Most, if not all, teachers have used PowerPoint to design and present information to their students. Hence, most teachers are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of PowerPoint in the classroom. PowerPoint allows teachers to create multimedia learning experiences for their students and enables students to present their learning in a variety of ways. However, linear presentations such as those created in PowerPoint limit teacher and student flexibility and discourage exploration. Slide shows may be more high-tech than the filmstrips of yesteryear, but if they are used too frequently, they can elicit the same flatline responses from students as their predecessors.
Enter Prezi! Prezi is a new, web-based application for presentation design. Prezi is not a slide show; it is a powerful Web 2.0 tool for creating multidimensional learning experiences. The best way to introduce Prezi and its capabilities is with a Prezi. Explore this presentation to learn more about Prezi.
I think this may be where I post comments for Prezi module. First of all, I think Prezi is fun and highly motivational. It is fun for both teacher and K12 students. I also think it is appropriate for presentations that lead to random thinking such as reports on bias and perspective taking, or showing a systematic cycle in a science lesson. Or, for presenting information with key points that need special emphasis [e.g. what really matters in cvil rights].
ReplyDeleteThere are other times when a simple, sequential presentation is more important. If you are teaching a task or step-by-step sequence of events, I would argue the slide presentation [such as PPT] is better and more effective for learning. PPT is not static. It is very dynamic and can be linked to videos and outside resources even more effectively than Prezi.