PowerPoint is an indispensable tool for teachers to create engaging and effective presentations. However, the basic PowerPoint software lacks many advanced features that can take your teaching slides to the next level.
That’s where PowerPoint add-ins come in handy! Add-ins are plugins that add extra functionalities and tools to PowerPoint. There are hundreds of add-ins available, but not all are suitable for teaching purposes.
In this article, we have curated the 10 best PowerPoint add-ins specifically for teachers to make awesome presentations effortlessly!
Step 1: Understand Why You Need Add-ins
Here are some key reasons why PowerPoint add-ins are a must-have for teachers:
- Save time – Add-ins provide ready-made templates, themes, charts, icons etc. This saves hours of creating visuals from scratch.
- Add interactivity – Many add-ins help add quizzes, games, 3D objects and more to slides. This boosts student engagement.
- Enhance creativity – Get access to thousands of graphics, images and animations to make presentations visually appealing.
- Simplify complex tasks – Inserting math equations, detailed diagrams, maps etc. become easier with specialized add-ins.
- Brand presentations – Maintain consistent branding across all presentations by using organization-based templates.
- Reuse content – Repurpose presentations for different classes or terms without having to rebuild them.
Clearly, PowerPoint add-ins make life much simpler for busy teachers!
Step 2: Install Add-ins in PowerPoint
Installing add-ins in PowerPoint is easy. Follow these steps:
- Open PowerPoint and click on File > Options.
- Click on Add-ins from the left sidebar.
- Select Manage: COM Add-ins or Manage: PowerPoint Add-ins from the bottom.
- Click Go to open the add-in management window.
- Click on Add New and select the add-in file you want to install.
- The add-in will show up in the list once installed successfully.
Alternatively, you can install add-ins directly from the Office Store within PowerPoint.
Step 3: Explore the 10 Best Add-ins for Teachers
Here are the top 10 PowerPoint add-ins handpicked for teachers:
1. ClassPoint
ClassPoint helps create interactive presentations easily. Key features include:
- Add live polls, quizzes, discussions and more
- Get instant student responses and feedback
- Interactive pens and highlighters for annotations
- Import questions from Microsoft Forms
- Works seamlessly with existing PPTs
This add-in boosts student participation and makes lessons more engaging.
2. MathType
MathType makes inserting complex math equations and chemistry formulas effortless. You can:
- Write math expressions using the equation editor
- Import LaTeX equations
- Include math symbols, Greek letters, integrals etc.
- Supports ChemType for chemistry notation
It eliminates the pain of building math expressions manually.
3. Pexels
Struggling to find suitable images and videos for your slides? Pexels add-in provides over 2 million free stock photos and videos to choose from!
You can search within PowerPoint itself by keywords or color for the perfect media to visualize concepts.
4. Break Time
Break Time is a fun timer add-in to manage classroom activities efficiently. You can set countdown timers to:
- Limit work blocks and break times
- Add audio alerts and visual notifications
- Show timers directly on slides or as overlays
- Customize multiple timers for flexibility
No more shouting to grab attention of students engrossed in tasks!
5. LessonPix
LessonPix provides a library of over 2 million curriculum-based graphics for K-12 teachers. Key features:
- Search for topic-specific visuals
- Add symbols and images to explain concepts
- Design worksheets and activity sheets
- Create flashcards, bingo cards, crosswords etc.
- Download resources as PNGs or PPTs
Finding relevant visuals for lessons becomes a breeze!
6. Visme
Transform boring text-heavy slides into visually stunning presentations using Visme. You can:
- Choose from hundreds of templates
- Create infographics, charts, diagrams easily
- Animate objects and add cinematic motion
- Import and edit PPT, PDF files
- Record audio narration
- Publish as HTML presentations
Engage even the most disconnected students in your class!
7. Desmos
Desmos helps teach math and science concepts interactively. You can:
- Import Desmos activities into PPT
- Create graphs, geo-plots, scientific diagrams
- Add sliders and buttons for dynamic visuals
- Make changes on the fly during presentations
Desmos brings abstract concepts to life making them more understandable!
8. Merge Excel
Struggling with constantly updating Excel data linked to PowerPoint slides? Merge Excel makes your life hassle-free by:
- Importing Excel charts which auto-refresh when updated
- Quickly create data-driven slides from spreadsheets
- Infuse Excel data into slides with a click
- Insert tables that inherit formatting
Now changes to Excel files reflect instantly in linked PowerPoint slides!
9. PowerPointLabs
PowerPointLabs packs amazing features to step up your slide game:
- Apply animated transitions between slides
- Morph images and shapes
- Annotate slides with sketch pens
- Launch mini slides within slides
- Convert slides to handouts, outlines and more
Add an element of surprise and delight in every lesson!
10. Office Timeline
Struggling with creating eye-catching timelines to map historical events? Office Timeline makes it a cakewalk with:
- Ready chronology templates
- Auto-generated timelines from Excel data
- Colorful graphical timelines
- Import Gantt charts from Excel
- Print large posters or handouts
Students can now easily visualize chronological progression of events!
Step 4: Explore More Add-ins
This sums up our handpicked recommendations to enhance teaching presentations using PowerPoint add-ins.
However, there are many more cool add-ins for teachers that provide value in specific scenarios. Refer to this detailed guide to discover add-ins for interactive quizzes, gamification, diagrams, language learning and more!
We hope these add-ins will help you create memorable, engaging presentations that make learning fun for students! Do share if you have any favorite teaching add-ins that we may have missed.
