🖼️ PREVIEW on ALTOPEDIA

Hi everyone! 👋 I wanted to share a little idea that’s worked well for me when posting PowerPoint games and activities on ALTopedia: adding preview images.

If you're like me, you’ve probably spent time here browsing for a specific type of activity, only to find yourself reading long descriptions or downloading multiple posts that didn't quite match what you were looking for. With preview images, you can make the process quicker and easier. Teachers can click on the images to get a sense of what the activity is about before diving into the full post. For me, as a visual learner, this small step helps me find what I need faster—and I thought it might help others too!

Now, I’m not saying everyone needs to start using previews! This is just for those of you who want to go the extra mile on your posts. It’s a small step that can make your uploads more user-friendly for teachers who are visual like me.

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📸 Here’s What I Do

1. Take Screenshots: I grab 9-16 screenshots of my PowerPoint slides (just the highlights!).
   
2. Use a Template: I drop the screenshots into a simple layout I made (keep reading for options below).
   
3. Download: I save the design as a PNG (or JPEG/PDF) and upload it to my ALTopedia post. Easy peasy!
   

Jake mentioned that preview functionality might be coming to ALTopedia in the future (exciting!), but for now, this is a quick and easy workaround.

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🔍 Templates You Can Use

I’ve made three versions of the template so you can use whatever works best for you. All 3 templates have a 3x3 grid (normal) and a 4x4 grid (for those extra chunky slides)

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1. Canva (my preferred method)

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGYekApBOg/JOgNUbj390CUcOFazuyIjA/view?utm_content=DAGYekApBOg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview

1. Click the Template Link: Open the Canva template I’ve provided. You’ll need a (free) Canva account to edit.
   
2. Add Your Screenshots:
   
   • Save 9-16 screenshots of your PowerPoint to your computer.
     
   • In Canva, click Uploads on the left toolbar and select Upload Files to bring in your screenshots.
     
3. Arrange the Images:
   
   • Drag and drop your uploaded screenshots into the placeholders on the template.
     
4. Customize (Optional):
   
   • You can tweak the template’s colors, fonts, or text to match your style or make it more fun!
     
5. Download Your Design:
   
   • Click Share > Download, then choose PNG (recommended), JPEG, or PDF.
     

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2. Google Slides

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jr5yMAG5qCjpvUunOqd6An3XyhmnzoPjQ2YxzjFfvfo/edit?usp=sharing

The slides will look blank before you Make a Copy:

1. Open the Google Slides link.

2. Go to File > Make a Copy > Entire Presentation.

3. Save all your screenshots to your computer.

4. Click the little camera icon (Insert > Image > Upload from Computer) to add your screenshots.

5. Once everything is in place, go to File > Download > PNG (or JPEG/PDF).

To edit the background color, picture boxes, or borders: View > Theme Builder

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3. PowerPoint

Find below

1. Download the template and open it. Be sure to click “Enable Editing” if prompted.
   
2. Save your screenshots to your computer.
   
3. In PowerPoint, Click on the placeholder box where you want to insert your photo > Select the screenshot you want to use from your computer and click Insert to add it to the slide.
   
4. When finished, go to File > Export > Change File Type and save as a PNG or JPEG. For PDF File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document. You'll be prompted about where on your PC you want to save it, and it should also ask "Only this slide or Entire Presentation". Choose "Only this slide"

To edit background, picture boxes, border: View > Slide Master

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📝 Feel Free to Modify!

Feel free to modify these templates however you like! Whether it’s changing the colors, adjusting the layout, or adding extra flair, make it work for you. The goal is to make the preview process as easy as possible!

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👀 Why Add Previews?

• It saves time for other teachers: They can quickly tell if your activity fits their needs.
  
• It feels great to share effectively: You know your work is going to the right audience.
  

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That’s it! I hope these templates help make your ALTopedia posts even better. No pressure to use previews on every post—just an idea for anyone looking to take their uploads to the next level.

If you have other ideas for making previews, drop them below. Half of the reason I did this is because I wanted to test my Google Slides and PowerPoint SlideMaster Skills.

Happy teaching,

CarpenterBee

Files:

Small files

TEMPLATE of Previews.pptx (19.9 KB)

Medium files (requires an account to download) -

More information

PREVIEW of previews (lol).pdf (8.64 MB)