PowerPoint is an easy way to adapt books for your students and is a program that is available  to most teachers.  You can add sound files, narration and/or animation to PowerPoint.  Books that you create can also be printed and placed in page protectors in a notebook so the book can be read anywhere.

We showed The Tar Heel Reader site during our workshop.  This website is an on-line collection of books using a PowerPoint template.  Books already published on the site can be downloaded as PowerPoint files to your computer.  You can record narration if you want the files spoken without using the online site.  Here is a tutorial for adding sound and narration to a PowerPoint file.

Adding sound to PowerPoint

If you want to explore and learn more about creating PowerPoint classroom activities.  The i4c website has great tutorials for learning. 

Here is a book template for PowerPoint  Booktemplate.ppt

PowerPoint Photo Album Feature

Use the photo album feature of PowerPoint to create quick and easy books about classroom activities or community outings:

Forget how?

Print these easy to follow directions for using photo album feature in PowerPoint 2007   NEWPowerPoint Photo Album 2007.pdf

Or:

 Follow this link:  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/create-a-photo-album-in-powerpoint-2007-in-6-steps-HA010217647.aspx

Here are other resources and ideas for using the photo album feature (thanks to our friends from Loudoun County Schools)

Blog:  http://attipscast.com/2009/06/28/a-t-tipscast-episode-39-photo-album-in-powerpoint/

Podcast:  http://bit.ly/ep39audiopowerpointphotoalbum

Video Tutorial:  http://bit.ly/videopowerpointphotoalbum

Implementation ideas: http://bit.ly/attb102

Other ideas for making your own books or adapting books:

UNC Chapel Hill Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies also has templates for PowerPoint books using high contrast.  http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/resources/deaf-blind-model-classroom-resources/switch-accessible-powerpoint-book-templates-for-students-with-significant-disabilities-including-deaf-blindness

Use Wordless Picture books to create your own books.  Adding text using address labels or a label maker.  Here is a list of books.  Search clearance tables and yard sales for coffee table books.

50 Wordless Picturebooks.doc  

TTAC online as a webshop on creating Power Point ebooks.  Search online training -> Assistive Technology.  "Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Adapt and Create eBooks"