Emily James
Description
I found this tool from a website from Noodle staff. Prezi is a presentation tool similar to PowerPoint, but the user can zoom in on points to emphasize them, and zoom out to show a larger picture. It allows the user to show how their presentation flows together, and then highlight the important points in the presentation.
Possible Usage
Bloom's Taxonomy and Rationale
ISTE Standards and Rationale
Prezi can be used for almost any subject in grade level. It would be easier for older children 4th grade and up, to use this, but younger children could use it if they had adult supervision. This could be used in English to present plot points about a book, Social studies to present history or geographical facts, Science to present scientific facts or experiments, and possibly even for a math project. Since Prezi allows the user to see the whole presentation and parts of it, it is more effective than a presentation tool like PowerPoint.
Prezi falls under the Create category of Blooms taxonomy. There are so many different opportunities to be creative and personalize the Prezi presentation. The user can insert any image in the background and change the colors, as well as customize the colors. The circles, that are the equivalent to the PowerPoint slides, can be arranged in any order as well. All of this allows the student to present the information in anyway they want.
Creativity and innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology
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Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
After the students are taught information in a subject, such as finishing a book in an English class, they can take that existing knowledge and turn in into a Prezi about the plot points and main characters, to show that they understand the information they learned.
Selection Criteria
My three criteria for selecting this tool was that it was free, something that can be used in multiple subjects, and something that was easy to operate. If a teacher is assigning a project that will be graded, it is unfair to require them to pay for something. Prezi does have a free option, and it still allows access to most of its features. I also wanted to find something that could be used in all subjects to make lesson planning easier. Prezi is a tool that is used to present information, and all subjects have information to be presented. Finally, I wanted something that was easy for elementary school students to use. Prezi is very easy to operate, and even has a walkthrough for the user to follow when they first use the tool.
ALCOS and Rationale
The following is from the 5th grade science section of ALCOS, item number 9:
9) Construct an illustration to explain how plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into a storable fuel, carbohydrates, and a waste product, oxygen, during the process of photosynthesis.
After teaching photosynthesis to the class, a teacher can assign a project to create a Prezi covering the material in this section of ALCOS. Part of the requirement for the assignment will say that all of the subjects in the ALCOS statement, how it converts light energy to carbon dioxide and etc., must be included in order to get a high grade. Since the students are in 5th grade, they should have no problem using Prezi on their own, but to be safe the project could be assigned in groups.
Importance of Prezi
Prezi is a great tool to showcase because of the many differnt ways it can be used. Some tools are only great for one purpose, or not all grade levels can use them, but that is not the case for Prezi. It is better to teach students about something that they can use in the future, in addition to different subjects. It also shows how I will use the process of repetition in my classroom. First they students will hear my lecture on the subject of photosynthesis, and then they will have to reuse that information to create a Prezi on the subject.