Prezi

By Lain Knieriem

 Presentation tools are something of a wide topic, I mean there are millions of them, and some people think that some are better than others. Though I have my pick, the one that I will be talking about is giving Google docs and PowerPoint a run for their money. I enjoy using this presentation tool called Prezi.

Prezi is a tool that has become more popular especially in college, and marketing careers. I was taught to use this last year because they said that PowerPoint, which we used before, was simply Stone Age compared to the options that the internet offers us today. After using Prezi, I can see that they are right. Creating with Prezi is a good skill to learn and use, not just for your school career but for college and life.

There are just some things that make Prezi a new hip way to get a point across. Like most presentation tools, you put the content on a slide of some sort and you cycle through them. On Prezi, it is all designed the same way only not on slides but a big plot map of info. There are thousands of Prezi designs that you can chose from to make your presentation stand out.  With this big plot map of info you may need to zoom into each one, and Prezi has it covered. After creating the Prezi you can program the Prezi to zoom into a specific info template that you want, and in any order that you want.

  One of the cool features of Prezi is the video option. Using this you can insert a video directly from YouTube with the click of a button. You later program the Prezi to zoom in and play the video at any time you like. Another neat feature of Prezi that is different is the background music option. This allows you to insert some of your personal music from your computer to be playing softly in the background of your Prezi to really set the mood. Though this option is widely used, I myself have never really used it. The next feature to me is really weird. If you use Prezi, then why do you need this? You can actually insert PowerPoint slides into your Prezi content. Though this is really backwards it could come in handy if you were using an online PowerPoint for information. Even though these are only three features of Prezi, it also has all of the same things as the other presentation tools, though I think they are easier to use, and look better. 

With all of this being said I think the only way to fully learn a subject is to see for yourself. So if you are interested in this awesome presentation tool just visit Prezi.com and create a free account where you can explore and create.

If you have any further questions or need some help you can E-mail me at knierieml@pccommodores.org. 

Hope you enjoyed this entry, and thanks for reading. 

The Unbroken Effect

By: Phil Zellers

I really don't have any new technology tips or tools to share with you this time but I do have a story to share related to our theme, "Be Brave."  Recently, I read a book about some truly incredible acts of bravery.  They are a source of inspiration and really put things into perspective for me.  Stories and books like this can have such an impact on the way we view the world.  The book, Unbroken, was also recently made into a movie, which I saw over the weekend.    

Louis Zamperini, whose life is detailed in the book Unbroken, was a 1936 Olympian and a shoe-in for making it to the 1940 Olympics.  Unfortunately, those Olympics, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan, never happened.  WWII happened instead and Louis joined the military.  The plane he was a bombardier on went down in the Pacific and he was lost at sea for 47 days (a record at the time).  When he and another survivor were discovered, unfortunately, it was by the Japanese.  Zamperini was then severely beaten and tortured for two years as a POW, all the while, refusing to sell out his country and give up valuable information.  The injuries he sustained as a POW meant he would never have a chance to be an Olympian again.  Zamperini suffered from PTSD for years but regained a footing in his life.  He even eventually went back to Japan and faced his captors, forgiving them.  He has also carried the Olympic torch in a number of Olympics, including the 1998 games held in Japan.  It's a remarkable story of bravery!

When thinking about our theme of the year "Be Brave," Zamperini stands out.  He faced so many struggles and with determination and courage, overcame them.  In the end, he had such a positive impact on so many people's live.  He is inspirational on so many levels.  The two lessons I take away from Zamperini's life are:  1) Don't give up no matter what the circumstances are and 2) Have the courage to do what you know is right, even if it's not the easy thing to do.  In the end, you can always have a positive influence on people.  I know that sounds cliche and simplified but you can't help but be inspired and moved by his story.  It makes me want to take advantage of the opportunities I have to be a positive influence.  If you're looking for a source of inspiration, I recommend reading Unbroken or at least seeing the movie.       

       

PowerED Up, the Sequel
by Jamie Guillaume

The Perry Central tech team is proud to announce that we have again been awarded one of the Indiana Department of Education’s, Summer of eLearning grants!  Perry Central will host PowerED Up June 2^nd-3^rd, 2015.  Although the funds are not yet in hand, planning has commenced.

When I think of characteristics of a successful conference, criteria that comes to mind includes motivational speakers, free wi-fi and most importantly, excellent food! Luckily with the support of the DOE, sponsorships, our administration and teamwork all of this criteria will be met.

Last year Dave Burgess, the author of Teach Like a Pirate and Leslie Fisher, director of Fisher technologies were both standout keynote speakers.  Our opening day keynote speaker for the conference this year will be, Don Wettrick.  Wettrick has recently published a book titled, Pure Genius that was actually published by Dave Burgess Consulting.  I recently had the opportunity to hear Wettrick at a conference and concluded that he is the definition of innovative teaching!  He was very inspiring and will be sure to hook, motivate and inspire conference attendees. 

Our opening keynote on the 2nd day of our conference will be Jeff Charbonneau who will come to us from Seattle, Washington.  Charbonneau was named National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers.  He is a science teacher whose favorite part of teaching is being present at the moment of discovery for a student.

In addition to our keynotes, Matt Miller, author of Ditch that Textbook will also be a featured speaker and will be present for both days of the conference.  He also has a book that will be published soon by Dave Burgess Consulting. 

Now as I mentioned, motivational speakers is a key component to a successful conference along with free wifi.  There is nothing worse than attending a conference and having to pay for wi-fi, except for bad food! Luckily not only will our wi-fi be free and strong but your taste buds will not be disappointed!

It may sound trivial to feature the food at a conference but when we looked out our evaluations from last year, we learned that our Mexican feast and southern fried chicken meal were both a huge hit! Although confirmation with catering has not be finalized, similar meals will be served.

Be sure to mark your calendars for June 2nd and June 3rd; PowerED Up, the Sequel will be a conference you do not want to miss!