Moodle (UOG)
University of Guam has been using the Moodle system for quite some time now. I like the fact that some professors are 'going green' by requiring their students to use Moodle to submit their assignments and projects. This semester, Moodle upgraded and I am still trying to adjust to the new look. But overall, the old and new Moodle are fairly simple to use. It is easy to navigate through the pages. It also allows students to access their grades and feedback posted up by their teacher. So far, I give Moodle a 5 since I have not encountered any difficulties with the system yet.
Rating: 5
Firefox
I have been using Firefox as my main web browser for many years and I have always been satisfied with it. In my opinion, Firefox has always been a fast web browser and is user-friendly. The current Firefox is awesome because you get to customize its appearance. Firefox also made it easier for all users to have more than one website up in a single window. This means you can have as many tabs open as you want and transitioning between the sites is painless. I also like the fact that it offers a search bar that allows you to choose a search engine you prefer to use. Overall, Firefox will stay on the top of my list.
Rating: 5
Google Apps (Gmail & Blogger)
Gmail: Google offers many service products that you can choose from such as Gmail, Google Calendars, Blogger, Google Scholar, etc. But the service product that I am most fond of is Gmail. The day my sister introduced me to Gmail, I fell in love with it! Since then, I have been using this user-friendly, reliable, safe email service for many years now. I would have to say that Gmail is quite different from the other email services that I have used. Gmail provides a decent amount of storage for each account. Unlike the other email services, Gmail does a good job at filtering out unwanted spam mail. I would recommend this email service to those who are currently using Yahoomail and Hotmail. You will not regret it!
Rating: 5
Blogger is another service offered by Google. For those who love to blog, they should definitely try Blogger. It is simple to use and it is free. You can customize it anyway you want to with the many templates and background images they have. You can even post from your mobile phone. The one thing I love about Blogger is that it shares the same features as Google Docs - it automatically saves even while you are typing so you do not have to worry about having to constantly click on the 'save' button. Although it automatically saves, at times you may encounter an error when you are trying to save or publish your work -- this can be frustrating.
Rating: 3
Livebinder is basically an online binder you can create to store anything you want from assignments, important documents, PDFs, to images. It is just like having a binder in your hands, but in this case it is digital. This is an awesome tool because it is quite easy to use. You can organize your work with tabs and sub-tabs. Livebinders can now be accessed from your iPad, if you have the app. My only complaint is they need better background colors/images.
Rating: 4
Wix
Wix is another tech tool that you could use to create your own website. This tool offers an array of templates and stylish designs that you could choose from. You could customize it to match your personality. This website may be free, but if you wanted the 'extras' (e.g., storage, bandwidth, remove Wix ads), it requires you to pay. I have seen many of my fellow classmates from my previous classes use Wix to present their projects with and I thought that it would be an easy website to use. My view changed when my Ed271 group decided to use Wix to present our project with. Truthfully, I am not a fan of Wix and so are a few of my ED271 group mates. Although it does state that it is user-friendly, we found it very difficult to use. A few of us found it a bit confusing. Overall, this tool is recommended to those who have the patience and are willing to spend for the 'extras' if they need it.
Rating: 3
Weebly is another tool you can use if you want to build a website. I have used Weebly in the past and I find it way much easier to use than Wix. Weebly offers many stylish themes to design your website with. Another good feature of Weebly is the simplicity of managing the pages. All you have to do is 'drag and drop' the page tabs to where you want it to be. You can also have tabs and sub-tabs. Personally, I think Weebly is an outstanding tool because it is so simple to use. I wish all website builders were like Weebly.
Rating: 5
Prezi
If UOG students aren't using PowerPoint for their presentations, then they are definitely using Prezi. Prezi is another type of presentation tool that many prefer to use once they master the tool. This tool is unique, fun to use and it never fails to amuse students who never seen or used Prezi. Unlike PowerPoint where your information comes in slides, you can be creative with Prezi. You can navigate through your information in a non-linear fashion. You can also zoom in and out on information you want to emphasize. First-time users may get a little confused, but after a while you will get the gist of it.
Rating: 4
ooVoo
If you are a regular Skype user, try using ooVoo! ooVoo is a similar version of Skype, but better. It is high quality, user-friendly and free! It is a great communication tool that allows you to videoconference with up to 12 people (for PC users). Not to forget, it also includes a mobile chatting feature where you can video call with up to four people. The only downside to this tool is that you must have good internet connection in order to receive high quality video calls. Also, since my group was responsible for learning about it and demonstrating it to the class, each videoconference call we did had a two-second delay each time we talked. This did not bother me, but for those who might consider using ooVoo, it may be a problem for them.
Rating: 3.5
Rating Scale
1 - Poor
2 - Fair
3 - Average
4 - Good
5 - Excellent
Reference
Blogger. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 24, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blogger.svg
*The rest of the images are all personal screen shots taken by me*
*All the tools I rated are hyperlinked*
*All the tools I rated are hyperlinked*
Hi:
ReplyDeleteNicely done
-j-