14 September 2012

Thing 17: The Medium is the Message- Prezi and Slideshare

Link to the Thing

I've had so many false starts with Prezi I've lost count. I'm not a fan of its zoominess but I'm not letting that be a barrier to using it as I assume I can control it how I wish. I think it looks good and I'm a big fan of mind mapping so having a nonlinear approach suits my way of thinking. At our SALT Learning & Teaching Conference this year I was so impressed when one of the student presentations was done with Prezi, completely showing up the other academics' fusty old powerpoints! (Not a comment on their content - by its very nature, Prezi makes any PPT look pretty fusty....)

But it's just been too hard! Hard to get my head round it, hard to find my way around, feeling you need to use it well or not at all, feeling it always needs more time than I have to get to grips with it... I've been really trying to improve my presentations but I have focused on the content and planning so much I have less time for design. I think that is probably the right approach but I'm determined to master Prezi sooner rather than later... I looked at it again today but, even though I have watched the intro guides, I'm still a little lost on where to start. I do have an expectation that things will be easy to use, probably unrealistically so.

One big drawback: we are using clickers in most of our classes and of course that relies on Powerpoint interaction so I can see that being a reason not to use Prezis, although you could break up a class into different presentation formats if you were really keen.

I have used Slideshare a little and it performs a wonderful service in making things available. I have very little stuff that is for external viewers rather than our own staff and students but if I do, it will go up there. Here's my profile:
http://www.slideshare.net/Librarian_Sam

4 comments:

  1. For induction this year I'm planning to re-jig the PPT other librarians sue as a Prezi for myself. So we can hopefully see if the feedback from sessions where content was organised in groups in a Prezi is better or worse than if it is in a linear Powerpoint. Assuming I have time to do this, since induction starts next Sunday, and there is more work on our trail to do!

    I have to admit that I enjoy playing with Prezi. I often start with a blank sheet of paper and start scribbling and doodling on it, then only after a few versions do I start to build it in Prezi.

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  2. I will persevere! For when we're not using clickers anyway. I'm sure you'll wow them with a Prezi!

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  3. I too want to try Prezi, but I always end up short for time and just go with the tried and tested ppt... dull, but such is life! I have a lecture coming up at the end of Oct with the PGs in DIS... I could try and do it for that? I have actually not 'done' Thing 17 because I kept on waiting for a good slot of time to have time in Prezi.

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  4. I have opened Prezi, taken a deep breath, and closed it again since writing this! Still biding my time ;o)

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