Prezi can be powerful...
I absolutely love Prezi when I have to prepare material to be presented. I find that it is easier for me to find a theme to convey my message much easier than when using Microsoft Powerpoint. The ability to zoom in and zoom out automatically creates an attention grabber to your audience. Also, it can be used to show the various levels of complexity you are trying to present to your audience. In this presentation I tried to choose a theme tat should growth of students (with the levels), The information I kept simple (as I would with talking point in Powerpoint). When I buit the presentation I found myself filtering through the message I was trying to create. I have a fear that this is the hardest thing to teach students, and that my theory is going to be to teach this goal with Socratic questioning.
The drawback when using Prezi with students is that they can get lost in the zooming and the nonlinear ability of the tool to present information. Students must use Prezi in ways that they could never have used Powerpoint, but because of the innovative quality of the software; the options can be overwhelming. Students must critically think about what they are building, the goal they are attempting to achieve, and how the nonlinear and zooming capabilities effect their message. With all of these layers of complexity, students can get wrapped up in creating their presentation. As a teacher I have a duty to "check in" often with students about their task at hand. I must provide touchstones and criteria and questioning, for their projects as they build. If I do not facilitate their critical thinking (with middle school students), then I haven't provided enough structure to help them create actionable thinking at the end of their presentation.
The drawback when using Prezi with students is that they can get lost in the zooming and the nonlinear ability of the tool to present information. Students must use Prezi in ways that they could never have used Powerpoint, but because of the innovative quality of the software; the options can be overwhelming. Students must critically think about what they are building, the goal they are attempting to achieve, and how the nonlinear and zooming capabilities effect their message. With all of these layers of complexity, students can get wrapped up in creating their presentation. As a teacher I have a duty to "check in" often with students about their task at hand. I must provide touchstones and criteria and questioning, for their projects as they build. If I do not facilitate their critical thinking (with middle school students), then I haven't provided enough structure to help them create actionable thinking at the end of their presentation.