YA prezi!

I really enjoyed watching everyone in class present in a informal relaxed environment. I really liked Becca's Prezi on the water cycle. Prezi was perfect for that topic because it went in a cycle. Way to go Becca. I also liked watching the videos. Some videos were more informative than others but they helped grab my attention. I really liked listening to Stephanie's sound clip . Hearing the sound clip in the poem further interested me in poetry. The visual pictures were great! I particularly liked the presentations that were mostly pictures and the presenter shared on the subject. Saying that, I also thought that Beau's presentation the words on the screen were extremely helpful. The presentation helped the topic seem more interesting and practical. Thanks Beau! Using lots of pictures, videos, music, and bullet points were the most effective teaching strategies I witnessed.
The least engaging presentations I saw were ones with a lot of words. Another problem that I had in my presentation was wrong color scheme, with words and background. Pictures that didn't necessarily further the topic or were a stretch to relate to the topic wasn't effective. A picture just to have a picture, distracts me unless I understand its relevance. To avoid or improve picture choice one could not have a slide or stop for every point. It is also easy to cut back on the amount of words on the screen. Overall though, I didn't see too many distracting presentations.
My presentation needs 100% improvement. First I would use PowerPoint because that is a program I am comfortable with. If I did stick with Prezi, I wouldn't have it zoom as much. I would ask the class what they thought of when they think of Oregon, then I would show pictures of common ideas. I would also have a map of the US on the presentation to show were in the US is Oregon. I would have less going on. Lastly I would double check it multiple times to make sure it was working.
I think occasionally PowerPoint/Prezi could be useful in teaching but for the most part I don't like it. I feel like it takes away from class interaction and I end up focusing on the board, not the class. For pictures, or maps I think it is great. I don't like when it is the back bone of the lesson. It may be very good for visual learners but it also may distract others from the actual lesson also. I liked how Kurt used his presentation to give an example of the presentation he is expecting from his students. I do think that sometimes it could be useful but personally I don't like it.
The best way I think to deliver a lesson is either through story telling, hands on or discussions. Through any of these methods I could include a PowerPoint but I wouldn't rely on the PowerPoint. I doubt that I will use presentations very often to deliver a lesson. It was very time consuming the create the Prezi and I do not think the positive effects from it were worth the time. I like lessons to be more personal and I think PowerPoint/Prezi take away from the personal atmosphere.
After writing this reflection I realize I am being very negative which is not my goal. I think that Prezi/PowerPoint could work for some but for me it was very confusing and frustrating. Hopefully I will continue to practice with the programs and be able to utilize them in a very effective way in my classroom. I really enjoyed watching everyone's presentations!