Hello, I've been using LyX for writing notes and papers for the last ~8 years, and lately I started using lyx in a new form, that might be of an interest to others: As a presentation tool.
The general idea is simple: As I teach (modern physics for EE students), instead of writing on a white-board with my awful handwrite, I just type the lesson into a computer connected into a projector. Both text and math. I stand in front of the class, talking to them, looking at them, and type. Occasionally I leave my laptop and draw something on the board, or do some demonstration, For illustrations, I'm either insert them into the document (god bless inset-insert graphics and the minibuffer), or, if the figures are simple, and I find that it may be instructive to draw them gradually, I draw on the board. If I wont to remind the students something from earlier part of the class, I split the display into Left\Right half, and scroll one of them up while continue working on the other half. This methods have many advantages Over handwriting on the board: * The main one, the the one lead me to do it: Not forcing the student dose not have to read my bad handwrite, and I don't spend much time on writing neatly. * I'm always facing the class -- I'm not turn my back to them as I write (only look little bit down, at my screen), so I can see them, and they can see my face and hear me better. * When I have complex illustration, I can just add it to the document.. And over pre-made slides: * Saves time -- I do not have to typeset slides in advance (Also: Beamer+Hebrew+LyX is a disaster, so it would force me to turn into OO\MS PP or something like that, which is almost as bad) * Dynamic -- I can write notes and skip\add steps and lines during the class. * Slow -- Doing math on slides is bad. Most of the time, the slides are too crowded to understand, and fill-up at once, and not character by character as one would like on the board. When I'm typing with the class, I'm keeping on slow paste, so the can understand the math and follow by it. But also some disadvantages: * My screen is about 1/4 the size of the whiteboard, and LyX is rather lossy in screen-space. So, instead of just pointing into other parts of the board, I have to split\scroll. * The class's screen reaches to low, So, in order to let the students see the all screen, I switch into fullscreen mode, and then add toolbars from below in order to push the effective screen upwards. * When writing in lyx, one always writes on the bottom part of the screen. There is no good way (after writing more then screen-full of text) to start from top, add lines from beneath and then shift to a "new" screen when I fill it. * It's rather ugly when I write \latexCommand in red, and just when I'm finish its render into symbol. Few points one can improve (mostly theoretical. some will demand big many expanse from my university, and some are "Itches I should scratch when I'll have time to code") * Create half-slide-mode in lyx: Copy one document into another, character by character, When I'm pressing a single key. It will require preparation (but anyhow, I prepared the lesson in advance as a lyx document... I don't remember all by heart , and anyway, it's still a lot easier then creating lyx\beamer slides), but it will save effort and mistakes during the class , while still enable grate flexibility. * I wish I had 2 VGA output and 2 projectors, and LyX would switch from the end of one screen into the top of a new-clean-page at the other screen whenever I fill out the 1st. That would be just perfect :-P. * I should get something higher then the teacher's table to put my laptop on. For now, I have to bend over it, and my back is not happy. Anyway, I'm doing it for a month now, 3 hours a week, and the experience for both me and my students is positive. If you have to teach stuff and don't wont to write on a board, you may consider using lyx. it's fun! - Ronen.
