PowToon is a very useful tool for unique presentations for all ages and subjects. The website advertises to both the educational setting and the business setting with a huge variety of different backgrounds, transitions and text bubbles. There is definitely a learning curve to the program. I feel as though multiple uses of the application are needed in order to get the best production. Upgrading to a "Premium" package would also allow for more creativity.
I think PowToon lends itself more towards story telling or a background presentation. In the classroom it could be used to set the stage for a new lesson. But it could also be used as a more entertaining way to present facts or slide shows. As a prospective high school Social Studies teacher, PowToon could be used to present a historical timeline of an event or as a tool to avoid the typical long winded history lecture.
I tried to focus on the impact of the Internet or "The Web" in the classroom. The first thing I noticed was the delay of the implementation of computers into the classroom. Part of that is their long development from the 1940's to the present. But I believe that computers were most useful in the business and science industry where their memory and simulation could be exploited. The classroom - apart from possibly engineering or science intensive schools - had no need to computers. The development and streamlining of the world wide web changed the equation. In the 1990's computers became a necessity for schools and eventually all classrooms due to the importance of the internet. I also wanted to highlight the struggle that teachers can have with the still somewhat new (relative to other technologies in the classroom) world wide web in the classroom. I hope that my PowToon presentation covers these topics. Although, I do feel with some more practice I could have created a clearer and more creative presentation.
Here is where you can watch my PowToon:
https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/fcV8M1sy174/?mode=movie#/
