Blog Post #6: Presentation Sites....

Hello,

I researched Prezi using the following youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpLsF5lh98k

In general ‘Prezi’ is a whiteboard space designed for users to make single-page presentations. The users can input text and pictures and a prezi site allows users to zoom-in and zoom-out. Text size is important to display importance. Users can also make frames around similar topics. I created a quick Prezi regarding fractions, percents, and decimals to possibly use within the junior secondary math curriculum. The whole process was pretty straight forward, though it did take me a while to figure out how to change the size of the font. I have never created an electronic page where font size made such as huge difference. Using the endless zoom-in and zoom-out features made inserting an illegible text size possible. If you can’t read something that’s too small, just zoom-in. Please view the Prezi I created that is embedded in the previous blog thread.

I researched voicethread using the following youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U1wlRrKyyk
At first glance it reminded me of an online mind map. Posting a picture and then adding a comment for students and all to observe. I didn’t create anything using voicethread but enjoyed learning about it.

I researched glogster using the following youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80NISdsoouE
Overall it’s an online poster creator with hyperlinks, text, pictures, etc. I didn’t create anything using glogster but enjoyed learning about it.

I researched animoto on youtube and viewed the following promomotional video from the company on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdTn0yRH_-w&feature=fvst
It didn’t say much about how to make a presentation, but displayed great examples of what the animoto site can create. I also watched another cool example on youtube where a user posted an animoto creation using their pictures from a Maui holiday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTrm0s09FQA
Please see my blog posts below for my embedded animoto creation. I gathered a bunch of past Christmas photos together and used them. Animoto grants users free basic accounts for presentations 30 seconds or shorter (‘lite’ account, free). Animoto also allows basic access to a bunch of templates for user to choose from. Animoto also has thousdands of songs to choose from and use within your presentation. If users want more length and more features there is a ‘plus’ account , $30 per year. Presentations created using the ‘lite’ and ‘plus’ accounts have embedded logos and branding within them and require an animoto player to run the presentations. For a ‘pro’ account, $249 per year, the website allows users to create presentations that don’t have any branding and no required animoto player to run presentations.

The presentations created from this website would be great in school for the beginning of a new chapter or unit in order to ‘hook’ the students. Whenever music is combined with video footage or pictures it becomes hard not to be interested. Combining music and video is magical and should be used in class whenever possible as a way to get through the less interesting topic material.

I liked this wesbsite and the features offered but I feel it is not that different from imovie (Mac) or moviemaker (Windows PC). I feel this site provides novice pc users an easier and more convenient presentation product, but if you know just a bit around moviemaker or imovie that one could develop the same thing with more control over song choices and overall appearance of a presentation.

Researched xtranomal on youtube…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtjQlztrA2A
I created an account for the website www.xtranormal.com but I later discovered that users must buy points in order to purchase actors, sets, and music. I also read that educators can get free use of the site but you had to email the site and request to be verified. Although the sample xtranormal videos on youtube were quite entertaining, I didn’t know how much the total cost would be. Each new account gets 300 points to start but the costs of actors was 300-400 points, and more points to buy the set etc. The site sells 1200 points for $10USD, and I was going to buy them, but then didn’t know how far 1200 points would go.

This website is really denying themselves users and potential revenue by not allowing visitors to make their own small presentation that they could take away or embed elsewhere for that matter. This aspect seems very greedy and not user-friendly. Yes, the user can enter in some dialogue and hear some characters speak, but I don’t feel that is enough to get visitors returning to purchase points.

Thanks.
-Regen