Great teaching tells you that along with verbal/auditory instruction, you should also use kinesthetic and visual instruction. So, from day one I have been using PowerPoint. What a great program that I can use to add effects, images, bullets, videos and all kinds of groovy things. I used it for Jeopardy, Family Feud, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and all other kinds of reviews. However, over time, I began to see PowerPoint abuse – slides with no pictures and too many bullets. Slides with repeated format, each slide had a picture on the same side with writing on the same side. Too much info, not enough info, poor color choices, bad video … the list goes on. That led me to Prezi. With some prompting from my friend MJ – thank you – I created my first Prezi.
I’m a huge fan of Prezi in that it is not PPT. I have many slide presentations, some I really like and will still use, but in this world of interactivity I can’t help but feel that something new is needed. I like Prezi’s ability to embed – on most sites – and that it can play like a video. If a student were absent they could access the file and watch it all the way through. If I’m really crafty I could even record my voice to go along with it, an even better lesson at home. Now I just created a homework assignment and the kids can come to school ready to do their homework. It sounds backwards, but the concept is great – assuming kids do their homework – a battle that has been fought for many hundreds of years.
Cyber Cafe 
Leave a Reply