Thing 5: Presentation Tool

http://prezi.com/izwv9l_88zfq/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

I decided to learn how to create a Prezi!  It was quite fun.

I've seen Prezis for a while now when I conduct searches for lessons.  I thought it would be a useful presentation tool so I made a very basic one to go with the book we are reading in class.  Again, it's very basic!  LOL  I like all of the options and look forward to "playing" with this more.

I'm definitely going to share how to use this with my students.  The movement of the presentation keeps it interesting.  Also, it's very "user friendly".  The tutorial is easy to understand and if I made a mistake it was easy to fix.  I think my students will enjoy creating presentations with Prezi more than using PPT or Google Slides.  One reason is because it's new to them.  I get excited to use new "apps" or tools and I know they do as well.  This is especially true when it comes to doing school work.  The more inventive and/or "new" the more it feels as if they are playing instead of working.

I'm excited to have my students create one for vocabulary and keep adding to it as we learn new words and definitions.  When they review the information, the Prezi will be their own and more fun to use than flashcards.  I am definitely going to provide an overview of how to use it after our Regents exam week is over.

Thing 1: Blogging

Welcome to my new blog!  

I'm Kara Muddle and naturally, people call me Mudd.  I actually like it. Considering all of the possible synonyms available for my last name, I'd much rather be associated with something earthy.  My students at James Monroe High School in Rochester NY love finding my last name in the dictionary; we have a good laugh.  They call me MuddBud which is quite endearing.

I'm excited to participate in the Cool Tools program because I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  I love to use it and I think it can be a wonderful way to awaken students to learning.  Technology blows my mind.  There, I wrote it.  It's true though!  I can't believe all there is to learn and do with it!  My life, and my students' lives would be missing something without it.  I hate it because for many, it is taking place of three dimensional, sensory experiential living.  Like all things, finding a balance is key.

I've learned that creating a blog isn't all that difficult and can actually be enjoyable.

Thanks for reading.