Presentations

1. I think that the presentation is a very powerful tool in education, especially in the realm of Social Sciences. Images, videos, and important dates are crucial aspects of Social Studies instruction, and I feel as though the presentation style is the most efficient way to convey the information needed. Throughout our presentations, I was very impressed with the amount of information that could be given, with a simple prompt or picture on the screen. As discussed in class, the weakness of presentations is an overload of information on the screen at one time. I felt as though our class was very to the point and clear in our presentations. I also liked the way videos were used as a reinforcement tool to information presented. I thought that Marc especially showed this skill when presenting his facts on tornadoes, and then instantly following up with footage of an actual event.

2. The biggest flaw I saw in the presentations was the lack of mobility of the teacher. This may be due to the usage of Prezi, and the lack of a feature to click and roam throughout the classroom. However, I think it is crucial to be able to get to all parts of the classroom, and it seemed as though our presentations hindered that ability. I also noticed that some of us simply read the information that was on the screen, and did not provide much additional insight or instruction. The point of the presentation should be to simply grab the attention of the student, and drive home simple but key points. It is up to us as the teacher to fill in the gaps.

3. Obviously my main downfall was the loading of Youtube videos during the presentation. In hindsight, it may have been more beneficial to use Powerpoint, as it can imbed simple sound clips, instead of Prezi, which required a video link. If I were to do the presentation again, this is the avenue I would take. I would also liked to have spent more time on Prezi so that I could master all of its functions. In all I think that the presentation went well, with the exception of some lag time between the Youtube videos.

4. As stated above, I think that presentation software is a huge tool in Social Studies. I think it is an excellent way of making history come alive and become relevant to the students. When we can see or watch or even experience history, we are much more likely to identify and hold on to intricacies. In the future, I would switch my presentation to a Powerpoint simply for the fact that sound played such a huge role. I prefer Prezi in all other settings though, as I feel that it is more versatile and interactive. The downside of using presentation software is simply the misuse of its ability. This is done by overloading the presentation with wordage and information, instead of keeping it simple and clean.

5. In my field I think that presentation style teaching is the most effective tool. If done well, I believe that it is the most effective way to present information and make it alive and tangible to the students. I imagine myself using the software in some way in most of my lessons. Whether it is a quick way to relay information, or an entire lesson centered around the presentation, I think it will be very effective in my classroom. I love videos, and especially in history, I think I will utilize them in order to give my students a chance to peak into history with their own eyes.