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Running head: PREZI

The Choice of Prezi Terry Gallivan Liberty University April 19, 2013

PREZI The Choice of Prezi There is a time in everyones life where the question is asked, Where have you been all of my life? Prezi was introduced to this writer in January 2013. The queen of Power Point presentations has now surrendered to the world of Prezi. Prezi is user-friendly with many features either difficult to perform or foreign to Power Point. An analogy can be made by comparing the apple to the orange. There are similarities but do the two fruits look the same, taste the same, or even have the same benefits. The same is true by comparing the programs of Prezi and Power Point. There will always be the loyal kill by Power Point teachers who will not upload their presentations to Prezi with a few clicks of the mouse. This writer is always wanting and waiting for new technology to make the job easier. Prezi makes the job of creating a presentation extremely simplistic. The interview choice was to take a pro at creating Power Point and introduce her to Prezi. The dear in the headlight look was priceless. Mrs. Mayfield is in the process of uploading her curriculum Power Points to Prezi presentations. This endeavor will take awhile considering the amount of Power Points she has collected over the years. Mrs. Mayfield and I agree one of the greatest weaknesses is the elimination of slide handouts, yet we can get over this oversight from

the Prezi developers. Microsoft Office can be purchased for approximately $170.00 for a couple of computer downloads or a license use for multi-user at an undetermined cost. (Software Speedy, 2013). Prezi has three options for users as describe at Prezi.com. (Prezi, 2013). The first option is free with limited templates, storage space (100 MB), and all files are for public viewing. The second option is a marginal upgrade with private options, self-created logos, program support in less than 24 hours, and storage space increased to 500 MB for a cost of $59.00 annually. The third option is the optimal choice for a reasonable cost of $159.00

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annually. The Pro option includes the option two benefits plus the ability to work offline and up to 2 GB of storage space. There are options for students and teachers as well as for multi-user licenses. The student / teacher option receive the second option free instead of the $59.00 annually and the third option for $59.00 annually. This Prezi newbie appreciates and supports any business willing to assist teachers in supplying the best technological advances free or for a major discount. The strengths are numerous; therefore, weaknesses can be addressed to the company for review. Prezi is user-friendly and with a few mouse clicks will get any novice a professional looking presentation. A positive strength is with Prezi the users can operate the cloud-based program anywhere there is a connection to the internet. Some limitations weaken Prezi. The fonts and theme template are limited, thereby, reducing some originality. The Theme Wizard will erase previously saved personalization. A last word of caution is that if a Prezi project is not structured carefully, audiences might feel vertigo with the zooming and panning features (but the tutorial videos address this matter fairly well). (Teaching History, 2013) The most important point from the prospective of Mr. & Mrs. Mayfield and me is the students are engaged and interested in what is coming next. Prezi can be used in any content for any topic. Teachers can use Prezi presentations as they do with Power Point slides. The existing Power Points can be uploaded, documents can be uploaded, and videos are easily uploaded. Students can create exciting research projects with little effort on their part. In the case of group projects, the students can edit simultaneously by sharing the Prezi as shown in the illustration. (BGC Digital Media Lab, 2009).

PREZI The interview for the usage of Prezi was recorded using Camtasia Studio. Camtasia is another wonderful technology to use for recordings (video and audio). Tiffany and Rick Mayfield were chosen for interview due to their high level of technology skills. As educators, they believe technology is a resource to make their job easier. It was explained Prezi was userfriendly and more versatile then Power Point. The interview starts with a Prezi I created for a previous class.

This Prezi was to introduce Rick and Tiffany to what a Prezi is. While viewing the Classroom Management Prezi an explanation of the technical and mechanical aspects were demonstrated to them. Once the demonstration was complete, Tiffany and Rick were asked to compared the Prezi just watched to what they know about Power Point. Tiffany remarked the similarity of Power Points ability to transition from slide to slide. She goes on to mention the graphics on Prezi stand out without having a cluttered effect. Ricks first impression was to compare the Prezi to a cartoon type of design, yet, very captivating. When asked if they believed Prezi would be more difficult to put together, each thought it would be more difficult. Rick stated this due to how impression the Classroom Management Prezi was to him. Tiffany stated it was more difficult since there was more to do. Prior to demonstrating Prezi, the cost factor was presented. I explained the difference between free Prezi and the upgrade to Pro Prezi. The only true difference is the ability to work offline. I proceeded to walk Rick and Tiffany through the process of creating a Prezi. Throughout the Prezi creation there were

PREZI numerous comparisons to Power Point. For instance, the ease of navigation and a grid outline

for alignment purposes. The ability for Prezi to work as a canvass, the creator can view all work done at the same time oppose to Power Point where you have to search to find the right slide. As the demonstration continued one could presuppose Rick and Tiffany were interested in learning more about the educational usage of Prezi. Tiffany suggested creating a video library to allow students to be interactive on which video is viewed first. Rick and Tiffany made an observation for the Prezi to incorporate a quiz or question and answer section. The next part of the interview entailed answering the question How does Prezi compare to Power Point? Tiffany stated Prezi is simple to use and appreciates the online features. She continues to emphasize the ease of usability. Prezi requires no program to be downloaded by the end-user or transferring files. It was noted collaboration is simplified when multi-user can edit at the same time. Rick took notice the learning curve is minute for the average student. If you can search the internet, you should be able to create a Prezi with no problem as quoted by Rick. The entire interview can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5hCBucyDug . In summary, Prezi is user-friendly, practical and a multi-purpose presentation platform. Prezi can be used for creating lessons, interactive discussions and quizzes, student research projects and many other creative uses. The imagination of the user is the only requirement for Prezi. When compared to the Power Point presentations Prezi wins out on engagement of the audience. When introducing Prezi to teachers one must realize there is no going back to Power Point.

PREZI References BGC Digital Media Lab (2009). Group editing. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from http://dml.wikis.bgc.bard.edu/prezi-group-edit Prezi, Inc. (2013). Choose your Prezi license. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from http://prezi.com/pricing/ Software Speedy (2013). Microsoft Office 2010 professional download. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from http://www.softwarespeedy.com/microsoft-office-2010-professionaldownload/

Teaching History (2013). Prezi. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from http://teachinghistory.org/digitalclassroom/tech-for-teachers/24457

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