Got Schooled With Cool Tech Tools

The cool thing about finding new technology tools is that so many ideas can become tangible.  Organized chaos—otherwise known as our imagination, swimming in our minds, start to form visual order through so many of the various applications, templates and software out in cyberspace.  Below is a list of the tools I used and rated them by how each were able to provide me with a whole new level of efficiency in my professional development.

Ratings-

5= Excellent          4 = Good     3 = Satisfactory     2 = Poor

Moodle

Features:

·         Discussion Forums – notification of participants are sent to email to allow for immediate feedback and reponse  

·         Feedback on Assignments and Grades- Instructors can provide comments, and display grades

·         Internal Mail- has an inbox

·         Multi-media links- can view Podcasts, Audio, Image Galleries

·         Assignment Checklist- View due dates, upcoming events, and submitted and missing assignments

·         Files/Document Retrieval- Can open, save or print attached documents, assignments, and syllabus

·         Activity modules: build richly collaborative communities of learning

·         Activity Log- view recent activities of participants

PROS - Password protected, easy to navigate, simple interface, allows editing of submissions, can conduct fully online courses, augment face-to-face courses (known as blended learning).

CONS - Occasional difficulties with logging in.

Ratings: 5 = Excellent

Firefox

 Features:

·         App Tabs -Take sites you always keep open — like Web mail

·         Firefox menu - All menu items can be found in a single button

·         Instant website ID - Click on its favicon for an instant identity overview.

·         Tabs on Top- located above the Awesome Bar to make it easier to focus on the content of the sites you visit.

·         Add-ons manager- Can add ADD ONS

·         Switch to Tab- Firefox checks to see if you already have that site open so you don’t open a duplicate.

·         Customize toolbar-add or remove buttons or fields to change your browsing experience however you want.

·         Themes- Change the look of your Firefox in a single click with Themes

·         Bookmark button-  Manage your bookmarks in a single button. Find your favorite links without getting bogged down!

·         Private browsing- For on-line shopping or purchases. Color Coded system on suspicious web-sites

PROS -  Makes the searching/ browsing experience efficient and easily retraceable, many Personalizing tools, adding on apps, security sensitive when dealing with personal information.

CONS – It’s not pre-installed in many PCs.  I’d have to take time out to install it myself, and I usually do not have the presence of mind to do it when I just go on-line to do a quick search. But I use it on other public computers that have it.      

Ratings: 4 = Good

Google Apps

Google Apps is a service from Google providing independently customizable versions of several Google products under a custom domain name.

Features:

 Several Web applications with similar functionality to traditional office suites

Gmail

Google Groups

Google Calendar

Docs-Word processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation program

Youtube

Blogger

Client List

PROS -  can use Google docs as part of collaborative digital lessons in class, or can use to organize information, create schedules, lists, codes, provides many tutorials by certified google apps trainers.

CONS -  You must access google apps on-line.  If you're not careful, like me, about sharing documents, the wrong information may be sent out.  Although, there is excellent support on-line, not many people are aware of the vastness of Google apps.       

Ratings:  4 = Good

             

LiveBinders-

Features:

·         Organizational tool to make for convenient access to web content

·       Share- Binders, resources

·         LiveBinderIT-can easily organize web resources into Tab-specific, and sub-tab categories

·       Customize look-They are dynamic and can be added to at any point in time

·         Binders can be shared through email, twitter, facebook and you can put them to your website or blog

·         Tab Data- extra information, notes and images can  be added into each tab

·       Private/ Public option- Share or to allow specific groups or individuals to view binder.

PROS – Lessens the time it takes to do internet research as web-sites can be gathered and organized at the same time.  This is an extremely useful tool for creating or amending lesson plans, or looking for research-based strategies collected.  You can easily go back to refer to articles, delete outdated websites and add new ones.   

CONS – The interface can be improved to look a little less one dimensional.  Tabs do not stand out as much, and look cluttered together. You can customize look, but not how you want tabs oriented.

Ratings:  5 = Excellent

 Voicethread

Features:

·         Global connection- group conversations are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world.

·         No software- to install

·         Collaborative multimedia-slide show that holds images, documents, and videos

·         Easy Navigation- of  slides

·         Comment in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam).

·         Share- with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too.

·         Doodle- Users can doodle while commenting

·         Multiple identities- Can create different identities for different threads

·         Censorship Control -Pick which comments are shown through moderation.

·         Embedded- to show and receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies.

PROS -  The tutorials are the first images presented, and create an inviting feel to try each one out.  The site is easy to navigate using gliding pages.  The buttons have symbols or one-word directions which makes it extremely user-friendly and quick to accomplish different tasks.  

CONS – The free space only allows for a certain amount of video clips that can be inserted.  Only one person is allowed to make changes on the thread. 

Ratings: 5 = Excellent

 Voki

Features:

Animated Avatar- enables users to express themselves on the web in their own voice using a talking character.

Customize your look- like you or take on the identity of lots of other types of characters… animals, monsters, anime etc. Voice and Language Selection- You can speak with your own voice which is added via microphone, upload, or phone, or choose a variety of other languages and accents .
Presence- can live on your blog, social network profile and will soon be integrated in various instant messaging platforms. You will also be able to download it to most video supported phones.

Teacher resources- the web-site offers Lesson Plans that utilized voki

 Character customization- Buttons each have an image of different physical features that can be selected and can be changed at any time.

PROS – When selecting features of an avatar, the selections glide making for quick forward and reversible movement, much like rummaging through a closet. The site is extremely easy to figure out without written directions.  It’s all visual prompting.    

CONS – you cannot access lesson plans on the free version of voki, takes long to load

Ratings: 5 = Excellent

 Prezi

Features:

Pan and Zoom-Zoom around the prezi canvas to visualize your ideas.

Import Media- Insert images, videos, YouTube videos, PDFs, or other media.

Full Toolset-Choose a template and/or theme to customize your prezi.

Present Online and Offline-Present online or download and show your prezi offline.

Work Together- Collaborate in real-time, across the room or across time zones.

Add Storyline-Use frames and a path to create a cinematic journey.

PROS –   User-friendly, very versatile and is a refreshing look compared to mundane PowerPoint presentation templates. 

CONS -  Time consuming when first learning how to import.

Ratings:  5 = Excellent

 Blogger

Features:

Customize your design- offers many templates, making it simple for you to create a professional-looking blog. Choose from hundreds of background images, tens of flexible layouts and rearrange widgets through a drag and drop interface.

Publishing your voice is easy and free- Creating your blog with Blogger takes just a few easy steps.

Simple-to-use interface-   Change fonts, bold or italicize your text, adjust text colour and alignment and more. As you compose each      saves it automatically

spellcheck feature

add labels to your posts.

Your free website- When you create your blog, you can host it for free on Blog*Spot.

Add photos and videos to your post -clicking on the image icon in the post editor toolbar. Adding a video to your post is just as easy; just click on the film-strip icon on the post editor toolbar to get started..

Posting on the go

Group blogging

PROS –  Easy to copy and paste work from another location.  Can insert pics, and allows for 30 minutes to edit.

CONS -  Does not automatically save.  When internet connection is lost, there is no way to recover work.

Ratings:  4 = Good

References:
moodle.org/about/
www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html
www.mozilla.org/
http://prezi.com/
http://voicethread.com/about/features/
www.livebinders.com
www.blogger.com/
www.voki.com