, but it was missing the aspect of collaboration, and the ease of individualized viewing and sharing. For instance, with tutorials, if I wanted all my students to complete an activity, I’d put the presentation on a computer, and then they’d all have to take turns doing the activity.

When my school started using Google Apps, at first I was resistant, but once I realized the power of collaboration through Google Slides, I was sold. I immediately saw applications for my classroom.

With Google Slides, all I do is email a link and then each student can go through the tutorial on their own device at their own pace.

When students would give presentations, it was difficult to give individualized feedback on the slides. Google Slides allows me to really personalize the feedback. I can leave comments on students’ presentations, link to specific slides, and if it’s group work, everyone can easily see feedback.

When I give a presentation, students can have their own copy of the slides and take notes using commenting feature. It’s also great for a group to ask questions on a shared copy – it’s a quick way to get discussions started.