Technology Tool Assessment #2

Today, I will be assessing the different technology tools. I was able to play with these tools during my time in ED 452. I hope this post will be informative and beneficial for you. 

1. Moodle

Moodle is a learning community forum. It's great for online or hybrid classes. This rating is from a student perspective.

Pros: 

• Very clean and organized layout
• User friendly (students don't need formal training before using Moodle)
• Password requirement is strict (great for security!) 
• Forum design welcomes discussion
• Free to use 
• Good way to keep track of grades

Cons:

• I would like for their tool bar to be more expansive. 

How can teachers use this tool?

• Teachers can use this tool as a form of discussion. Students will be able to write about their opinions and thoughts through Moodle. 
• Teachers can encourage students to use their Moodle to view additional resources from the lesson.
• Teachers can use Moodle to assign homework.

2. Chrome

Chrome is a web browser by Google.

Pros: 

• Faster than Safari
• Built in Flash Player and PDF Reader
• You're able to personalize your home page
• Layout is simple and efficient
• Free to use and download

Cons:

• Although I am still able to use Google Chrome, I am no longer able to update it. They are also accepting newer versions for Apple.

3. Google Apps

Overall discussion of the different applications that Google offers for teachers and students.

Google offers great resources for teachers. Out of these tools, I choose my top 2 to review and discuss.

1. Google Docs works well for teachers and students. As a teacher, I learned that we are able to review and edit important documents like WASC profiles. As a student, I used Google Documents to review classmates' essays. It was also a form of communication. This is a great alternative to Microsoft Word. I like how it is free and user friendly.
2. Blogger is a weblog publishing tool. I would like the tool bar to be more expansive like providing more fonts and options to increase/decrease our paragraph. Other than that, the features provided are simple to use.

4. Livebinder

Livebinder is an online binder. My work requires that we use Livebinder to store our lesson plans, work samples, and other important documents. It's also a way that we collaborate with our colleges. For this reason, I also use Livebinder as my PLN.

Pros: 

• Livebinder is free to use.
• Ability to upload different type of files (videos, web pages, PDFS, and images)
• Great alternative to the traditional binder for educational and professional reasons
• Clean and organized layout

Cons:

• Practice makes perfect. You would need to play around with the website before becoming proficient.
• It may lag.
• You're only able to create a certain amount of binders before you would need to upgrade your member. This is the same issue with uploads.

5. Quizizz

Quizizz is a multiplayer review game. We used this tool during our digital safety presentation. 

How did it earn 5 stars? We absolutely enjoyed Quizizz and its feature. Similar to Kahoot, Quizizz is a multiplayer game. Students are able to play the game through a laptop or tablet. Both applications display the scores of the players. Quizizz does have some features that are different from Kahoot. I enjoy how Quizizz shows you the real-time progress of the students. You're also able to control the time of each question. Speaking of questions, there are great animation during the game that inspires excitement. I definitely recommend this tool to teachers! It's a great form of assessment.

Differences between Kahoot! and Quizizz

6. Emaze

Emaze is a presentation tool. Instead of using the traditional Microsoft Word, Emaze is a great alternative as it provides templates and user friendly options. 

Pros: 

• Templates are beautiful! The templates stand out while being very creative. I really enjoyed their educational themes. 
• User-friendly. Most users found their way around Emaze easily.

Cons:

• Not free. You're allowed to use Emaze for 14 days but afterwards, you would need to start paying $9 a month.
• Difficulty uploading Powerpoint to "Emaze" it
• Tool bar needs to be upgraded as there is a limitation in font size and style

7. PowToon

PowToon is another presentation tool. It is similar to Emaze.

Pros: 

• PowToon offers a variety of templates that are professional looking. These templates would work well in the school or business setting. They are also clean and attractive.
• Great animation features
• PowToon's toolbar is more impressive than Emaze. They include a variety of fonts, cliparts, and animation.

Cons:

• They advertise that their website is free to use but you have to pay premium for a lot of their features.
• It is not user friendly. You would need time to understand how the website works. Unfortunately, I was becoming impatient and moved back to Emaze.
• PowToon tends to have slow navigation. They also failed to have an auto-save so your work will most likely disappear if the website crashes.

8. Wix

Wix is a tool used to create a website. 

Wix is a user-friendly website maker. The navigations are wonderful. Although they provide templates, it is very easy to create a design from scratch. Wix offers a variety of fonts, backgrounds, and elements. You're only able to attach other forms of media, such as, a video from Youtube. I highly recommend this tool for teachers and students. A website would be great as a form of communication between teachers and parents. It's also an alternative way for students to conduct presentations.