This week has been a busy one for learning. Advancements in
technology have changed education in a myriad of ways. This week I’ve realized
that spreadsheets and databases are not as scary as I thought they were. I have
learned of so many applications that can be used by educators. I never realized
that using spreadsheets could be applied to different grade levels. In this age of instant communication, students
communicate at lightning speed. Kids can text 80 words per minute, while
teachers do well to text 8.
EDOL 533
Technology Exploration Assignment
Form
You should complete this form thoroughly for each of your
twenty Technology Explorations.
Student Name: tparsons Date:
07-07-13
Technology Exploration Resource
Explored (be sure to differentiate which resource is which for each of the
three items:
Technology Exploration 4
Two Free Concept Mapping Programs
Xmind-http://www.xmind.net
1.
|
Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be
thorough in your response.
XMind—I never realized before viewing the XMind site to what
extent mind maps could be utilized. English teachers use hardcopy mind maps
when students are brainstorming, starting with a single word or phrase and
building around it. However, with this site, I’ve found that while
traditional mind mapping entails reading the page in a traditional
left-to-right method, Xmind allows students to scan the entire page in a non-linear
fashion.
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2.
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How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field
or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in
educational settings.
This site can be utilized in the classroom for the variety of
mind maps that are available. I particularly like the fishbone diagram. The
students not only have a choice of diagrams, they can also have a choice of
themes and customize the shapes, lines, and colors. The mind maps can be used
in reading because students can map the progression of a novel from start to
finish.
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3.
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Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike;
Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.
Why or Why not?
I believe that I would recommend this site to other educators
because it is user friendly. XMind can export mind maps into different
formats, such as PDF, Word, or PowerPoint. Students can work with plain text,
as well as images. Most schools use word as their operating system, and
usually Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are installed, and these are necessary
to utilize Xmind. It is not cost prohibitive in that there is a free version
that offers different diagrams, a Mind Toolbox, and Share on the Web access
feature.
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EDOL 533
Technology Exploration Assignment
Form
You should complete this form thoroughly for each of your
twenty Technology Explorations.
Student Name: tparsons Date:
07-07-13
Technology Exploration Resource
Explored (be sure to differentiate which resource is which for each of the
three items:
Technology Exploration 4
Two Free Concept Mapping Programs
Freemind-http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki
1.
|
Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be
thorough in your response.
Freemind—I was not as impressed with site as I was XMind. Even
though it is a free mind mapping site, and it seems to possess many of the
same features as XMind. However, it is a free site and would serve the
purpose in creating mind maps and graphic organizers.
|
2.
|
How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field
or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in
educational settings.
Students can use this site as a workplace for their internet
searches, keep track of projects, and to write essays and to brainstorm.
Teachers can use this project this site onto a white board and the whole
class can participate. Students can also work independently or in small groups.
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3.
|
Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike;
Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.
Why or Why not?
I believe that I would recommend this site to other educators
because it is user friendly and it’s free. Although it doesn’t seem to be as
colorful as some of the others, it is user friendly and students will use it.
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EDOL 533
Technology Exploration Assignment
Form
You should complete this form thoroughly for each of your
twenty Technology Explorations.
Student Name: tparsons Date:
07-07-13
Technology Exploration Resource
Explored (be sure to differentiate which resource is which for each of the
three items:
Technology Exploration 5
Animoto-http://animoto.com
1.
|
Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be
thorough in your response.
I did not know there was a web application that you could use
to make a video clip using photos and music. The only slideshows that my
class has created were in PowerPoint. Even though you can upload a PowerPoint presentation,
Animoto seems to be a resource that students can use do document projects,
vacations, and create online journal videos, much as they use still
photography in Facebook.
|
2.
|
How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field
or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in
educational settings.
Animoto can be used in conjunction with a school’s web page to
highlight school programs, sports, or different educational events. Videos
can also be made to give a snapshot of individual classes. This tool could
come in handy when promoting enrollment for a particular school. The videos
are not long and students more than likely view them. This program would be a
good hands-on resource for middle school, and high school students would
incorporate its use in their daily lives, as well.
|
3.
|
Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike;
Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.
Why or Why not?
I might recommend the program because it is not cost
prohibitive. The Basic Version is free and the program is very easy to use. As
the videos that the students make will not be very long (10-30 seconds),
there are two advantages: 1) students can learn to condense as much
information they can into a short space of time, and 2) teachers can evaluate
student performance quickly.
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EDOL 533
Technology Exploration Assignment
Form
You should complete this form thoroughly for each of your
twenty Technology Explorations.
Student Name: tparsons Date:
07-07-13
Technology Exploration Resource
Explored (be sure to differentiate which resource is which for each of the
three items:
Technology Exploration 6
Google Docs
1.
|
Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be
thorough in your response.
I have used Google Docs in the past and did not know that
their document storage has increased from one GB to 10 GB. I knew that you
could create documents, much as Word, however, I did not know that you can
also make presentations and spreadsheets.
|
2.
|
How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field
or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in
educational settings.
I had always felt more comfortable with Word until I found out
that Google has a feature called Cloud Connect, which is a plug-in for
Microsoft Word Office. My students liked it, too, because I could grade their
papers in real time. Students can also revise their documents and Google
automatically saves it so they won’t lose anything. Students can also use
Word features in conjunction with Google to upload to the web, for instance
PowerPoint presentations.
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3.
|
Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike;
Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.
Why or Why not?
I had always felt more comfortable with Word until I found out
that Google has a feature called Cloud Connect, which is a plug-in for
Microsoft Word Office. My students liked it, too, because I could grade their
papers in real time. The only drawback that I had regarding Google is that I
had to create a Google account in order to use it, which means one more email
account. Also, I have had concerns over Google’s security.
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Technology Exploration 6
PhotoPeach-http://photopeach.com
1.
|
Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be
thorough in your response.
I have never used PhotoPeach before and have discovered that
students can make slideshows and upload them to the web rather quickly. It
also works well in conjunction with Facebook, which most students favor as
their online social media.
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2.
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How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field
or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in
educational settings.
Students can create slideshows about units of study. They can
also take interactive quizzes. Their projects can be tagged and uploaded for
remote viewing. This could work well with a school newspaper or a yearbook.
Even though the slideshows, photos, and music seem to be one-time
applications, they can be used in conjunction with subsequent presentations
to record events occurring at their school during the school year. It is a
great resource for students to collaborate group work.
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3.
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Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike;
Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.
Why or Why not?
I would probably recommend this resource to my colleagues as
it would be cost effective (versions other than the free version) in terms of
student benefit. This resource can be used on a daily basis and students can
learn and practice the use of multimedia. Also, the teacher has a great
amount of control over what is posted online.
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