Microsoft 365: PowerPoint Beginner (2023): Getting Started

Name: Microsoft 365: PowerPoint Beginner (2023): Getting Started
Author: Deanna Schmuck

Learn how to navigate PowerPoint software, create slides, and use layouts and placeholders

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 3 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello, my name is Deanna, and in these lessons you will learn how to open a new blank PowerPoint file, how to navigate the PowerPoint main window, how to use the menu bar, and how to use slide layouts and placeholders. In this lesson, I will show you how to open a blank PowerPoint file and the slide thumbnail pane. I have opened PowerPoint through Microsoft 365 office online. When you open PowerPoint, you can choose to either start from scratch, a new blank file, or from a template. We will start with a new blank file. I will click blank presentation. Notice our slide has no design or color because we chose a blank presentation. Let's take a moment to explore the main PowerPoint window. At the top of the screen you will see the menu bar. Locate the words, file home, insert, draw, design, et cetera. Each word on the menu bar when clicked on, gives you a unique ribbon underneath of it. For example, if I click on the Insert tab on the menu bar, the information below changes. This is called our ribbon. If I click on Draw, the ribbon changes design, the ribbon changes and I'll go back to Home and see the ribbon for the Home tab. On each ribbon, you will see Groupings. Groupings are defined by these faint lines that breaks up the different tasks or options into groups. For example, we have the Slides group right here, and all of these buttons are similar in that they are all dealing with slides. Let's move over to the right side of our screen. And we are looking for this little tiny arrow on the right hand side. When I kind of hover right on it without clicking, you'll see it says Switch Ribbons. So we've learned about the ribbon. However, there are different ways to view the ribbon right now. As is, we are in what is called the Classic Ribbon. The classic ribbon is more visual as opposed to what I'm going to do next is switch to the simplified ribbon. So I'm going to click Switch Ribbons and you'll see a much more condensed ribbon here. This is called the simplified Ribbon. You will have all of the same options whether you choose classic or simplified. However, as you can see, simplified does condense it. So if you are new to using PowerPoint, I would suggest working with the Classic Ribbon view because it is more visual and it will require you to do less searching. So I'm going to go back to the right side here, click on that and change it back to my Classic view. On the left hand side of the screen, you will see what's called the slide thumbnail pane, where we have this box and the number one here. This represents one slide in our presentation. As you build a slide deck, you will start to see more of these boxes fill up on the slide thumbnail pane. Once you have a slide deck, of several slides. You would click in the slide thumbnail pane to change which slide is the active or the current slide, displaying real big here in the middle and allowing you to edit it here in the middle. Stay tuned for the next lesson where I will show you how to title and save a PowerPoint file and use templates. Thank you for watching.

Beginner Provider : Deanna Schmuck 3 Lessons · 13m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

PowerPoint is a comprehensive presentation software and gives you everything you need to produce a professional-looking presentation. PowerPoint slides help users convey information creatively by sharing custom slides with professional design options. The topics discussed in this course will provide the foundation needed to begin creating engaging slideshows for business, nonprofit, educational, or personal use. PowerPoint offers default and customized features to position content in pleasing ways with just enough content per slide to engage your audience with your presentations. This introductory course will help you get started.

In this course, you will learn the basic skills needed to get started in Microsoft 365 PowerPoint, including how to open a blank PowerPoint file and how to navigate the main PowerPoint window and Slide Thumbnail pane. You’ll also learn how to use the Menu bar, including ribbons and groupings, as well as how to save a PowerPoint file, how to use templates, and how to use slide layouts and placeholders.

What You'll Learn

Navigate the main PowerPoint window and Slide Thumbnail pane
Open a blank PowerPoint file and use the Menu bar, ribbons, and groupings
Save a PowerPoint file
Explore and use PowerPoint templates
Use slide layouts and placeholders to position content

Key Takeaways

PowerPoint is presentation software that provides the tools needed to produce professional-looking presentations.
This introductory course covers the basic skills needed to get started in Microsoft 365 PowerPoint.
Learners practice navigating the main PowerPoint window, the Slide Thumbnail pane, and the Menu bar with its ribbons and groupings.
The course covers saving PowerPoint files, using templates, and working with slide layouts and placeholders.
Slides can be used to create engaging slideshows for business, nonprofit, educational, or personal use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is an introductory, beginner-level course for anyone getting started with Microsoft 365 PowerPoint who wants to create slideshows for business, nonprofit, educational, or personal use.

What will I learn in this course?

You will learn basic skills including how to open a blank PowerPoint file, navigate the main PowerPoint window and Slide Thumbnail pane, use the Menu bar with ribbons and groupings, save a PowerPoint file, use templates, and use slide layouts and placeholders.

What topics do the lessons cover?

The lessons cover the PowerPoint Main Window and Slide Pane, Exploring Templates, and an Introduction to Slide Layouts and Placeholders.

Do I need prior PowerPoint experience to take this course?

No. This is an introductory course that provides the foundation needed to begin creating slideshows and helps you get started with the basic skills.