Can I write over a powerpoint presentation

Question

Can I write over a powerpoint presentation

My wife is a teacher and she currently uses a "smart" tablet to interact with her powerpoint presentations. I am trying to persuade her to get iPads and so I need to know if there is an app or if the iPad has the ability to basically "write over" a powerpoint or keynote presentation that is currently going.

For example...she is a math teacher and will have the problems being projected as a part of the actual powerpoint slideshow...but then needs to be able to use her finger or what ever to write on the slideshow while she teaches. To answer questions and show how to do the problem.

Anybody have any information on this. I'm sure the technology is out there.

Thanks

Posted on Mar 30, 2012 7:31 AM

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Answer 1

PogoPossum

Level 4

2,508 points

Mar 30, 2012 7:36 AM in response to steven VanKeulen

The easiest way would be to save the Powerpoint as a PDF file, and then use on of the many PDF annotation programs to write on top of it.

Be aware that, using this set-up, she'd have to have the iPad hardwired to the projector - or connected wirelessly through an Apple TV (and likely through a HDMI-VGA connector between the Apple TV and projector, as most school projectors don't have HDMI input). So it would depend on the set-up of her classroom.

Another option is to put the Powerpoint on the computer that is connected to the projector, and then control the main computer and annotate on top of it using a program such as Splashtop Whiteboard or Doceri. This would allow the iPad to be "wireless".

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Answer 2

PogoPossum

Level 4

2,508 points

Mar 30, 2012 7:35 PM in response to steven VanKeulen

I should have thought of this - had it on my iPad, but hadn't tried it yet. Air Sketch. It's a "whiteboard" app that lets you draw over a whiteboard space... but you can also import images and PDF files. So she would still have to convert the PowerPoint to PDF... but the neat thing about Air Sketch is that you can share it live through a website - so she can start it up on the iPad, share the link to her projector-connected computer, and then open the website on that computer. It has to be on the same network, but the delay is very small (comparable to that of a tablet PC on a networked projector), and it works very well. I've shared it with some other teachers at my school. It costs $10, but well worth it - and there's a free trial version she could use first.

If your wife has a Mac connected to her projector, another option is Reflection. It allows you to mirror the iPad to a Mac (the iPad appears on the Mac, which then appears on the projector). Not sure how well it works, and if you can enlarge the iPad image to fill up the whole display. The developer told me they are working on a Windows version.

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