Team APA: November 2011

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Teaching with Prezi

1. Prezi enables the teacher to dissect long sections of text into more manageable pieces, thus allowing for a more meaningful analysis.

2. The ability to zoom in and out on images and text helps students focus on what is important.

3. The ability to zoom in can also be used to expand on the meaning of a particular word, and clarify that meaning by associating the word with an image.

4. Teachers must be careful not to overuse the zoom and move functions. When used correctly they can be highly effective instructional tools; however, overusing these functions will decrease their effectiveness and may induce motion sickness.

5. Prezi goes beyond viewing images and diagrams, allowing students to dive in and explore.

6. Frames gather and collect information in any way a teacher prefers, allowing for a clear and concise means of presenting whole concepts.

7. Using Prezi, you can create a pathway but choose to leave it at any time to explore additional content. You can then return to your pathway, just as you do when your teaching.

8. As opposed to other tools like PowerPoint, which follows a traditional linear style of information presentation, Prezi allows teachers a greater level of flexibility and the ability to adapt to their students' curricular needs.

9. Images and videos can be embedded directly onto a Prezi presentation.

10. Prezi helps students see the bigger picture and understand relationships and sequences.

References:

http://prezi.com/rfsnedhqmhqa/thoughts-on-using-prezi-as-a-teaching-tool/

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

WebQuest Pro's and Con's

1. Pro - Enhance Learning: By requiring students to complete a Webquest before studying a particular topic provides background information and enhances the learning experience.

2. Pro - Engage Students: Helps engage students by utilizing the internet. Students today typically enjoy surfing “the web”; thus, they enjoy completing a Webquest.

3. Pro – Student Centered Learning: By using a Webquest, students are able to learn things for themselves, rather than listening to information provided by the teacher. They get to “fuss” with information by navigating through various websites; thus, they are able to gain a better understanding.

4. Pro – Self Paced Learning: Students are able to learn at their own pace. They can spend as much time on one particular site until they understand the concept or find the required information.

5. Pro – Structured learning: Webquest’s assure students access correct information. The internet is full of information – both reliable and unreliable. The creation of Webquests allows student to access the internet for research and assures that they access reliable sources.

6. Pro – Cross Curricular: Webquest’s can create bridges between various subjects. For example, if an English Literature teacher is teaching Shakespeare, he or she can create a webquest where the students learn about the Elizabethan Era as well.

7. Con – Time consuming: Depending on the student, it may take a considerable amount of time to complete the quest.

8. Con – Limiting: Students cannot venture outside the constraints of the Webquest, therefore they cannot solve the problems in other ways. They must follow a predetermined path.

9. Con - Lack of collaboration: Webquests are individual based projects. To eliminate this, teacher should require some type of collaboration during “the quest”.

10. Con – Computer Access: Not all students will have access to computers at home. As a result, Webquest’s should not be used as homework assignments.