Tinkering with Tech Tools

Here are some of the tech tools I tinkered with during the course of ED 609. Though I knew about some of them, I did not explore the full depth of possibilities until I took this course. Here's what I found by digging a little deeper...

Firefox

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/upgrade.html

FIrefox is a free browser that can be easily downloaded from the site listed above. This widely used browser has a number of features including bookmarking sites, anti-virus software, tabs, etc. These are some of the features that make this browser appropriate for an educational environment. Students can use the bookmarking feature to keep track of all the sites they are visiting as they research a topic for a project. In a school setting, Firefox’s anti-virus software is also helpful because many students are using the same computers and downloading all sorts of files. Firefox’s anti-virus software checks for viruses that may attack the computer with each downloaded file. Another nice feature on Firefox are the tabs---this allows the user to view several sites in the same window. For students who are multi-tasking, this is a way to check email, conduct research, and download a video all in the same window. At my school, all of our computers are equipped with Firefox---it is fast and safe. Overall, I have been quite satisfied with this browser.

Delicious
http://delicious.com/

Delicious is a free social bookmarking service that allows anyone to bookmark and organize bookmarks on-line. Because these bookmarks are stored online, the user is able to access these bookmarks anywhere (and on any computer) he or she has internet access. For educational purposes, students can use Delicious to organize bookmarked sites. Through tags and tag bundles, students can easily organize and access sites they have found. One of the most useful features of this service is the social bookmarking aspect of the service. Students can share their bookmarks easily with each other or with the teacher. Because the bookmarks are organized by tags, the user can also see others who have tagged/bookmarked the same site and see what else they have marked that may be of interest to the user. This feature helps the user to find new and interesting sites right at his/her fingertips. Students, most of whom are in dire need of organizational skills, should learn how to organize the sites they bookmark as well as use the social bookmarking aspect to broaden their research. This is a great service for anyone, but especially for educators. One of the drawbacks, however, is that only one Delicious account can be open at any given time on a given browser.

Moodle
http://moodle.org/

Moodle is a free open source course management system. The University of Guam uses this class management system that includes features such as gradebooks, testing, blogging, conferencing, activity modules, etc. Through Moodle, teachers can provide access to assignments, resources, calendars, etc. to students who have internet access. No longer can students say, “I did not know what the assignment was.” Moodle provides the assignments, a means for submitting them, as well as the resources needed to complete the assignments. Other features in the Moodle include access to a group conferencing feature where students in groups can chat synchronously online. This is certainly a benefit to students who may not be able to meet face-to-face but who must nonetheless “meet” to work on a project. Feedback to the students can be immediate as there is a gradebook feature that shows the assignments, due dates, and grades. Comments and other feedback can also be accessed by a mere click of a button. Though the look of Moodle may seem dull, the functions it performs are varied and useful for an educator and a student.

Google Apps
http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.html

Google applications are available on a number of levels. There are the applications for personal use, educational use, and business use. Google applications for educational institutions is free and provides a number of features including email, chats, Google DOCs, Google Moderator, Google Forums, etc. As an educational tool, Google applications are not only easily accessible, but also easy to use. Students can work collaboratively synchronously or asynchronously on just about any Google application. In a writing workshop, student authors can work on a Google DOC collaboratively---each typing in their paragraphs synchronously and seeing what each has written appear on the page. This can also be done with presentations and spreadsheets. Finished documents can then be shared for more people to edit or it can be published on the web. Because of its accessibility and its collaborative features, Google applications are a great educational tool that fosters creative, interactive, and collaborative learning. Other Google applications include Google Earth, Google maps, Google alerts, Blogger, Google images, etc. Since all of these applications are free the only limitation is one’s imagination. All of these applications can be used for lessons across the curriculum.

Weebly
http://www.weebly.com/about.html

Weebly is a free website creator. Some of the features include: free web hosting, professional designs, and the ability to use a variety of content elements, etc. Because of its drag and drop website editor, it is easy to use. Students could use this website creator to showcase their multimedia assignments. One drawback, however, is that there are some features that can added only by purchasing an upgraded account. Videos can be placed on the site only with an upgrade. Other than this, however, Weebly is a good site to learn about creating a website. The process of putting the website together is easy and intuitive. Though there are limitations, for the student starting a website for a project or a class, this is a good place to begin.

Prezi
http://prezi.com

Prezi is a free presentation tool that can be used collaboratively online. Worlds away from PowerPoint slides, Prezi is set on a canvas wherein the creator can move and manipulate text, images, videos, graphics, etc with the use of a “zebra wheel.” The zebra wheel allows the creator to change the size of the text or graphic element; it allows the creator to zoom in or out , and it allows the show presenter to move the “angle of presentation” in just about any direction. Creating a Prezi presentation is basically directing a movie where all the angles must be plotted out for maximum storytelling effect. The transitions are definitely much smoother than in a PowerPoint presentation. Within the Prezi showcase it is quite evident that a number of educators are using this presentation tool to deliver content information. Though it is not an easy tool to use, the results speak for themselves. The presentation has a film-like quality that is not possible on PowerPoint. Having used this presentation tool, we also discovered glitches in the collaboration aspect of the tool. Elements that were saved on Prezi in one computer did not appear on another computer. Changes that were saved did not remain saved. Because we are new to Prezi we have not figured out whether this is a bug in the code or a mistake in our execution of the desired actions. Overall, this is a great presentation tool that educators and students alike would have fun learning and using.

VoiceThread
http://voicethread.com/#home

VoiceThread is an online tool that allows individuals to collaborate and comment on slides of images, text, or video. Not only can a user comment on what is on the slide, but the user can also “doodle” on the slide, marking up the image, text, or video to emphasize the points he or she is making. Teachers could use this tool as a resource guide to annotation---the voicethread could be created and then sent to students and students could add on their own comments and annotations on the slide. Comments can be made by phone, video, text, audio file, or microphone. These varied ways of commenting allows students choices for their expression of their “voice.” Though the use of VoiceThreads is free, there is an option to buy VoiceThreads for a single classroom, a single school, or an entire school district. Purchasing Ed.Voicethreads provides greater security and management control over student work. It also allows the users to be part of a network of other VoiceThread educators and students with whom they can collaborate and share their work. Another great feature of VoiceThread is that it can be embedded onto one’s own website. It can also be exported for archival purposes and viewed as a video. This is a versatile tool that can have many uses in a learning environment.

Glogster
http://www.glogster.com

Glogster is a tool that allows the user to create digital posters that are filled with varied media. On a Glogster poster, a student can include audio files, video files, as well as pictures and text. Students can use this tool to create a graphic representation of a particular topic. For instance, the teacher could assign students to create a glog of a person, topic, event, etc. Using Glogster’s graphics, fonts, and layouts, and combining these with content found elsewhere, the user can create beautiful and unique glogs. Glogs can be embedded onto a webpage or printed as well. This would be a good multimedia tool for presenting information researched by a student. Overall Glogster is an easy tool to use for creating a digital poster that synthesizes information from different media.

Rating scale
Your MUST check this out!
Check it out and see for yourself
Wait to check it out until bugs are fixed
Want to be the one to tell them what to fix?
You couldn't pay me enough to use this tech tool!