When you show a PowerPoint presentation, do your students give you the "that's so 90's" look? That's because it is! PowerPoint was initially developed in 1987 to replace the old slide projector (remember those?). PowerPoint lends itself well to a teacher-directed approach to instruction that is linear and pre-determined, such as lectures. (That's not to say you can't make a non-linear PowerPoint; it's just that the format and typical use of PowerPoint encourages a linear approach to information.)
 
Prezi is a FREE online presentation tool that can challenge your approach to visually communicating information. With the Zooming User Interface (ZUI), this tool allows you to create a visual map of your information so you can...

• show the big picture
• show the connections from one thing to the next
• zoom in to show details
• click wherever you want to go next, making the order of information responsive to your audience.

To see how this works, view my first Prezi: (Once you open the site, use the arrows at the bottom-right to step through it the first time, then discover the non-linear options by clicking on any item to move where you want to go. See if you can find the hidden picture of me!)

 
Did that shake up your whole concept of how to present information? Compare that to the slide below from my good ole PowerPoint presentation on research. (This is a screenshot of the slide - when I present, I have each item fly in one at a time in the typical fashion of PowerPoint animation.)

What do you think? Consider the diverse learning styles in your classroom. Which would they prefer to learn from? Which would they prefer to use when communicating their learning? What benefits does each format offer the learner? Think about the content you present. Which topics would best be presented in a visual map? Think about depth and complexity - how does this tool lend itself to these aspects of your content and instruction?
 
I don't know about you, but my head was spinning after seeing this tool, and not from the visual motion of the presentation! Learn more at www.prezi.com. It's free! You can even download your presentations so you don't have to rely on Internet access when presenting.
 
Share your thoughts and your own Prezi by adding a comment to this blog!

TMI? Improving Students' Research Practices
When your students need to locate information do they start with Google or Wikipedia? Do they have difficulty filtering through all the information on the Internet to find what is really valuable and credible? In this presentation, I define the information literacy skills and offer strategies to help students research more effectively. Move your students' research experience from TMI (too much information) to TRI (the right information). 

The resources from this session are available online.

If you can't see the presentation above, click this link to access it in a new window.

Welcome, NOYCE teachers! Today's presentation offers a broad look at integrating technology in math and science. This session is designed to be a teaser - you can then take any of the ideas presented and delve into greater exploration on your own.

All the resources from the session are available on the Using the Internet in Your Classroom page.

If you have trouble viewing the presentation above, click here to access it in a separate window.