Teaching > Lesson Plans, Ideas, & References

Using Prezi instead of powerpoint

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sheila:
I have also used prezi frequently in the past. It is super effective and the students love it... it's especially impressive for open classes.  However, be careful not to make the page spin or move to far too much, as it will make the viewers feel a little disoriented and sick to their stomachs.

kingkongna:
Can someone tell me what they think are the main pros/cons for Prezi over Powerpoint?  I have tried Prezi out before, but got a little overwhelmed.... 

K:
I use prezi almost exclusively now. The more time you spend with it, the less overwhelming it will be.

Here are some of my main reasons for using it:
- The Big Picture. You can have a visible outline with all of your key points larger and more visible compared to the smaller points. Keep details small so when you zoom in on the concept they are learning, the two are associated. You could even use it to show the vocabulary you will use and then explore each word in more detail. You can also make it a guessing game.

- Storytelling. I'm in the elementary level so I frequently use stories. Prezi allows me to insert an image (I usually do those from movies) and place the text directly in the story. This creates a sort of digital book. I can easily control the story and adjust it accordingly.

- Games. I love making prediction games. Recently I made a game where they were shown a famous person. They had to say where they were from. If wrong, I zoomed in on part of the world map as a hint. The guessed again. If wrong, the next team took a guess. You can also insert an actually game board and play on that.

- Eliminates the list of text. My students have to wait and listen until they see the next point. This is good especially if I'm asking them questions about an image, etc. Bullets are available but I only use  them sometimes.

- Work with your co online. I can make the prezi with my co-teacher even if we are on separate computers. This is convenient if I want her to add some Korean or do some separate work. I can see where she is working and what she's doing. Your co-teacher will have to get an account for this to work, however.

- Cloud. I can access my Prezi at home or on any other computer at any time. Pure convenience.

- Put videos directly into your presentation.

As for some cons:
- Have a pretty decent internet connection or it may lag.
- Load your videos first or download and upload them.
- Zooming can be overwhelming for some people.

opalbee:
I agree with many of the points mentioned above.  I use it mostly for "big picture" presentations, but I find my co-teacher uses it for everything!  :o  It has nice effects, but please don't overdo it! :)

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