Prezi Revisited: Using Zooming Technology to Flip a Classroom

Prezi (www.prezi.com)

Now I know that Emily and I talked, briefly, about Prezi in one of our first blog posts, but this incredible website continues to evolve. I have found a few ways to use this site to flip my classes (using online environments to "lecture" to students and class time to discuss, problem solve, and create projects), and students--for the most part--enjoy the program so much they use it in other classes.

First, just to make sure we are all on the same page, Prezi (www.prezi.com) is a free, cloud-based program that allows a user to create dynamic, "zooming" visual presentation aids. Think PowerPoint meets Google Earth. If you've watched many TedTalks, you've probably seen a Prezi in action. So we know it's used to help the visual learners in the audience; that's a given.

What's really exciting, though, is that this website can be used to facilitate class presentations, brainstorming sessions, and questions and answers both inside and outside the classroom.

My (customized)
Ninja Prezi.

Prezi Meeting allows all of this to happen through the ability to share a Prezi with a group of people who can then edit the display in real time. As one person enters the Prezi, a little avatar (see left), appears with the person's name. The avatar moves to wherever the person is editing. Right now, up to ten people can join a meeting at the same time (like a night club with a strict fire code--only ten can dance at a time).

You might think a ten person limit is a problem, but it isn't really. It depends on how you set up the assignment. Here's how I've been doing it. I'll create a visual presentation aid to structure a classroom session using Prezi. This Prezi can have an embedded lecture or TedTalk as well as some main points to think about from an assigned reading.

Once the Prezi is created, I'll invite the students to "edit" it. (Tip: make a copy of the lecture and share the copy with your class.) For homework, students enter the Prezi, watch the videos and post questions based on their assigned readings next to the place where we will be talking about that topic in class. Students can even add topics to the Prezi if they find something interesting.

Before class begins, I like to keep the Prezi open on my computer screen. I can see students popping in from time to time to write questions. I can read the questions before class, and other students can see what questions are being posted as well. Since students can visit the Prezi at their leisure, there never seem to be more than four or five in a Prezi at a time, so the ten limit doesn't bother me.

To keep tabs on participation, students are required to put their initials or names by their questions. Then, when I'm using the Prezi to guide our class time activities and discussions, I have the questions posted right on the screen. I can answer the question or ask the class to answer the question when I get to that place in the Prezi.

I also use Prezi to facilitate brainstorming sessions. I divide students into groups of four or five. One student creates a blank Prezi and invites the group (and me) to edit. Students can then post their ideas and offer feedback. I can drop in and provide feedback as well. Emily and I really like how students can post images and videos as well as text.

Here's a Prezi that discusses how I used the program to facilitate a brainstorming session outside of class. (This is from a conference poster session. Yet another way to use Prezi.)

 

Those are just a few ways to use Prezi Meeting in your class to facilitate more online activity. Feel free to share other ways you are using Prezi to flip a class.