Assignment 2 - Prezi

Since seventh grade, I've wanted to go into early childhood education. The problem with taking EDUC courses when one wants to teach three-year-olds, I've found, is that teachers will often ask that a project be directed towards one's intended students. For instance: creating a review game for fifth graders would one thing, but for preschoolers? Let me just say that that was an eventful few weeks. So, I confess, I utilized a little wiggle room with this presentation. "The purpose of this activity," says Professor Frick's assignment, "is for you to create a presentation to share with your students, coworkers, and potential employers that will showcase your strengths as a teacher. Your presentation will explain to your audience WHY you are interested in your content area."

I focused this presentation on the "coworkers and potential employers" angle of the assignment, because many of my reasons for teaching lie in the philosophy and theory of education, which requires a vocabulary my intended students probably won't understand. I still did my best to keep my work simple and straightforward, so it could definitely be something to show older students if they expressed an interest. I believe that talking to students, even very young students, about the reasons behind teaching methods can encourage exploration, curiosity, and positive teacher-student relationships.

I was first introduced to the Prezi software in seventh grade, when a student teacher used it in my history class. In eighth grade, we used it to create presentations about revolutionary-era America. I've used it several times in the intervening years, though most recently in early 2014, long before Prezi Next reared its head. When I began this project, I chose to use Next, as the user interface seemed more intuitive. However - although I appreciate the organic topic groupings of Next, which do save a lot of work - the designers of Next removed Prezi Classic's pathing utility. The paths, which allow users to choose exactly where the camera goes and when it gets there, are in my opinion the thing that makes a Prezi a Prezi. The choice to remove the paths from Next, and replace them with a pre-determined journey for the camera, removes a great deal of creativity and usefulness from Prezi. I'm definitely using Classic the next time I need to make a Prezi!


(At the moment, I am having trouble embedding my Prezi. Until I figure out the problem, please click here in order to view it! Thank you for your time.)