I liked trying out VoiceThread. It was amazingly easy to use and seems like it has good possibilities for classroom use, particulary if you taught an art class or were trying to bring art in to any class. I could imagine using it in Children's Lit too: if we were studying the art of illustration in a unit we could use it as a way for students to comment on the work of a famous illustrator. I like how it offers you several options for responding and provides another way for all students to have a chance to share their thoughts without the pressure of needing to speak in front of the class on the spot. I wonder if you could do the same thing with text - for example, could you post a poem as the image and use VoiceThread to create a conversation about the poem?
Beyond the school use, I could imagine using VoiceThread in the blog my husband maintains for his family in the Netherlands. It could be fun to post a picture sometimes and add our comments (and our children's comments) around it. I will have to explore the possibilties further!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Prezi
This feels somewhat like cheating, as I experimented with Prezi last summer, but I'm going to post about it anyway!
I decided to try using Prezi last summer when I was creating a presentation for our KU training. We were to make a PowerPoint and use it to train those in our group in a specific Content Enhancement Routine. I was halfway through the PowerPoint and became sidetracked one night watching a Ted Talk, and ended up on the Prezi website. I decided I would try it out, and was quickly won over. I found it to be very easy and intuitive to create a basic Prezi, and I now prefer it to PowerPoint. To me it is more dynamic and easier to manipulate. I like being able to see the whole presentation as if it is laid out on the table and feel it appeals to my natural inclination to pile things rather than file things.
I have since talked with students about it as an alternative to PPT, and one student has experimented as well. I think it is a great tool and a good option for students who are looking for something more dynamic to create presentations with.
I decided to try using Prezi last summer when I was creating a presentation for our KU training. We were to make a PowerPoint and use it to train those in our group in a specific Content Enhancement Routine. I was halfway through the PowerPoint and became sidetracked one night watching a Ted Talk, and ended up on the Prezi website. I decided I would try it out, and was quickly won over. I found it to be very easy and intuitive to create a basic Prezi, and I now prefer it to PowerPoint. To me it is more dynamic and easier to manipulate. I like being able to see the whole presentation as if it is laid out on the table and feel it appeals to my natural inclination to pile things rather than file things.
I have since talked with students about it as an alternative to PPT, and one student has experimented as well. I think it is a great tool and a good option for students who are looking for something more dynamic to create presentations with.
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