Welcome to the project

Powerpoint has a built in writing tool. I guarantee the members on this site will help you find what you need.

Wiipenmaker

In powerpoint once you start a slide, bring you mouse to the bottom right corner and hit the button that will give you several mouse options, one of them it to turn your mouse into a pen or felt tip marker (i like the marker better because it's thicker). I use this almost everyday in my class

hagoh88
Good thinking 88!

When I use the outside toggle areas on a desk display I use all 12 as small display. On a large whiteboard display I tend to allocate whole side to a task so I don't need to think too much.

The keystrokes would be:

• Shift+F10+O+F = Felt pen (thick pen)
• Shift+F10+O+B = Ballpoint pen (thin pen)
• Shift+F10+O+A = Arrow (return to cursor)

benpaddlejones

Excellent information from all.  Thank you for all of the ideas and input.

Classroom Present allows you to import PowerPoint slides and build your own custom decks that you are able to annotate on.  Also allows you to pull up a students computer during your class to demonstrate from their desk.  Great for 1:1 environments with tablets, but useful for the instructor alone.  I don't have a lot of experience with it, but so far, so good.

http://classroompresenter.cs.washington.edu/

I use powerpoint every day.  Writing on the slides works well in the way others have mentioned.  If I just want to write on the board, I will open powerpoint and put in a few blank slides then start the show.  I write whatever I need to and save the ink at the end of the last slide.  Then I can print it and had it out to the students as notes.   I use a "plug n play" presenter in my left hand and hold the IR Pen in my right.  The presenter has mouse functions so a right click is no problem.  Also, after about ten minutes of using a presenter with an IR pen you will find that some things are easier to do with the presenter and some things are easier to do with the IR pen.  I'm right handed so if I need to click something on the left side of the board, I usually use the presenter. This way I don't block the screen for my students.  So, I'll use the presenter to open my list of writing tools in powerpoint and change between the felt tip pen and the highlighter.  Sometimes I'll change up the colors.  The kids love that.  Having the presenter also allows me to walk around the classroom and still be able to interact with the board.