I have been using MOODLE since I was a freshman at the University of Guam. I am now a senior, and as the years have gone by, I have discovered more and more uses for the website. Professors can set up online quizzes and can hold discussions through the forum tool. There are places to submit assignments digitally and a place to blog. There is a calendar function that shows homework due dates as well as a grades section where students can check on their grades. Overall, MOODLE has all of the basic functions that online-savvy students can ask for. It gives students a degree of independence because students can check up on their grades or keep glancing back at homework requirements without the assistance of the professor. That being said, however, it should be noted that navigating MOODLE is a slight difficulty for the new user. I wish there were a way to customize our homepage so that the organization or modules can be modified to our tastes. As it is, the "latest news" is always on the bottom left of a course homepage. It is slightly impractical to keep scrolling down for something of that degree of importance.
I give MOODLE a 4/5.
Firefox:
Firefox is a very user-friendly browser. It has the capability to mold its features to user preferences over time so that the more it is used, the easier it becomes to find what the user wants. This is called the Awesome Bar, which is usually called the address bar in other browsers. It has all the other abilities of other popular browsers, but the layout is simple and easily navigated. My research has also shown some other unique aspects of Firefox, such as its ability to zoom in and out of websites. This will make it easy for those with visual difficulties to read and study material on the web.
I give Firefox a 4.5/5.
Google Apps:
I enjoy using Google Chrome as my main browser because it is linked with my Google Apps. Google Apps plays a large role in my education and will play a large role in my teaching as well. It gives me the ability to communicate with my contacts through Gmail, save and edit documents online so that it is accessible anywhere with an internet connection through Google Drive, and schedule appointments and meetings through Google Calendar. These three are my most frequently used apps and they have yet to disappoint me. They are easily navigated, easily understood, and easily accessible.
I give Google Apps a 5/5.
Livebinders: Livebinders is a website that I have been using in my Education classes for a few semesters. It is an easy way to organize the resources that I have found that I think will be useful for my career. It is not heavily customizable, but for professionals who need an easy way to display and share their resource repertoire, Livebinders is an excellent choice. There are different layouts to choose from, but all are simple to use and edit. I believe that Livebinders is more geared toward a sharing of resources between professionals because of its straightforward design. If more color and fun is needed (as in a classroom, where students need stimulation), another website might be more appropriate. However, in the right setting, Livebinders will do a very fine job of organizing and displaying one's knowledge and resources. I also really appreciate the fact that the Livebinders team has created a blog so that users can stay connected with new features and news about the website.
I give Livebinders a 4.5/5.
Makebeliefscomix:
I enjoyed this website simply because it is great fun for anyone. Teachers will enjoy it and students will enjoy it as well. The possibilities are endless with the amount of personalization that this website offers. Makebeliefscomix lets users create their own comics and stories with premade drawings. The only limit is one's imagination! It can be used in my future classroom as an anticipatory set or as a way for students to show what they've learned about a story that we have read in class. It will lessen the stress from those students who don't believe that they have drawing skills, but will still allow their creativity to shine through.
If you want to see a quick explanation of how the website works, click here: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Diagram/
I give Makebeliefscomix a 5/5.
Blogger:
Blogger is a very good website for those who are just starting to explore the world of blogging. It offers a considerable amount of premade layouts to choose from and is completely free to use. Editing and creating posts is a straightforward affair, and I particularly like the feature to create more than one blog on one account. This will be useful when I start teaching and have several classes to direct. I can post class updates on each blog and keep them all organized. Students can organize themselves on Blogger as well by using the same tool. Overall, Blogger is simple to use and fairly customizable. Video and other html codes can be used to embed material. For beginning bloggers who only want the capability of sharing their thoughts with the world, Blogger is a good choice.
I give Blogger a 4/5.
Wix:
I have used Wix only twice in my life, but I find that I enjoy it quite a bit. Though editing the websites that I have created can become tedious, the end result is often colorful and visually stimulating, which makes the effort worth it. It is rare to find a free tool like Wix that offers so many ways to customize a website. Every time I used Wix, I could create something entirely different than what I had seen or tried before. Colors, shapes, layouts, and backgrounds could be customized; in fact, I don't remember if there was anything that was not customizable. It really exercised my creativity and focus. There was always something satisfying about being able to create a website from my own head and have it seen on my monitor. I was very impressed with Wix and will definitely continue to use it when I teach.
I give Wix a 5/5.
Glogster:
This website has an extremely unique concept to it. I would never have imagined that anybody could come up with an interactive poster and then carry it through to the online world. Glogster is equipped with many premade templates that can be edited. Multimedia like audio and video can be linked with Glogster, making the tool multifaceted. I really enjoyed the concept, the ease of customization, and video/audio integration. I feel that Glogster has taken a really good idea and made it great by combining it with the best that the internet has to offer. I can definitely see me and my future students integrating this within the curriculum.
I give Glogster a 5/5.
References
LiveBinders Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://livebinders.wordpress.com/
Mozilla Firefox Web Browser — Firefox Features — mozilla.org. (n.d.). Mozilla — Home of the Mozilla Project — mozilla.org. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/features/
Hi:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked Glogster. I am interested in hearing from you in the future how you use this tool in your classroom.
-j-