Power point
Power point has been around awhile and used in a variety of educational and tutorial settings, developed, I wonder, from the old style of overhead projectors . It is a bit like the old work horse of the ICT's doing its job but without the glory. The benefits of PowerPoint are many;

readily available
free and supported by Microsoft with range of material, see microsoft templates and resources.
easily modified and updated
presentations can be evaluated, redesigned and represented
shared amongst teachers/institutions/companies and online
it can be the main focus of a presentation or playing in the background
wide range of audience (children through to adults)
wide range of users, teachers, students, trainers, organisations
can be prepared by one and presented by another
can be replayed for audiences to `catch up'
accommodates other technologies, music, voice over, graphics and video
already used extensively throughout all levels of education
versatile, can be used to showcase work, provide information, quizzes, puzzles
incorporate students work
caters to a variety of learning styles
presentation can be stopped, go forwards or backwards
can be up to date with current events, latest trends etc
can be used for collaborative works or individual
space (template) for creative works
evolving as technology evolves (mischief mouse)
projected onto the big screen or used on computer
array of templates, lesson plans, educational games and other gadgets freely available on the net like powerpoint magic and Brainy Betty
can be uploaded into sharing programmes like Slideshare

I have personally used powerpoint in my role as School Based Youth health Nurse for presenting to high school students, teachers, peers and parents. I have also used it with community groups and created and shared presentations with colleagues. There are a few draw backs of powerpoint but they are more to do with how it is used rather than the technology itself. I (and I am sure others) have sat through long presentations where the speaker read volumes off the screen and the audience fought to stay awake. Powerpoint presentations can take a long time and much research to create. Creators need to be proficient with using the technology and designing the presentation to ensure it meets the educational goals and that the audience engages with the subject matter. Used as a `stand alone' teaching tool (i.e. no accompanying lecturer) can be tricky as the students may not engage with the material or it may not be scaffolded well enough to ensure the learning outcomes are met. Providing notes with the power point and ensuring they are well designed and presented may overcome these challenges. Of course there is always the slight undercurrent threat of technology failure that you need to be aware of (and maybe have a contingency plan for); the computer doesn't work, no electricity on the day, your logins have failed, the network is down or the classroom doesn't have a computer or screen.

As you can tell I am a fan of power point and I think that becoming proficient in its use a valuable tool to have in your armory as well as teaching it to students at all levels. I believe this because powerpoint presentations can be used in many employment positions and the skills required to become proficient are easily learnt and are transferable to most other technologies. This power point presentation on slideshare highlights some of its uses in the classroom.

GLOGSTER

Glogster is fun and a great creative medium, it allows you to create posters in a scrap booking kind of way. Texts, photos, sound and video can be added and aspects can be highlighted. Glogster requires the user to have some technical skills but is well structured to support the novice through its many elements. It can be used for many presentation and according to SOMEONE has been readily embraced by teachers. I can understand why. Whilst very popular, the loss of texture and tactile learning is a issue for me, and the materials used in scrape booking and for project construction often can suggest a direction or use. Also the physical skills, especially in younger grades, of cutting, pasting and drawing are lost as are the senses of feeling, smelling and touching; things like the feel of the scissors, weight of the pencils or the smell of cotton wool. The visual appeal of the materials is also diminished. These hands on skills and senses can be catered for in other subject areas like art and maths and science and I assume Glogster won't be used for all creations all time.It also allows for the students to create a project more sophisticated than they might do so without the aid of the technology. This may develop their online skills which may in turn influence their off line skills.

I created a Glogster about class rules which is posted on my blog. It was easy to do and this sort of project could readily be used in class. I also was using De Bono's six hats to analyse power point and thought it might be cool to do it as a poster in Glogster. It was but it was also time consuming and maybe not the best devise to use to publish my analysis of Power point. It is there to take a look at if you wish.

PREZI

I'm not sure if it is my advancing years or failing eyesight or linear learning style but the zooming in and out of Prezi I can hardly bear to watch. It gives me an instant headache and I have an overwhelming urge to scream at it to stop moving! Prezi seems to be the next generation on from powerpoint, it is more interactive than power point and more interesting for students to use. Paul Hill (2010) describes aspects of creating a educationally sound Prezi. He talks about concepts like data, information, knowledge and wisdom and challenges us to think in new ways with what we create. For me the aspects underpinning a sound presentation are the same regardless of the technology used. Presentations need to;

be engaging
be informative
meet the objectives
have a clear purpose
be well designed
be well researched
be delivered in an effective manner.

Prezi has these attributes and more. Prezi is a much more dynamic presentation tool and is interesting and fun to use (once I got over my nausea). One of its main attractions is that it can incorporate so many more technologies like flickr and Dipity and these add another dimension to explore and utilise. Documents, images and video can be uploaded, students can work together or individually and Prezi also provides an online `meeting' place. The versatility in what can be created using Prezi is amazing; and given students may not yet have had their imaginations spoiled, those given the opportunity and who develop the skills, may create Prezis that are works of art!. Tom Barret and others (2010) created a presentation on using Prezi's in classrooms that can be found at `Ideas to Inspire'; he outlines many interesting ideas applicable to the classroom.

The non-linear nature of the presentations maybe more acceptable to the `digital natives' (Prenski 2001) for my organisation style I prefer powerpoint because of the linear way it is structured. I also think that because power point is well established across organisations and learning centres Prezi might take awhile to catch on. Maybe it is the natural resistance we sometimes feel when something `new' comes along and we just want to stick with what we know (Phrases like `it's quicker to do it the way we always have' come to mind). Eisner (1998) described how people tend to assimilate the familiar rather than accommodate to new when confronted with new information. I did enjoy having a play and produced a very rough and not well researched presentation called a `day in the Life of Me' (it can be found in my blog) and given the time and resources I could see how this would be fun and exciting to use.

elliot w. eisner, connoisseurship, criticism and the art of education

Reference List

Barrat, T, (2010) Using Prezi's in the classroom Retrieved 12th April 2011 from http://www.ideastoinspire.co.uk/index.html#1

Churches A., (2010) Facilitating 21st Century Learning Retrieved 4th April 2011 from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/home

Eisner, E. W,. (1998) Connoisseurship, criticism and the art of education. Retrieved 12th April 2011 from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/eisner.htm

Hill, P. (2010). Thoughts on using Prezi as a teaching tool. Retrieved 10th April 20011 from http://prezi.com/rfsnedhqmhqa/thoughts-on-using-prezi-as-a-teaching-tool/

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2011). The 2011 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved 10th April 2011 from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/HR2011.pdf

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001

Shaw, G (2010) Powerpoint Magic, Presentations, Educational Games and Project Managment. Retrieved 4th April 2011 from http://www.pptmagic.com/

Stover, E. What are the benefits of Using PowerPoint and Slide Presentations in the Classroom? Retrieved 4th April 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5008796_using-powerpoint-slide-presentations-classroom.html.

Tusaloosa City Schools (2002) Using PowerPoint in the Classroom. Retrieved 4th April 2011 from http://www.online.tusc.k12.al.us/tutorials/pptclass/pptclass.htm.