New technology

Prezi - I just discovered this presentation tool as a result of class. (Thanks to Gila Kurtz who posted the initial comment in class)

Prezi, which is available at www.prezi.com  describes itself as a zooming presentation tool.   It certainly makes for a much more interesting presentation than a basic slide show. .  

You can simply type your thoughts  - and then arrange them using the "zebra" - the tool that allows you to move, enloarge, reduce and even rotate the words/graphics..    The basic concept is easy.  The skill to develop a great prezi will come with time and lots of pracice.   I really found it easy to insert you tube videos, files and pictures.   Sharing the big picture, while being able to zoom in on the details, is appealing - especially in the classroom. 

Potential Uses:   Students could use this tool to create book reports, highlight history, share a science project and many other things.   Teachers could use it as a change for power point presentations. 

Ease of use.   I learned the basics in about 15 minutes.  Admittedly, I'm not a pro and you can see the difference between mine and some of the professional prezis that are available out there.


I enjoyed the challenge of creating the presentation.  I was trying to convince teachers of the benefit of creating a website for National History Day.  I also thought that students would enjoy using this to prepare their own presentations and share what they are learning.  The link to the final presentation can be shared with friends and can even be embedded into a website. (Check out my first attempt below.)  

Cost:  always an issue for teachers and school districts.  You can download a free trial for 30 days, and there is a special price for educators and students.  Anything that you make with the free trial is public and shared.  At the paid level, you can also invite others to edit your prezi with you - which would make it a great tool for group work.

You pay for the software on an annual basis.. Once you have created a prezi - it is always available, even if you no longer have the software...

Overall - I enjoyed using it.  The comments were mostly positive at the teacher in-service, although several were concerned about having to learn yet another program in order to "engage" their students. I'm looking forward to continuing learning how to use this tool well.

Technology in distance Education.

I am creating this blog as part of a class.  We are examining the use of technology in Distance Education.  As a school librarian, I will be specifically looking at how to use technology in the library to improve education in our schools. I am very interested in the fact that there are virtual schools in many states and see a huge future for this level of student.  High schools in particular do not cater to all students.   We have advanced students, who may not be challenged simply because a teacher can only move at the speed of the slower students.  We have pregnant students who cannot or choose not to attend regular classes.    We have students who don't fit the mold for one reason or another.  We have students who want to study subjects that the average school may not be able to support because of a lack of teachers, or even interest.  Obviously, a school cannot provide a teacher for 2 or 3 students that want to study a foreign language that is not routinely offered.  Even in the event that there are enough students to fill a class, a teacher simply may not be there in that location.  It is possible for a student to struggle in one area, such as Language Arts but be advanced in another area.  Not everyone moves at the same pace. Students who have failed classes could be able to repeat classes during the summer - or outside of regular school hours - to catch up.  Students of parents who move frequently - such as the military- may be disadvantaged as all states have different requirements.  These virtual schools will fill an important role for the students of the 21st century. In addition to the regular public school students, there is the potential to reach a large segment of home schoolers in many states. 

As we move through this class, I'll be able to look at how we can use technology distance education and explore how we can potentially use it at the K-12 level, both in the classroom and in the library.