Rating Scale:
5 - Excellent (Can't live without it!)
4 - Great (Pretty cool, could do a little better.)
3 - Fair (Satisfying enough.)
2- Okay (Give it some credit because it's trying.)
1 - Poor (Nope, this is sad and won't do at all.)
3 - Fair (Satisfying enough.)
2- Okay (Give it some credit because it's trying.)
1 - Poor (Nope, this is sad and won't do at all.)
Rating: 4/5
Most students at UOG know what Moodle is. If they don’t, they will definitely learn about it in due time. Moodle is a free open source system that allows teachers to manage an online class. These online classes are usually only accessible by inputting the instructor’s enrollment key. Moodle has a variety a features that include a homepage that displays assignments, projects, files, exams, and quizzes that students can access at the click of a button. With this homepage, teachers can show assorted topics under which students can easily see what is meant to be done at a particular time. Moodle also has a calendar that instantly displays deadlines of assignments. The teacher's announcements are sent to every student's email so there is the advantage of convenience. However, even with this convenience and ease of access to information, it is ultimately the students' responsibility to check their emails and Moodle accounts regularly to keep track of assignments. One of the best things about Moodle that I personally like is that students can message their classmates under the “Participants” section. This message is instantly sent into that classmate’s email. I utilized this feature several times throughout this semester to get in touch with my classmates when I wasn't able to obtain their contact information.
Rating: 4/5
When I first learned to use the computer, I used Internet Explorer for my main web browser since it came pre-installed. What a struggle. It was slow and crashed many times. I was not satisfied with it at all. Then Chrome came along. I’m sure that others will agree with me when I say that discovering Google Chrome felt like entering the gateway to heaven's racetrack. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but Chrome really is a good browser. It’s fast, free, and easy to use. Users can bookmark pages they find interesting and also adjust the settings according to their needs. Chrome is also available as a mobile app for smartphones. If I had to list a downside, it would be that upon logging into accounts of different websites, Chrome would ask to save your password and username. Now this is not a problem at all with personal laptops and desktops. However, as someone who utilizes the university’s computer center semi-frequently, I would rather not have my login information accidentally saved and available to other people. This is mostly just a slight annoyance. Chrome is a technology tool that everyone (particularly those who can't stand waiting over ten minutes for a page on how to solve a math problem or make an easy dish) should check out.
Rating: 5/5
Google Apps is a life-saver. I don’t know if I’ll be able to properly express how much I love this tool but I’ll try. This technology tool is very user-friendly. Users can customize it to whatever preference they have. Love eye-popping designs? No problem, there’s a theme for that. Love quiet and more muted backgrounds (much like me)? That’s cool, too. Appearances aside, Gmail’s email message system is fast and easy. By extension, having a Gmail account also means that the users access several apps too. My favorite is Google Drive, which allows users to create documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows. With this tool, everything saves automatically so users are much less likely to lose important information (especially if, much like me again, you often forget to click “save”). Gmail is also downloadable as a smartphone application, so users can easily access their emails. Google Hangouts is also one of the available apps which allows for regular chatting as well as video chatting. If users download the mobile app, they can also keep in contact on the go. Blogger is one more application included in Google accounts. I have had Google accounts for a long time, but this was my first time ever user Blogger. As implied by its name, Blogger is a blogging platform where people can talk about absolutely anything. Within posts, users can also include multimedia such as videos. There exists a lot of blogging websites, but I feel that Blogger is best for professional purposes. Ultimately, with Google apps, users can access a wide variety for available features for different uses and I can assure new users that they will not regret making a Google account for themselves. It definitely earns its 5/5 rating in my book.
Rating: 3/5
Emaze is a free online presentation tool. There are many presentation options and designs that suit a wide variety of purposes whether its for education, business, or personal projects. Once the template a chosen, users add on their information and pictures and adjust the content according. Many graphics for applying visuals for statistics or other numerical data with charts, graphs, or tables. Users have the options of allowing their presentations to be open to the public or private. Emaze also has the convenient feature of importing an already existing Microsoft Powerpoint to convert it into an Emaze presentation. Unfortunately, this presentation tool is not as useful for group work because only the creator of the presentation is able to edit it. There is a feature for users to collaborate with each other but that is only accessible to those who have paid to upgrade their account. Emaze has its drawbacks, but I would still recommend it to students.
Rating: 4/5
This was my first time ever using this tool, or even having heard of it for that matter. LiveBinders is fundamentally a way to bookmark websites and pages. If it seems simple, that’s because it is, and that’s what makes this a good resource for teachers. I talk about simplicity and easy accessibility a lot because I believe the faster it is for users to understand a tool, the better. LiveBinders allows for quick organization of websites by embedding links into tabs. Included are websites, teachers consider helpful to students. All that’s left is to provide the link of their “Binders,” which like a real binder are full of information, to the students.
Rating: 4/5
We don’t have to be complete technology experts to build a website. Truly remarkable, isn’t it? Until this course, I have never in my life created my own website. What I imagined was coming up with complex codes and intricate cyphers. Maybe this is the case for making some other websites, but not for Wix. Wix is available for free online. This tool provides the basic foundation and templates of different varieties. Users are bound to find a template they like and feel would suit their website’s purpose. Individual users as well as groups and corporations can create their own websites to promote their business or organizations. All that creators mainly have to do is get creative learn which buttons to fiddle with.
MightyBell (https://mightybell.com/)
Rating: 3/5
MightyBell is an social media website for professionals to create their own networks. One of MightBell's objectives is to create "niche networks" where users can set up their accounts and look for others who share the same interests, occupations, goals, and more. Users can access the profiles of networks where updates through photos, statuses, question polls, and even links are posted. The people managing the network can also see the activity levels of members which includes how many people have joined or left the group and how people respond to the administrator's posts. While the point of this tool is to create a specific niche (among the many available social media) for people, I feel that it can be very restricting because users would have to know specifically what they are looking for in order to find a page that suits their interest. As far as I have used it, there isn't much room for browsing the site. This tool also allows for a chat option where members can communicate with each other. There is no video chat option. This technology tool is also available as a mobile app in which users can download it into their phones and ipads or tablets. When my group used this tool on mobile, the app took a long time to load making it difficult to see new updates instantly. Another negative aspect of the mobile app was that it did not include a chat message option whereas on desktop the chat option was available.
Rating: 3/5
MightyBell is an social media website for professionals to create their own networks. One of MightBell's objectives is to create "niche networks" where users can set up their accounts and look for others who share the same interests, occupations, goals, and more. Users can access the profiles of networks where updates through photos, statuses, question polls, and even links are posted. The people managing the network can also see the activity levels of members which includes how many people have joined or left the group and how people respond to the administrator's posts. While the point of this tool is to create a specific niche (among the many available social media) for people, I feel that it can be very restricting because users would have to know specifically what they are looking for in order to find a page that suits their interest. As far as I have used it, there isn't much room for browsing the site. This tool also allows for a chat option where members can communicate with each other. There is no video chat option. This technology tool is also available as a mobile app in which users can download it into their phones and ipads or tablets. When my group used this tool on mobile, the app took a long time to load making it difficult to see new updates instantly. Another negative aspect of the mobile app was that it did not include a chat message option whereas on desktop the chat option was available.
Rating: 4/5
The slogan of “Infinite Virtual Cork Board” says it all. Spaaze is super helpful for brainstorming ideas. What is it people do when they brainstorm? They pull just about any information they can about a particular topic and jot it down. Spaaze utilizes little sticky notes, in which users can write down thoughts and ideas they don’t want to forget. But Spaaze isn’t just for brainstorming. Spaaze is another wonderful way of getting organized. On their virtual corkboards, users can add reminders of projects and assignments along with deadlines. Users can even add in videos from Youtube or Vimeo that they can watch on their cork board. But users should keep track of how many sticky notes or files they tack onto the board because these subtract from Spaaze’s “SpaazePoints.” Once 99 Spaazepoints have been used up, users have to buy additional points.
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