Using PowerPoint is like having a loaded AK-47 on the table: You can do very bad things with it. --Peter Norvig, Google Director of Research
The above video reminded me of my prior life as a conference/event planner, during which I sat through dozens of scientific presentations featuring Powerpoints so filled with bullet points, text and charts that I had to quietly sneak out of the room to get some air.
The point? Those of us who regularly give presentations need to keep on our toes. There is an art to giving a good presentation, and thanks to Prezi, it is now easier to entertain and inform at the same time.
To prepare for the week ahead, I spent some time tonight going over the tutorials provided at the Prezi website. The videos were short and clear, and I like the way the "Learn" area at Prezi also provides cheat sheets that I can quickly refer back to when I'm in the midst of creating. This Prezi created by founder Adam Somlai-Fischer gave me a lot to think about for the presentation I am about to start:
Of course, PowerPoint is not the only presentation tool with detractors. Prezi also has its fair share of critics. This blog post features a Twitter conversation between librarians with some complaining that Prezi makes them feel physically ill. Clearly, too much zooming and animation has its drawbacks, particularly for those prone to motion sickness. PF Anderson finishes the blog with the conclusion that a good Prezi is "especially special" but "if you aren’t a Prezi wizard, maybe you should stick to Powerpoint."
Am I up to the task?
References
Anderson, P. (2011, February 4). Pondering Prezi [web log post]. Retrieved from http://etechlib.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/pondering-prezi/
Estabanb. (2010, March 16). Stop! You're killing me with Powerpoint [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JU48-FVqvQ
Somlai-Fischer, A. (2011, October 11). How to create a great prezi. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/recyyolzxm3e/how-to-create-a-great-prezi/
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