Presentation Reflection, Take 2...

Some of the best things I saw during the presentations were the way that people like Kurt and Becca masterfully used the Prezi to give us interesting and useful information. I felt like Becca used the Prezi in a way that set up an engaging lesson on the water cycle, and the use of the rap song at the end was particularly entertaining (and would be to her students, as well). Kurt did an excellent job of both presenting (he seemed very natural) and incorporating his Prezi into his history lesson. I liked their presentations because they were colorful, interesting, smooth, and engaging. When someone uses an attention-grabbing technique like a well-executed Prezi, I find that I learn more from them and appreciate their teaching style much more.
Some of the least effective strategies I saw during the presentations were those that were riddled with technical difficulties. I don't attribute those difficulties solely to the presenters, as glitches are bound to happen, but in order to keep your audience engaged, I think it's necessary to be as certain as possible before presenting that what you're going to use for your lesson can be executed without a hitch. So I think that those students who had some technical problems could benefit from really preparing thoroughly and running through their presentations beforehand to ensure that things run smoothly. When a presenter is pulled out of the flow of their lesson and caught off-guard by glitches, the audience (or class) is too. I'd just caution them to be aware of that for future presentations.
After seeing some of the techniques employed by my classmates, I think I'd go even further with my Prezi (even though I felt like I spent a long time on it and understood it pretty well, I think I still missed some of the best features!) and I'd probably focus less on the Prezi stops and what I was putting on there, and more on the lesson itself. I was mistaken while doing my presentation in thinking that learning the technology was the main point of the assignment; in fact it was to create a fully-functioning lesson of sorts while successfully incorporating and integrating the Prezi. But even given that, I was pretty satisfied with what I gleaned from the experience in getting familiar with the technology--I'd just go about setting up my lesson differently if I were to do it again.
I do like using Prezi (Powerpoint is not my favorite, but I'd use it for the sake of ease if necessary) and I think it's an important way to add visuals to a lesson. I definitely wouldn't do it every day, but there is value in using it to present important topics, to add video and audio clips easily, and to keep students' attention up front (ideally). I think I would definitely use it as a review tool prior to an assessment, if I felt it was going to be important to cover material quickly or to highlight certain things for my students. Overall, I like Prezi a lot, and would share it with my students so that they could utilize it and work on their own presentations or reports.
I believe the best way to present lecture material is using a multi-media format. By including some audio and video as well as photos or drawings, students have different visual cues to use when remembering the content. But I also think that the best way to present material is in the most natural, non-obtrusive way. So if you don't feel that you are confident enough with the technology and that it would hinder or get in the way of successfully communicating your content, then I think you should rely less on it. I feel like I will use these tools occasionally, or for important topics or lessons, but as I said, certainly not every day. By varying the method of delivery, I know I can appeal to all types of learners, so I know that I'll utilize different formats for my lessons, including technology for some occasions, and direct instruction, group work, and activities for others.

Prezi Reflections

There were many effective uses of presentation demonstrated in our last class period. For me the most effective presenters used captivating pictures that supported their topic, clear and concise text, as well as being comfortable and familiar with their topic. The ineffective presentations for me included little or no pictures, poor use of text, and lack of color and artistic creativity.

One of the presentations that stood out to me was Becca’s, I liked her use of visuals, her video, and her rap song. I felt like this was a well-thought out and prepared presentation. I also felt like Dok’s pictures did a nice job of representing his topic but and also brought some appropriate humor into the presentation

After viewing everyone else’s presentations, I can see specific ways that I could have improved my own Prezi. Prior to the presentation I did not clearly understand that the Prezi was to do the main job of presenting and I was suppose to act as an aid to what was being shown. I think I did mine in the exact opposite way and if I were to redo it I would definitely have a lot less text and more pictures that showed and explained in detail what I wanted to teach. I could have been much more creative with having video and pictures “teach for me”, instead of taking the approach of a more traditional, old-school presentation.

Even though I do not feel like I used Prezi to it’s best advantage, I did enjoy using it and figuring out at a basic level how to create a presentation. I think one of the benefits Prezi offers teachers is it’s ability to incorporate the use of pictures, music, and media to entertain students and hopefully give them a better understanding of the subject. The biggest con of Prezi for me right now is that I am still a beginner and it takes more time to sit down and create a Prezi than doing a normal lecture.

I don’t think that there is a “best” way of presenting, for me it is whatever is most suited to the subject you are teaching at the moment and what format is going to be most effective for your students. That said, I do see myself using Prezi in the my future classroom because I personally enjoyed the creative side of designing the presentation and think that it does allow you more innovation than simply speaking from a lectern. I will use Prezi again because I think it allows you to reach your students using a more entertaining method. By communicating with them in a more current mode, they will possibly have more access and a deeper understanding of the topic being taught.

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!

Reflection on Presentations...

I found the hands-on work with the Prezi to be particularly valuable. I feel like I may have spent an inordinate amount of time tinkering with it over the weekend when compared to the technical prowess of my actual product, but it was definitely time well spent in terms of learning to work with Prezi. Seeing everyone else’s presentations was also incredibly useful, as there were things I learned from their use of Prezi that I will certainly incorporate as I go forward.

As I reflect on the overall assignment now that it’s done, I feel like my main commentary is going to be on the expectation of our outcomes and the way that was communicated. I feel as if learning to use either Prezi or Smartboard (or to practice with Powerpoint) was the main goal of this particular assignment, and I really felt like the rubric communicated this desired outcome, but in the end, it seems that the true expectation was to actually teach a viable lesson in our content area. Had that been expressed clearly in the rubric, I think I would have (and perhaps others would have, too) reconsidered my topic, my presentation, and maybe even the way I set up my Prezi stops.

I think when we get to the nuts and bolts of the technology that we’ll be using in the classroom (as we did with this presentation) our individual skill levels become more apparent, and honestly, I think this is probably the toughest part of teaching a technology class, as you have some students who are not as familiar or comfortable with the various tools we’re learning to use, you have many of us in the middle ground (where we might be more comfortable trying things out, but are not fully skilled), and then you have some advanced students who have clearly already mastered the use of and the construction of a presentation like this that incorporates various types of technology.

In reflecting upon our individual presentations, I thought everyone did a reasonably good job selecting a topic in their own content area, and transmitting their relevant information effectively to us in their presentations. There were obviously some glitches that didn’t get worked out, but again, we’re still very much in the learning phase of using the technology here. I know that giving a simple “good job” isn’t really offering constructive criticism, but for a first presentation using something that most (or maybe all) of us had never before seen or used before this, everyone did a commendable job. I feel much more prepared now to get up and use something other than Powerpoint in front of a class, and I’m really very satisfied with having learned about Prezi and having used it to do this presentation.

Our Prezi and Powerpoint Presentations- Becca

By Rebecca Shook

            We all presented our own subject matter for the first time using PowerPoint and Prezi presentations.  I really liked seeing everyone present their content and thought the topics that everyone chose were all very interesting in their own right.  As far as the technology used to present these topics, I really liked the winding around of the Prezi’s! It kept me engaged and I always wanted to know where it was going to go next.  The videos, I thought, were the best part of everyone’s presentations because they were unique and brought forth some of the personality of the individuals in our group, which I though was fun!

            I don’t think that using new technology is the best idea when presenting content to the class.  I thought there were a lot of technical difficulties that distracted from the presentations and I thought that some of the topics just did not mesh well with the Prezi format.  I liked seeing everyone present using this new technology, but I feel that we were all so worried about using it for the first time, that it took away from the flow of our presentations.  We weren’t able to use the teaching strategies that we have been learning in other classes because we were preoccupied with the board, what slide we were on and having to be ready to push the button to move the presentation to the next step.  It was our first time teaching our own content, and the first time, for most of us, using unfamiliar technology.  In fact, aside from using color well, I don’t remember anyone using any teaching strategies except for Shannon questioning the class about the state of Oregon and Beau giving us handouts. 

            After seeing everyone’s presentations, I would improve my presentation by not focusing so much on the Prezi, but instead focusing more on the actual content I am teaching to the class.  I thought my Prezi, through the use of pictures, video, and defining key processes in the water cycle, spoke for itself, and that was not the goal of this presentation.  The goal of the presentation was to use Prezi as a backdrop to the presentation of the content.  We weren’t presenting the Prezi, we were presenting the topic and that is where I went wrong.  I thought that for my topic, the format of Prezi worked well.  Next time I present this topic I will slow down, go into more detail and get the students involved!  Also, having a clicker or someone moving the presentation forward for me might be useful so I can move around the room more.

            I think I will enjoy using prezi as a presentation method once I am more familiar with it and the proper way to incorporate it into my content.  It can add a nice visual perspective to a presentation and make learning more exciting.  On the downside, it is not made for all topics and technical difficulties can really take away from precious learning time.  Having a back-up plan when using technology would always be helpful in the event that difficulties arise!  I am not extremely familiar with the ways students can get involved, but I think there is a way to navigate a prezi so if you click on a picture it will transport you to whatever is hidden there.  You may be able to get the kids involved by having them choose where they want to go on in the prezi, or what they want to learn about first, kind of like a choose your own adventure!

            After this project I don’t believe there is one good way to present lecture material.  I believe it is dependent on the topic being taught, the teacher who is teaching, and the students receiving the information.  Prezi, Smartboard, and PowerPoint are all great ways to present information to students in their own ways.  I hope to become familiar with all the different ways to back up my lectures, and would love to be able to choose from them depending on the topic I am teaching.  I believe that using technology to present information, if done right, is a really effective way to help present information, especially in this day and age!

Beau's Presentation Post.

I enjoyed the different topics my fellow Oranges came up with (I am beginning to see trends in what the presenters present on; Shannon likes dancing, Bethany likes acting, and Morgan is really concerned about stress). The presentations were a little hard to watch because all the technical difficulties. But this is to be expected when using technology for the first time. Hopefully the next time we use these new technologies we will have fixed the glitches.

Difficulties aside, there were lots of really cool presentations. My favorite was Becca’s presentation of “The Water Cycle”. I appreciated how she had the cycle as the overarching structure that we moved along as we learned. I think her material fit the medium nicely and helped me realize a better way of using Prezi (and the rap song was awesome too, I would love to hear what that guy has to say about plate tectonics).

After seeing the other presentations and getting a feel for Prezi I realize that it probably was not the best way for me to present my topic. If I had it to do over I would choose a topic with more images like “The Life of John Barth” or something like that. As it stands, it took me all of Saturday to figure out the technology and so I 'm glad I chose Prezi over Smartboard. Twenty minutes would have been an insufficient amount of time to learn how to adequately use the Smartboard.

I will definitely use Prezi in my classroom. It is a fascinating way to present information. I really like the non-linear, image-driven feel. In language arts it could be a great way to present the life of the author or the historical setting of the story we are reading.

Presentation Styles

Though I did not enjoy giving yet another presentation (not to say that I dont like presenting, but I'm ready to get more into the TEACHING rather than the lecture aspect of it), I did enjoy getting a little bit of insight into everyone's subject content.  It brought me back to high school a little bit when we would briefly touch on a certain topic, and then move on to a new subject.

Some of the best things I saw during the presentations was the willingness to experiment with new formats. With the exception of myself and Jon, I think everyone else used a presentation mode (prezi) that they had never used before.  I also enjoyed the incorporation of video clips into the presentations, as they were used effectively to emphasis certain aspects of the presentations. I really enjoyed Becca's presentation on the water cycle, particularly how it was broken down step-by-step, which made it very easy to learn.  I also enjoyed the way Stephanie used the different examples to display how much of a wide variety her topic had to offer.

One thing that I did not think was very effective was the use of audio clips in our presentations, I think only Stephanie used her's effectively, and it seemed like everyone else threw one in to satisfy the assignment.  I think if the topic would benefit from an audio clip then it should have been required and included, but many subjects were forced to add an audio clip when it was not beneficial to their presentation at all.

After viewing everyone else's presentations, I would improve my presentation by spending more time on treating and preventing stress, rather than on what stress is and its effects.  I think the audience would have benefited more by learning in-depth about what they could treat or prevent stress.  The next time I would do this project I would probably choose a different subject to present on.

I really enjoy using powerpoint to present information because it provides visual information while you are lecturing.  I like how simple it is to add text, video, audio, ect, which makes it the most likely candidate for use in the future.  I dont see myself using Prezi or the Smartboard format because I like the linear direction that powerpoint provides, as well as the simplicity of putting a presentation together.  Since I already know how to put together a powerpoint well, I dont see myself wanting to discover a new mode of presentation.  However, the big drawback with using powerpoint is that is does not allow for much student interaction...it is solely a lecture tool.

After doing this project, I believe the best way (for me) to present a lecture is using powerpoint.  I think the more multi-media I can include in the powerpoint, the more effective the overall lecture will be.  Powerpoint provides the structure that I am looking for in a presentation tool.  I think I would probably use it a couple times a week in each class.  Since it is linear, it would allow you to stop at a certain spot, and pick right back up where you left off in your next class; and though the class might drift off topic, slides would quickly bring us back on task.  Powerpoint can also be used in segments throughout a class, not necessarily lecturing the whole class.  You can introduce a topic, then get into an activity, then go back to powerpoint to introduce a new topic.  In general, I think the format that powerpoint presents is the most effective, it is the simplest to put together, and I already have experience using it; so it is difficult to see myself using a different lecture aid than powerpoint.