Powerpoint, Prezi and Glogster

Week 5 Group 3 Technologies

After being unwell for a week, I was feeling very pushed for time and a little daunted by all the week 5 activities needed to be completed for the coming assignment.  However, I am very pleased to have finished the group 3 technologies and pleasantly surprised by the results.  After being initially completely devoid of any inspirational ideas, I decided to follow my love of books and test out all three technologies on one theme.  All the better to compare them, I thought. Well, especially after Jannine Peff put me on to this great idea!  Collaboration really does facilitate learning!

Before I delve into my Group 3 technology investigations, I have also included in this blog a Powerpoint presentation produced by a year 6 student as an example of the work that is currently being done in schools.  The Great Barrier Reef is a theme that has been explored during the term and this Powerpoint presentation was produced by one of the higher achieving students in the classroom.  It was also delivered as an oral presentation.  The Powerpoint presentation can be used as a very persuasive tool in which information can be succinctly presented with great visual impact.  There were time constraints in producing the Powerpoints and a number of logistical problems needed to be overcome, such as having to share computer resources, lost and/or deleted powerpoints, read only files saved in the wrong directory etc.  Even using this simple tool had many small issues, when added up over the whole class was quite time consuming.  But this is all a learning experience, even the technical difficulties and students were delighted with their results and excited to present their slideshow to the whole class at the drop of the hat.  A lot of peer to peer learning was involved and buddy support from students who had finished early in a wonderfully supportive classroom atmosphere.   Collaboration between the students was evident as the task proceeded, as they all supported each other as necessary with the teacher scaffolding and guiding the learning experience.  The Great Barrier Reef was a very emotive subject for the students to participate in and very constructivist with most students relating their own reef experiences with the task.  Most students in the classroom had personal experience with themes including fishing, snorkelling, rubbish/pollution and runoff from the land affecting our ocean waters, particularly so close to the recent flooding.  So they were making connections with their real lives and what they were learning.   Powerpoint was an easy tool for the students to use and certainly kept them engaged.  Verbal permission was sort from both teacher and student to display this Powerpoint presentation.

For my own investigations, I developed a theme around a young adult novel aimed at girls.  I chose to use the same images, video and text in the three technologies so that I could directly compare the results and ease of use of the technologies.  I have to say, I was very impressed with all three for different reasons.

Powerpoint

Using Powerpoint , it was quick and easy to create a slideshow.  There was no wasted time once the planning had been done and it took me less than ten minutes to create as I had all the images and words ready to go.  It has simple animation effects to create interest and it works in a linear fashion which is suitable for all students.  As I have mentioned above, using Powerpoint is a very engaging task and easy enough for all levels of students to produce something of which that they can be proud.  There is also the opportunity for high achieving students to put more detail and effects into their presentation.  Producing the Powerpoints works from many levels in the classroom, as a shared group activity, a small group activity and an individual activity.  All of these can be collaborative with students providing input and support to each other during the production process.  The full spectrum of Bloom's Taxonomy (1956)  is touched upon with students required to have/learn knowledge about their subject and their technology and then analyse the subject, formulate opinions, evaluate data and finally create an informative or persuasive slideshow.
Now I did produce my Powerpoint last and it did feel a little vanilla after the glamour of Prezi and Glogster but I am not sure that Prezi is for every student and Glogster fulfils a slightly different aspect of presentation. Powerpoint can certainly fulfil that role at the moment.  Powerpoint also could present a more in-depth analysis of a subject matter, where Prezi and Glogster (for different reasons) are achieving more visual impact.

Prezi

I found it very hard to get my head around Prezi at first, mostly because I felt very blank about what subject I could tackle and how I could tackle it. The non-linear fashion of the presentation was throwing me for a bit of a loop, literally.  But my confidence rose after speaking to Janine who assured me it was very easy to use.  Janine had also suggested using the same subject matter for more than one technology and once I decided that was a plan, it wasn't all quite as hard as it first seemed.  Using Prezi was easier than the results would suggest, but I think it would be quite difficult for some students to get used to the non-linear spatial aspects. It required more planning than the other technologies but I think it is a tool that you would rapidly become more accustomed to using.  In fact, it may be a tool to develop more spatial thinking strategies.  As with Powerpoint, the classroom would be functioning in much the same way although I think more teacher and buddy support would be required for this tool.  Having said that, Prezi does provide a beautiful and stunning presentation and you also have the option of including video and inviting others to edit your Prezi online.

Shiver on Prezi

Glogster
I produced my Glog first and I really loved this technology.   The Glog interface is a little cumbersome to use with the Glog area being larger than the screen.  Adding all the bibs and bobs was also a bit fiddly, but what a wonderful result!  A professional looking creation encompassing images, videos, animations, information and unlimited opportunity.  A virtual classroom can be set up for a teacher and up to 50 students who can edit each others text and collaborate.  This would work for individual, group and whole classroom context and would be suitable across all key learning areas.  Not only could students participate at school but may continue working on their project at home online.  The platform is private and is a safe online learning environment. I think that this is a new and exciting tool that could have many engaging tasks in the classroom. The tool is not too daunting to use and is appropriate for all student levels and abilities.  Glogster encourages creativity and self-expression and would certainly engage all students.



I have used a PMI thinking routine to analyse Glogster.  It was a difficult choice to choose one technology to analyse over the other two.  Time permitting, I will include an analysis of Powerpoint and Prezi as they are both great tools that could be used in the classroom.

Plus
.safe and private online environment
.supports online classroom with up to 50 students
.suitable for use by students with all abilities/levels
.professional looking results
.useful across all KLAs
.encourages creativity and self expression
.collaborative,constructivist, connectivist
.individual, group or whole class activities
.incorporates images, video, information, text, animation, audio
.engaging for all students
.online editing so can be accessed anywhere
.easy to use
.a high level polished product is achievable in a limited time

Minus
.editing goes over screen so full glog cannot be seen when editing
.tool a little bit fiddly
.finite amount of space for information
.a little slow to upload

Interesting
.can be embedded
.unlimited styles so would appeal to boys and girls
.has modern edge to old world idea
.can be viewed and used by public if wished

References

Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook I: The cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.