Blog Post 3

"Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers is transformational" George Couros

This week is all about presentation software and what it can do in the classroom. How can it be used effectively? How can students engage with it to create and learn? How can teachers use it to engage and teach learners?

There are many different platforms which can be used to present information. This ranges from the trusty PowerPoint, which in my opinion has been over done to Prezi and Keynote (for those fellow Mac users out there) along with many others. All of these tools have their merits however, I have selected Prezi to analyse for this post. Prezi is a cloud-based tool which uses a 'zoom' function rather than the normal linear formats found in other tools such as PowerPoint and Keynote to present and highlight information. When used well, Prezi can be exciting and engaging for viewers, but when used poorly, it can leave you feeling a little lost and dizzy (Pierman, 2015).  

Digital presentation software is a tool commonly used by teachers to present information to students and I remember PowerPoint being used very regularly in my schooling days. PowerPoint was every teachers go to for scaffolding learning in the classroom. Insert your information to a slide, add some pictures, some transitions and your good to go. This is a good tool to use and has many merits however, there are so many other options out there that can be used alongside PowerPoint to 'mix it up' within the classroom. Prezi is a software that does much the same thing as PowerPoint but I feel is more engaging and exciting to use. While Prezi is a great tool for presentations it also has other uses such as constructing concept maps.

Prezi is easy to use and a presentation can be created with little need for the creator to insert their own animations and customisations as there is a vast array of themes already set up for your every need. I have elected to go with an education theme for the basic presentation I created to go with this blog. 

Within Prezi it is easy to edit and add in information. There is a navigation bar at the top of the page which is used to add in images, text and icons as seen below. 

Within this navigation bar there is also the option to 'share', this allows the user to present their work which is great for checking how everything is looking and working together. There is a collaborate option where you can invite others to add to the presentation along with a 'view link' button. This button gives the user a link for their presentation so it can be easily viewed by others.

Below is a quick tutorial on how to use Prezi for those interested. 

When engaging with Bloom's taxonomy, Prezi can be used at most of the levels. Students create new work by constructing their presentation, they can evaluate information and use Prezi to present and support their arguments. Students can draw connections from different ideas, organise their thinking and apply their knowledge by explaining ideas and or concepts in their own words.

When using Prezi in the classroom it is important to note that the presentations created are not private, they are public. The teacher in the classroom needs to ensure students are aware of the implications of making their personal information public for instance; should a student create a presentation and embed a video of them in their school uniform explaining or demonstrating a concept. This may seem harmless however; in doing this, the students make public their face, name and school and this could make it easy for a predator to find them. The likelihood of this happening is low however; students need to be conscious of sharing personal information and the presentation's need to be monitored by the teacher. I personally believe that Prezi is a great tool for teachers to use however; if the teacher were to set a task for the students to use it, approval may be required from the school administration due to the lack of privacy settings.

There are many options for Prezi to be used within the Geography and Biology classrooms. Here is a link to my presentation, using Prezi to show the SAMR model.

 Prezi Link: https://prezi.com/view/zEeCAVaquwxKQwJchdYq/

References:

CQUniversity (2019). Topic 5: Digital Tools 3 - Integrating Learning. Retrieved from https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=9102 

Couros, G. (2016). Education Technology. Retrieved from https://www.bamradionetwork.com/quoted/viewquote/742-technology-will-never-replace-great-teachers-but-technology-in-the-hands-of-great-teachers-is-transformational-gcouros-fetcexe-fetc#

Jason Schorle Tech. (2016). How to use Prezi. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCkvy4Gvqw8&t=247s

Pierman, R. (2015). Toolbox Tip: Using Prezi in the classroom. Retrieved from Association for Talent Development: https://www.td.org/insights/toolbox-tip-using-prezi-in-the-classroom