From the plethora of presentation tools available, I chose to evaluate Prezi and Animoto. I have limited exposure to the tools I have chosen, so I wanted to further explore them.
My first step in exploring Prezi was viewing the tutorial. The tutorial video was easy to follow and helped me to get started with my first Prezi. Creating a Prezi was similar to a PowerPoint. I added pictures, videos, and text. I was able to add lots of information and move it around as to not overwhelm the presentation. I was able to hide text in bigger words, and them zoom in when I wanted to focus on the information. Creating a pathway from one group of information to another enables the creator to put information in a sequence. You can view and show a Prezi using an iPad app. Internet services in not needed for this app. While viewing, you can set on auto play and it will go through the presentation. You can also import PowerPoint slides into a Prezi. The only negative is that editing is not available through this method. There were tutorial videos available to assist with advanced features like grouping and layering. The manual is also available to help with virtually any problems. You can connect using Twitter or Facebook accounts and invite others to view presentations. Educators can sign up for a free account and receive access for thirteen users. Videos can remain private or be made public for others to view.
I recommend using Prezi because the tutorials help to guide the creator through the entire process of creating a Prezi. This presentation tool can be used for at least thirteen students using one account. This gives the teacher unlimited access to videos created by students. The only problem I had was organizing information on the screen in a way that it does not look crowded. I believe this will improve with practice.
The second presentation tool I explored was Animoto. To create an Animoto, there are three easy steps. You can choose images from photos, and video clips from multiple sources. After adding pictures, you can add words on the screens to tell your story or give information on the topic. The last step is adding music to the presentation. The Animoto presentation is able to be downloaded to a DVD. You can also share videos through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, email, or iPhone app. The video's link can be shared with others, but no one can do a random search and find the video without permission. There are three different levels of subscription. The free version allows you to create 30 second videos only. The "plus" costs $5/month and gives access to unlimited full-length videos. The "pro" costs $39/month is for commercial use. An educator can sign up for a free "plus" account to be used in the classroom. There are webinars available for tutorials and a question can be submitted for a return answer.
I like Animoto for its easy use. I think this would be a great tool to use in the classroom, but I do not plan on using this presentation tool for our course project. I would find it challenging to put appropriate music to a presentation on an endangered species.
