The Prezi Resolution

You know what they say, out with the old, in with the new.  And what better time to try something new than New Year’s?  That’s why this blog post will focus on Prezi, a neat little online presentation tool that can help you to create engaging presentations and share them with students easily.

What is Prezi?

Prezi is an online presentation system.  Although similar in concept to that of PowerPoint, Prezi is a much more interactive display of information since it uses movement, graphics, maps, videos, and other multimedia tools in order to showcase ideas and concepts.

Why should I use Prezi?

Here are five reasons:

1.  Prezi has great visual impact.  Because it allows you to import pictures, maps, PDFs and use them as a canvas, you can showcase ideas based on a larger picture.  You can also import videos, sound clips, and other links that will play directly from the Prezi window, without having to worry about continuous play, switching windows, or pop-ups.  It also has an interesting zooming function that provides the feeling of entering a different world.
   
2. Prezi was designed with the iPad in mind.  Therefore, it allows you to create exciting and interactive presentations with touch navigation.
   
3. Freedom.  Prezis can be kept in a public domain that can be accessed by your students anytime they need it.  They can navigate Prezis themselves to review information, or they can print them in PDF format.
   
4. Prezi works well in interactive classroom formats or group projects.  Prezi has the resources for students to work together in real time with up to ten other people to build a presentation on one shared virtual whiteboard.  This can be done online or in the classroom.
   
5.  Easily import from PowerPoint.  If you’re interested in embracing this new method of presentation, but don’t want to transfer all of your PowerPoint information over by hand, no worries.  Prezi can import your existing information simply by importing your PowerPoints.

Prezi also offers a free educational subscription if you would prefer to keep your presentations private instead of public.  Just use your email address that belongs to your educational institution when signing up.  There are also step-by-step instructions and tutorials provided on their website once you get started.

Thanks to Prezi, you are no longer forced to present information in a linear sense.  Instead, you can edit your presentation path  to “fly” from location to location, turning elements upside down, zooming in or out, or reverting back to bigger pictures, all to the explore the relationships between ideas.

To get started on creating your own Prezis, head on over to www.prezi.com.  Happy presenting!

Tip Provided By: Jessica Moser