Prezi

While progressing through the LSTE program, we encounter many tools and gadgets along the way to share with other "educational technologists" in our field.  The tool that I have found to be the most intriguing so far is Prezi.  For those of you who have not been introduced to Prezi, it is like PowerPoint taken to a whole new level.  It is a presentation type software but rather than construct each slide individually, you have a canvas to place all types of objects, pictures, text, videos, any number of items and they are all stored online, so you can upload a link (like with YouTube) rather than take up huge chunks of memory like our beloved PowerPoint. 

Another cool thing about Prezi, is if you sign up for an account with your UALR email address you get a free educational account that has many of the cool features.  Without an EDU account, there would be a fee for some of the cool features that businesses use. 

Here is the link if anyone would like to take it for a spin.  http://prezi.com/

Collaboration

Ever since the first semester of the LSTE program, I have been fascinated by the Constructivist approach to learning.  I think it is a wonderful idea that students can form their own understanding of topics and take factual knowledge a step further into application.

I have not always, however, been a fan of the social aspects of the Constructivist theory.  On the many occasions of participating in group work, I find it to be more communist than constructivist.  And by communist I am referring to the urban legend of the teacher that conducted the social experiment to illustrate the flaws of Communism.  He basically tested his students and told them afterward that the grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade regardless of what they actually made.  This rewarded the slackers and punished the over-achievers.  On the second test, the over-achievers were not motivated to excel and, therefore the average grade declined.  The moral of the story was that that communism stifles self-motivation and the drive to achieve and do well.  I had much the same opinion of group work at one time. 

I am still not completely convinced that all collaboration is good.  I believe it depends on the group and how they interact with one another.  And in a learning environment, the leadership of a good facilitator is tantamount to success.

I leave you with words of wisdom from a famous educator: 

"In most matters of achieving mastery, we also want learners to gain good judgment, to become self-reliant, to work well with each other. And such competencies do not flourish under a one-way 'transmission' regimen." ~ Jerome Bruner, The Culture of Education, p. 21