#2 Tool of Learning: Prezi

Click to the Website - https://prezi.com/

Description of the tool

Prezi is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making programs such as PowerPoint. Instead of slides, Prezi makes use of one large canvas that allows you to pan and zoom to various parts of the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented there. Prezi supports the use of text, images, and videos and also provides a collection of templates to choose from to help new users get accustomed to the interface.

Features of the tool

·        Prezi can insert pictures

·        Users can also insert videos into Prezi

·        Able to import PowerPoints

·        zoom & pan on one slide

Users can zoom in on each piece of information to explore it in minute detail, and out again when they want to see the big picture.

·        Timelines

With Prezi, you are able to create timelines to show historical relationships between events using an interactive interface. Anyone can interact with the timeline by clicking on frames to zoom in and out (alternatively you can use the mouse wheel). You can also click and drag to move around.

·        Diagrams

Within Prezi, you can create different types of diagrams from templates or from scratch. You can create a Cause & Effect Diagram, Bubble Diagram, Double-Bubble Diagram, and Flow Diagram.

·        Dichotomous Key

Prezi has been used to make dichotomous keys because of Prezi's nearly infinite usable canvas space.

The benefit of the tool in teaching

§  Teachers can use the effect of Prezi to create a visual metaphor of an entire concept and shows how each of its elements connects with the others.

§  Teachers can make their Prezi public to allow students to access it at home via the internet, so that they can revisit it as often as they need when working on related assignments.

§  Can be used as an assessment tool to see the children knowledge and understanding of a certain topic or subjects and their ability within ICT to create a presentation.

The benefit of the tool in learning

§  Students can create presentations in a nonlinear fashion by creating different paths through which the presentation can travel.

§  Easy to use and makes learning enjoyable and provides a different approach and format for presenting

§  Suits all learners as it is visual, kinesthetic and as sounds can be imported, it can be auditory too.

§  Good to develop children teamwork as they can create a Prezi together on a particular topic in small groups.

§  Children can work individually and develop their own skills in ICT. This includes skills on using fonts, importing pictures and video and manipulating images, shape and text.

Guidelines on getting started on the tool

Step 1: Making a Prezi Account

1.       Click "Sign Up" in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.

2.       In this instructable, I will demonstrate with a free account, so click "Free".

3.       Fill out the form, making sure to agree with the terms of use, and click "Register and Continue".

4.      Welcome to Prezi! You should arrive at this welcome screen. Choose to either watch a video, view other people's Prezi creations, or create a new Prezi.

Step 2: Creating a Prezi

1.       If you are starting from the welcome screen, click start.

2.        If you are starting from your page, click "New Prezi".

3.       Select a style, name your Prezi, and write a description of it.

4.      Click "Create".

5.       Click "Open Me".

6.      Click "Open Me" again.

Step 3: Embedding Prezi

1.       From your page, select a Prezi you would like to share.

2.       Click "Share".

3.       Copy and paste the embed code.