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Exploring online teaching tools for educators

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Anete Ezera August 28, 2023

As we embark on our journey through the education landscape, we come to understand that the limitations of traditional classrooms are no longer relevant. What adds to this excitement is the array of online teaching tools that have made this shift possible. For those passionate about teaching, staying updated with the latest teaching methods is nothing new. In this article, we’ll delve into a range of online teaching tools that have the potential to enrich your teaching approach. Additionally, we’ll take a closer look at how Prezi can contribute to an improved learning experience for both educators and learners.

Discover the potential of online teaching tools

As you embark on the path of enhancing online learning, you’ll come across a variety of online teaching tools and platforms. The purpose of these online tools is to facilitate seamless communication between you and your students, enabling effective knowledge sharing in the digital realm. Imagine having digital whiteboards that capture that classroom vibe or playful quiz makers that add a touch of fun. The online teaching world is like a treasure trove of exciting tools that can add a new and exciting dimension to your teaching methods.

Online teaching tools you should have in your arsenal

Discover the following tools to make your teaching and learning experience much more engaging and effective.

Create attention-grabbing presentations with Prezi

Prezi stands out as a remarkable teaching tool that truly elevates the impact of your lessons. This platform empowers you to craft presentations that transcend the boundaries of conventional slideshows, capturing students’ attention with its dynamic and visually captivating format. By leveraging Prezi’s unique features, such as its zooming effects and spatial layout, you can create a sense of narrative flow that seamlessly guides students through the content. 

The zooming effects enable you to zoom in to emphasize specific details or zoom out to provide a broader context, effectively showcasing the intricate relationships between different topics and ideas. This spatial approach not only enhances comprehension but also sparks curiosity, as students actively explore the content by navigating through a non-linear structure.

The interactive nature of Prezi encourages engagement and participation, as students are drawn into a presentation that feels like a journey rather than a static display of information. The ability to transition smoothly between various concepts and perspectives keeps learners intrigued and eager to uncover what lies ahead. 

As an educator, utilizing Prezi demonstrates a commitment to innovative teaching methods that cater to modern learners’ preferences for interactive and immersive experiences. Whether you’re introducing a new topic, conveying intricate relationships between ideas, or summarizing key takeaways, Prezi offers a powerful platform to convey your message in a memorable and impactful manner. By embracing Prezi’s capabilities, you create a learning environment that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Infuse learning through fun and games with Kahoot! 

Kahoot! is a dynamic educational platform that revolutionizes traditional teaching methods by injecting an element of fun and engagement into the learning process. It transforms mundane lessons into interactive quizzes and games that students eagerly participate in. With its vibrant design and user-friendly interface, Kahoot! takes learning beyond the confines of textbooks, making it an immersive experience. By turning lessons into competitive challenges or collaborative activities, Kahoot! captivates students’ attention and reinforces the educational content in an enjoyable manner. This tool is particularly effective in motivating students, enhancing their retention of knowledge, and encouraging healthy competition within the classroom.

Foster a digital hub for learning with Padlet

Padlet serves as a virtual hub that fosters creativity and collaboration among students and educators alike. It provides a platform for creating interactive boards where ideas, links, images, and videos can be shared seamlessly. Whether used for brainstorming, group projects, or class discussions, Padlet organizes content in a visually appealing and easily accessible format. Its flexibility accommodates a variety of learning styles, allowing participants to contribute and interact in ways that suit their preferences. By offering a space for the exchange of thoughts and resources, Padlet empowers educators to nurture a sense of community and engagement within their classrooms.

Lights, camera, interaction: Flipgrid

Flipgrid introduces a personalized touch to learning by leveraging the power of video communication. This tool encourages students to express themselves through short video clips, enhancing their communication skills and boosting their confidence. Teachers create prompts or questions, to which students respond with video messages, providing insights and reflections on the topic at hand. Flipgrid promotes active participation and gives students a voice in their education. It caters to different learning styles, enabling auditory and visual learners to thrive. By embracing modern technology and facilitating dynamic interactions, Flipgrid fosters a deeper understanding of subjects and encourages critical thinking.

Create quick quizzes with Socrative

Socrative revolutionizes the way teachers assess student comprehension by offering real-time quizzes that provide instant feedback. This tool allows educators to gauge the effectiveness of their teaching methods and adjust their strategies accordingly. Socrative’s versatility lies in its ability to accommodate various question types, including multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer questions. This diversity ensures a comprehensive evaluation of students’ grasp of the material. The real-time aspect encourages active engagement, as students can see their progress in real time and address any misunderstandings immediately. Socrative empowers educators to adapt their instruction to meet the specific needs of their students, ultimately enhancing the learning experience.

In the realm of education, these tools introduce an assortment of exciting experiences. Each tool positively contributes to the overall teaching and learning experience, forming a versatile toolkit to create an effective learning environment.

Navigating the integration process

While the benefits of online teaching tools are evident, integrating them seamlessly into your teaching routine can be a journey in itself. Let’s explore how educators can effectively navigate the process of incorporating these tools into their teaching strategies.

Building a digital pedagogical toolkit

As an educator, adapting to the digital landscape involves curating a diverse set of online teaching tools that align with your teaching goals. Building a digital pedagogical toolkit empowers you to select the most suitable tools for various instructional scenarios, catering to different learning styles and preferences.

Professional development and training

Transitioning to an online teaching environment requires educators to continuously update their skills. Engaging in professional development and training sessions equips educators with the necessary expertise to utilize these tools effectively. Platforms that offer webinars, tutorials, and workshops can provide valuable insights into optimizing the potential of these tools.

Assessing tool suitability

The influx of online teaching tools for teachers can be overwhelming. To ensure seamless integration, educators should assess the suitability of each tool for their teaching objectives and students’ needs. Prioritize tools like Prezi which are able to align with your teaching style and enhance the learning experience, avoiding an excessive proliferation of tools that might lead to confusion.

Student engagement and feedback

Integrating tools for online teaching also entails understanding how students interact with these tools. Collecting feedback from students about their experiences can shed light on the effectiveness of the tools and provide insights into potential improvements. Engaging students in the selection process of tools can foster a sense of ownership in the learning process.

Discover other highly effective teaching strategies that’ll help you to improve the learning process:

Beyond the classroom: online teaching tools in a lifelong learning context

The utility of online teaching tools extends beyond traditional classrooms into lifelong learning contexts. Embracing these tools in continuing education, professional development, and personal growth scenarios opens up new avenues for learners of all ages.

Empowering continuous learning

Online teaching tools provide individuals with the means to continue learning beyond formal education. Whether acquiring new skills, exploring hobbies, or staying updated in professional fields, these tools enable a continuous journey of growth and improvement.

Skill enhancement and career advancement

In a rapidly evolving job market, online teaching tools empower individuals to upskill and reskill, enhancing their employability. Access to specialized courses and interactive platforms fosters career advancement by enabling learners to stay current with industry trends.

Personalized learning for all ages

Online teaching tools accommodate diverse learning preferences and paces. From children exploring their interests to adults seeking advanced knowledge, tools like Prezi facilitate personalized learning journeys tailored to individual needs.

Connecting communities

Beyond individual learning, online teaching tools can create virtual communities of learners with shared interests. Discussion forums, collaborative projects, and interactive platforms foster connections and collaboration among learners from around the world.

Bridging generational gaps

Online teaching tools bridge generational gaps by providing older learners with accessible platforms to acquire digital literacy skills and engage in lifelong learning. This inclusivity encourages intergenerational interaction and knowledge exchange.

Embracing the future: beyond boundaries with Prezi

It’s evident that education is undergoing a transformation. Online teaching tools have emerged as guiding stars, illuminating the path to a modern way of learning. In this changing landscape, Prezi emerges as an innovative leader, providing a dynamic platform for crafting captivating presentations that go beyond the usual limits.

A dynamic shift in presentation paradigm

With Prezi, the conventional static slide presentations are transformed into dynamic journeys of exploration. The zooming feature breathes life into content, allowing educators to delve into intricate details and then zoom out to see the big picture. This dynamic shift in presentation style captures and sustains the attention of students , ensuring that complex ideas are comprehended with ease.

Engagement elevated: The power of visual storytelling

The fusion of visual storytelling and interactivity sets Prezi apart. Imagine guiding your students through a historical narrative, zooming into specific events, and then panning out to provide context. Prezi empowers educators to craft narratives that resonate deeply, tapping into the innate curiosity of learners. As you transition seamlessly, the narrative unfolds, enhancing engagement and retention.

Explore the power of visual storytelling in this Prezi presentation on the Civil Rights Movement created by Edward Quinn. 

Discover other engaging Prezi presentation examples you can reuse for your classroom.

A canvas of creativity: making concepts tangible

Prezi’s canvas is not limited by linear constraints. Concepts can be organized spatially, allowing educators to establish connections between ideas visually . By harnessing this spatial organization, educators can skillfully weave together intricate webs of thought, enabling a more profound understanding of the relationships between various concepts. This approach not only enriches the learning experience but also encourages a deeper exploration of ideas from multiple angles, fostering a more holistic comprehension of the subject matter.

Learn more about how to structure your Prezi presentation in the following video effectively:

Bringing educators and learners together

Keeping a connection is paramount in the virtual world. Prezi allows educators to incorporate their presentations into video formats. Imagine discussing literary themes, math problems, or scientific theories while being present on the same screen. 

Take a look at the following Prezi presentation that was built for presenting content in video format:

Adaptability is key

Prezi’s remarkable adaptability extends across a wide spectrum of fields. It surpasses the realm of business presentations designed to captivate clients, as well as imaginative proposals that fuel innovation. This adaptability showcases Prezi’s dynamic approach that transcends specific industries and finds relevance in various contexts.

Developing an essential skill

For educators, the integration of Prezi into teaching strategies equips students with a crucial skill relevant to today’s world: effective communication. As classrooms evolve, Prezi empowers both teachers and learners to effectively convey ideas, thoughts, and information in compelling and engaging ways.

Learn more about the art of delivering a school presentation:

Getting closer to remote teaching

Remote teaching can be challenging. It’s difficult to connect with your students through a screen, but Prezi lets you put your presentations right next to you on screen using the video functionality, so your students stay interested and engaged. Whether you’re tackling math problems, discussing books, or delving into history, Prezi brings a sense of closeness and improvement to both you and your students.

Creating engaging lessons: making the most of online teaching tools

Imagine taking your history class on a journey through time using a tool that shows events on a timeline. Think about doing quick quizzes that show you how well your students get the lesson. Picture making maps of ideas that help your students understand better. These are just some ways that online teaching tools can take your lessons from just okay to really amazing.

A teamwork between educators and Prezi

As a teacher, you’ll see how well Prezi fits with your teaching style. Prezi is flexible and lets you make presentations that match how you like to teach. The focus on showing things visually helps your students really get what you’re teaching and makes them care about it more. 

Embracing change for a better future

In today’s education world, using technology isn’t just a choice – it’s something we need. Online teaching tools are super useful, whether you’re teaching in a regular classroom or online. And among these tools, Prezi is special. It can grab attention, make learning exciting, and help your students understand better. So, step into the future of education with Prezi and other cool tools that are changing how we teach and learn.

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18 Ways to Make Your Presentation More Interactive

November 10, 2017 - Dom Barnard

It can be difficult to hold your audience’s attention for the entire presentation. According to a  Prezi study , half of the respondents said they did something other than listen during a co-worker’s presentation, including:

• Sending a text message (28%)
• Checking emails (27%)
• Falling asleep (17%)

An interactive presentation is much more likely to keep your audience’s attention and build rapport with them, and there are a few simple ways to achieve this, from live polling to asking questions throughout.

This article explores several different effective strategies for making the audience feel fully involved in your presentation and keeping your audience’s eyes away from their smartphones.

Why involve your audience?

Listening to a presentation for any length of time can be a difficult process. If you don’t involve the audience, they’ll start to play with their phones, talk to colleagues and generally lose track of what you are saying. Once this happens and you start seeing that the audience would rather be somewhere else, you’ll start feeling anxious and might try to speed up the presentation.

To engage a  large audience  fully, the presentation needs to be energetic, purposeful and staged, as if it is a direct conversation between both you and your audience. That way, they’ll absorb your ideas and insights and they’ll have learnt something in an enjoyable way.

1. Plan from the audience’s perspective

Before you start  writing your presentation , think about these points:

• What are the most interesting parts in my topic?
• How much will the audience know about my topic? What level do I target it at?
• Which members of the audience will most likely be disinterested?
• How can I help them learn and understand my topic?
• What is the size of the audience?

You can do this by researching the event or conference, investigating other speakers at the event and even contacting the organisers to find out more about the demographic.

By asking these questions about your audience and identifying answers, you are starting to think about your audience’s interests and needs. Remember, the aim is to give the impression that your presentation has been planned according to your audience’s specific interests.

2. Use an easy-to-follow structure

When building your presentation, focus on giving it a structure which people can easily follow. Start by introducing the core concepts and goals, then elaborate on the various points in a bit more detail, draw logical conclusions and leave your audience with a clear takeaway message. You want to flow naturally from one part to the next like you are telling a big story chapter by chapter.

3. Get the audience immediately involved

You audience will come to your presentation in a range of different moods. Try using a simple ice-breaker to re-energise them and get them focussed on your presentation.

For example, ask people to stand up and introduce themselves to their neighbours, or have them identify two or three questions they would like to hear addressed during your presentation. By starting with an ice-breaker, you show your audience that your talk will be interactive and require their participation.

4. Ask the audience questions during your presentation

The audience’s attention drops to zero after just 10-15 minutes of your presentation. To get their attention back, take a break from your presentation from time to time and interact with your audience. Ask for their questions and answer them during your presentation. This will help clear up any confusion the audience might have.

When planning your presentation, identify opportunities in your material for your audience to ask questions. If you’re not comfortable breaking the flow of your presentation, mention that you’ll be taking  questions at the end  so the audience can prepare some questions.

Asking rhetorical questions as you move through your presentation involves your audience by stimulating their own thought processes. This technique also helps move between sections of your presentation as it establishes a clear transition from one point to another.

If you’re comfortable with taking questions throughout your presentation, use a tools such as  Slido , which allows your audience to ask questions anonymously at any time, so even shy people can participate in the discussion.

Example of what can go wrong with audience interaction

Audience interaction:

Watch how the presenter tries but initially fails to get the audience to interact with the presentation. Notice how he encourages them to get involved and eventually they do join in.

5. Use storytelling to make it more memorable

Since our early ancestors, stories have always been a huge part of human culture and civilisation. Storytelling is the most universal way to captivate your audience’s attention, no matter where they are from or what they do for a living.

Stories are much more engaging and memorable than lists of facts and figures, but you wouldn’t think so looking at the majority of presentations (particularly academic ones).

People automatically tune in when you  start telling your story  because they want to know what happens next. A popular storytelling technique is when you present the status quo and then reveal an improved path to that end goal.

Think of your presentation as one arching narrative. As we mentioned earlier, give it the proper structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Introduce conflict and provide a powerful resolution that reinforces your key messages.

6. Use non-linear presentation software

Instead of flipping through slide after slide, you can show the relationships between your ideas and give your audience the “big picture” view of your topic. Try letting your audience drive the presentation by laying out all of your main points, and then let them choose which topics they want to go to. Your audience will get a truly custom presentation based on their interests, which they will appreciate and more easily remember.

Prezi, shown above, is a popular non-linear presentation tool.

7. Add in a short video

Billions of hours of YouTube are consumed each month and advertisers have identified videos as having a high  retention rate  for users. However very few presentations ever use videos to engage with their audience.

Find a short video clip that reinforces your story or explains a concept better than words can. You can either embed the video directly into your presentation software or include a link to an external website. Just make sure you test your method on the day of the presentation and have a backup on a USB just in case you need it.

8. Invite people onto the stage

If you’re preparing a particularly long presentation, consider having other people to come on stage and talk for a bit. This will help you narrate the story and make the whole presentation more interactive.

Steve Jobs never pulled off the entire presentation by himself; he always invited several speakers, including designers, partners, and other executives, to help him introduce their latest product. Of course, this technique should always be arranged with your colleagues in advance.

9. Poll the audience

Polls are similar to quizzes in that they engage the audience during the presentation. Polls encourage participants to think not only about your questions but also about their answers. Moreover, live polls help create mental breaks, so your audience can regain attention and stay focused throughout your presentation.

By including everyone in answering the question, you also create a group experience that leaves the audience feeling like they all have been part your presentation.

10. Use (appropriate) humour

Some of the best speeches and presentations in the world feature plenty of humour. No matter the subject, a great speaker will use natural charisma, humour and language to convey their points and get the crowd excited about what they are saying.

A great example of building rapport with the audience through the use of humour is Barrack Obama talking about the government building Iron Man.

Another example is when  Morgan Spurlock  offers individuals the opportunity to buy the rights to name his TED talk—which he refers to again at the end, where he reveals the title. He peppers the entire presentation with humorous commentary that nonetheless supports his point.

Create relevant jokes or find a way to bring out the humour in your subject, and your audience will be much more engaged and more likely to remember your words.

11. Practice your delivery, again and again

Practicing is the most important part of delivering an interactive presentation. You’ll need to practice where to use live quizzes, when to accept questions, which points to emphasise with body language and many more. There are several options for practicing:

Practice Presentation Skills

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• In front of a mirror  – great for seeing and improving your body language, however it can be distracting to what you are saying.
• To friends or colleagues  – a useful way to get feedback on your presentation, try and action the feedback straight away to improve on it. You can also give the person some key areas to focus their feedback on if you believe you are weaker in those areas.
• Virtual reality  – practice in realistic  public speaking environments , whether it be in a virtual conference room or boardroom. Receive feedback on your speech with voice analysis technology.

With all three of these, you’ll want to work on your tone of voice, accent, pauses between sentences and facial expressions. The most important thing is to talk slowly and loudly enough to be heard and understood clearly.

A list of the best presentation skills courses you can practice with:

• Presentation Skills Training Courses

12. Try and relate to the audience

Make comparisons to events from everyday life that most people are more than familiar with. By making things look simple, not only will you help your audience get a better understanding of the subject by enabling them to visualize the information more clearly, you will also draw a connection between you.

After all, you are all just regular people with similar experience, you just happen to be performing different roles at the moment.

13. Strong body language (position, posture and gesture)

Non-verbal communication plays a large part in how we construct meaning, so it makes sense to consider how to use it in your presentation. You can make things more interesting for your audience by using  your body language  to enhance what you’re saying.

Body language goes beyond reinforcing your messaging – it’s useful from a biological standpoint. As discussed in her  body language TED talk , Amy Cuddy’s research found that using ‘assertive’ body language released testosterone and reduced cortisol in both men and women, thereby increasing confidence and decreasing stress.

An effective presenter pays close attention to the physical relationship with her/his audience. If you stand hidden behind an overhead projector or stand too far away from your audience, they will not develop a bond with you and this will limit the effectiveness of your presentation.

Your posture will also dictate levels of audience involvement. If you’re too relaxed and sit slumped in a chair to deliver your talk, the audience might drift away. Find a comfortable but purposeful position in relation to your audience and adopt an upright sitting or standing posture that allows for movement and gesture.

Audiences respond well to the physical energy and enthusiasm being conveyed by a presenter, and thus the use of clear and controlled gestures will greatly enhance your presentation. Gestures that are open and reach out to your audience serve to extend your presentation to them and thus help them feel more involved.

Examples of good body language:

• Use hand gestures when delivering key points
• Use calm, deliberate movements when highlighting certain information
• Keep arms and legs uncrossed

14. Maintain eye contact with all sections of the audience

Making eye contact is one of the most  powerful techniques  for involving your audience. If used well, eye contact can serve to make your address much more personal and thus more effective. If eye contact is avoided, the presenter can appear to be nervous and unconvincing.

It is important to share eye contact with all members of a small audience or all sections of a large audience. Avoid making eye contact with just the people you know, taking particular care not to deliver your entire presentation to the person who’s assessing your work. Remember that you will need to involve the whole audience if you are to make an effective presentation.

If you are nervous, eye contact can be very difficult to establish and maintain. Remember that some eye contact is better than none and that you should try to build your confidence over time.

15. Use live quizzes to better understand your audience

Live quizzes are a great way to understanding your audience better get them engaging with the material.

For example, if you’re giving a presentation on autonomous vehicles, you could ask questions such as:

• When do you think autonomous vehicles will become mainstream?
• Are you concerned by safety issues?
• If someone is injured or killed by the car, who is to blame?

These will surely create some interesting results which you, as the presenter, can talk about and discuss.

16. Use physical props if possible

You don’t need to be giving a product demo to use props during your presentation. Props are a great way to help the audience visually picture what you are talking about. While talking through your presentation, you can refer to the prop at certain points to highlight your point or make it clear to the audience.

Kenny Nguyen  does this will in his TEDx talk on ‘The Art of Saying No’. He refers to the “sword of yes” and “shield of no.” Naturally he picks up a sword and shield from the table to help demonstrate his points.

Another great example is when  Jill Bolte Taylor  brings a real human brain on stage during her TED talk to explain to what happened to her when she had a stroke. She touched the audience with this demonstration and left the audience in complete awe.

17. Extend your usual vocal range

Your tone of voice, your volume, and other vocal aspects affect how people listen and hear your message.

Julian Treasure’s  TED talk on ‘How to speak so that people want to listen’ is all about this, and at the end offers several tips ‘in our toolbox’ for how to master the use of voice, from changing your speaking pace to speaking in a different pitch.

Get feedback from a friend or colleague to see what works best for you.

18. Use language and literary techniques

Your use of language has a huge influence on the way you engage your audience. It’s important to use language your audience understands and is familiar with.

Avoid using language that is too formal or informal, too technical or too simplistic depending upon the nature of your talk and the knowledge base of your audience. Pitching your presentation at the right level can be a challenge but it is very effective for making the audience feel involved.

There are various  literary techniques  you can use, such as the Power or Three, to give greater impact to your message.

Involving your audience is essential to making an impact. Your presentation should pull them in, get their attention and stimulate their thoughts and understanding. This can be done in a number of ways.

The way that you plan your presentation will be critical in terms of using language and ideas that your audience will understand. You must also ensure that there is sufficient time for questions and discussion. The way that you deliver your presentation should create a bond with your audience.

Your use of eye contact, body language, spoken words and energy should  communicate effectively  and enthusiastically with all areas of the room, thus ensuring that the audience receives positive messages about you and your material.

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