The Envelope Please...

Of all the new technology I have used and become familiar with over the course of ED 609 which is best? In an age where convenience and ease is most desirable, which have what it takes to become a household name, and which are simply worthy attempts? Spoiler: the following are all winners in the own right. While each person brings different needs and purpose to a review of technological tools, I feel there are a few major factors that separate these from most out there. 

In this post, I will be looking at a variety of tools and applications (eight total), and rating them on a scale of one to five (one being not worth your time and five being an essential for today’s technologically proficient educator). Along with convenience and learning curve (ease of use), I will also consider functionality and how each measures up to other programs of similar purpose, and round each out with my personal thoughts based on experience.

One important thing to keep in mind, my assessment comes from the point of view of a layman who does uses the tech from a beginners entry level. This is perfect for those reading who want to get going on integrating more tech into their lives, however more advanced, seasoned users might find my points lacking in the depth they’re after. That said, let’s Begin.

And the winners are...

Winner! Best Functional Browser: Google Chrome 

The inside scoop...

As our class started with a look at browsers, I feel it is only fitting to do the same here. Google Chrome, the web browser from the house of Google, is convenient in many ways. When using it it links all of your google applications into your web surfing experience (unless you are one of the few remaining people without a Gmail account). This can make your web browsing experience easy and convenient when it comes to quick access do to stored passwords and “remembered” preferences.

Who knew Big Brother would be so accommodating?

The browser is highly functional as it links all the google suite of applications to your Internet experience as well. The interface is clean, slick, and all that we have come to expect from the folks at Google. Chrome also does a good job with display of content and response time of loading. I have however experienced slightly high crash rates using chrome, and of course the browser wants to be exclusive and “play better” with PCs over Macs (in my experience, needing certain devices to maximize benefits of the browser). I can’t help but feel I am caught up in battle for the user at times when it comes with who will win the Internet wars, Team Google or Team Everyone Else. I personally have fallen for Firefox (especially since Explorer seems to be in total free fall decay), and have found myself liking its add on options like download helper that make your web surfing needs just a click away. 

It seems however that Google is here to stay, and will no doubt be making improvements to Chrome as time marches on. When it comes to privacy and Google’s track record however, I just can’t help but feel more comfortable using something else. Torn here, based on all the points made, I give Chrome a 4 on my 5 point rating scale.

To begin using Google Chrome head over to http://www.google.com/chrome/

Winner! Best Application Suite: Gmail and Blogger

The inside scoop...

Moving on to more from Google, next up is two offerings from their applications, Gmail and Blogger. I first got a Gmail account in 2008 when a friend told me to sign up for it as it was free and simple. Following their excellent marketing strategy of bringing technology to everyone in such fashion, Google has risen to the top of the cyber world. Both Gmail and Blogger however, are truly revolutionary tools. Perhaps those few people out there who have never seen Jurassic Park or Titanic are the only ones who also do not have a Gmail account yet. I believe these free accounts really helped to transition everyone from the AOL days to having almost everyone online with an email address.

Gmail, when everything changed.

I feel that this unlimited, free account was instrumental in the advent of the Internet as an essential part of everyone’s life. Unlimited storage and often times required (highly encouraged) for certain site access or services, this email platform is definitely a plus for a cohesive Internet interaction. Coupled with its ease, connectivity to the Google world/suite, and quick sign up, it is perfect for getting a mail address fast. It seems hard to remember the days before I had an account. It’s easy to give out my email and people have no trouble remembering it.

The only issue that gives pause is again regarding privacy. Everyone has heard news stories of Google scanning and selling information from personal emails. Who knows who has access to what you say or think. I have had uncanny instances online because of what I allow about me to be known in cyberspace. One cannot help but think that this Orwellian reality is brought to us by Uncle Google. If you are OK with this being the price you pay for all Google has to generously offer, I would say Gmail is the way to go, even the new standard. At least we still possess our freedom to choose. I know of email services that market accounts (@reagan.com) on that specific privacy point no email mining).

The choice is yours, convenience and functionality versus privacy and anonymity. In my opinion, it’s already too late for the latter. Blogger, the other application under review in this part of the post is perhaps my favorite. I will try to keep an objective, level look at it as I proceed (hard as I am using it even now). I absolutely fell in love with this program. The ease of use, convenience in adding multimedia and images to your posts, and fun it makes blogging all shine through. I didn’t think I would enjoy the process or be interested in keeping up with a blog, but after using it once, I was hooked. 

Feel like opening up? It's never been this easy!

I am very excited to link it into my learning management system (LMS) for students to share experiences, help with writing samples, and build on and supplement content or concepts this coming year. As you can see, the possibilities for practical application for educators are too great to not use it. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed an experience like my first outing with Blogger. I do take issue with the fact that you must use a word processor other than Word as transfer of typed information can cause some formatting issues, that and the fact that I have not tried other blog programs take the patine off the cover coat a bit.

While it is free and a treat to use, you again deal with Big Google watching and mining your every move. The choice again is yours, but I highly recommend both of these offerings from the Internet giant. Privacy issues being my only real concern here, I give Gmail and Blogger a 4.5 on my 5 point rating scale.

To sign up and start using Gmail and Blogger today head over to https://www.gmail.com/intl/en_in/mail/help/about.html

Winner! Best Learning Management System: Moodle

The inside scoop...

After thinking of linking my Blogger blog to my LMS, I want to assess one popular one for the next review. As I was new to using an LMS last fall, I was pretty unsettled when I found out I would be using a fairly well known one, Moodle, for the MAT program. I soon found out I had little to nothing to worry about. I found Moodle very user friendly and convenient to use. The fact that I could keep in touch and be on top of my classes from anywhere was wonderful. All my needs, communication, direction, and submission were at the click of my mouse. Examining my own classes I was running at St. John's, and working on Moodle for my own educational purposes, I soon wondered why I was not taking advantage of an LMS. Moodle was a real motivating factor in my choice to get going with Google Classroom.

Why not use Moodle? Well, it does require a fee or organizational commitment, one my administration was not keen to sign on to (Google Classroom is free, but does require the creation of a secure domain). Using Moodle has been such a plus, especially for the challenge of being both a full-time worker and student. I like the way the LMS keeps you on top of all that is due for your class (countdown clock) and offers a way for the participants to share in and contribute to the overall success of the class learning experience. Most classes I have been in have utilized the forums and posting function to their full potential. One place I take issue with the setup is that is has a limited time access and decay factor.

Not using a great LMS like Moodle? You're so 2010!

Google classroom allows me to archive and access all academic years in a storage system, whereas Moodle only lasts for a set amount of time. Many of the things I have posted as an educator or valid ideas others have offered are not there for me to revisit. That is something I would really take advantage of if able. I have little to no trouble accessing Moodle and have found the only time I have had any issues with it is when it is used and instructors differ or contradict initial plans as initially stated on the LMS. I’m relieved to say, that has not been the case in recent months.

The advantages for grading and submissions, streamlining of work, ease of mass (group) communication, and campus academic routine standardization make Moodle a top of the line learning management system. From my experience with it, I give Moodle a 4.5 on my 5 point scale.

To view a demo video and learn more about Moodle go to https://moodle.org/demo/

Winner! Best Online Storage Tool: LiveBinders

The inside scoop...

Another of the tools I was introduced to during ED 609 is LiveBinders. The online storage for resources and tools was introduced to us early on, and I can see the advantage in that. LiveBinders has become a virtual bookshelf for all my resources I have come across online. It’s very convenient to simply toss a URL into the binder and keep a record of the places you want to return to, or save something interesting to develop later. It was not difficult to navigate or learn, and before I knew it had assembled a fairly solid resources for Language Arts binder.

Give the gift of resource, virtually!

One of the big advantages of this virtual tool over traditional bookmarking, is that the binders can be shared with students. I am working at putting a binder together to issue to students via my LMS next month. The arrangement and layout of the binders is very functional, and they are easy to flip through. I had a little trouble with ordering each tab as a header and having a resource display as that tab. I quickly found out how to work this singular issue out. I have not tried any other such tool, but feel this one is more than sufficient. As it is a free service and very nice to have all of your important information in one clutter-free virtual place, I give LiveBinders a 5 on my 5 point scale.

To sign up and get organized with LiveBinders head to http://www.livebinders.com/

Winner! Best Interactive Class Tool: Kahoot

The inside scoop...

One of the best interactive tools I became familiar with through my exploration of technology this summer is Kahoot. I used this online tool to gamify my ED 606 presentation and grab my audience's attention. I used the online survey/quiz program to engage students in a survey that required a bit of discretion and anonymity in the results, but class-wide participation at the same time. Kahoot was perfect for this. Everyone was impressed.

It's as fun to use as it is to say.

I found the setup to be simple and straight forward and easy to prepare. By going to a web address and creating the questions (getkahoot.com), I was able prepare the anticipatory set portion of the presentation quickly and with ease. Kahoot helped me gain interest and entertain my students, and it took less then fifteen minutes to prepare this portion from start to finish. For the first use, I thought this was incredibly efficient and easy to use. There is no doubt about the value this tool holds in bringing excitement to your teaching, and makes it a must use. Free and fast, I can see using this as an anticipatory set piece from time to time in my classes. It simply requires signing up, and you are on your way. 

Kahoot does offer a quiz format as well as survey, but I feel a program like Quick Keys is a much better summative assessment tool. Kahoot fulfills its purpose as a way to generate excitement and provide formative tracking results to help with student/whole class opinions and understanding of their learning progress. The fact that I have had multiple people who have experienced it just once ask me for more on it, also shows it is definitely worth the ease of giving it a go. For its ease in use and execution, as well as overwhelmingly popular reception and excitement generation, I give Kahoot a 5 on my 5 point scale.

To create a survey or quiz for your students or friends check out https://getkahoot.com/

Winner! Best Presentation Program: Emaze

 The inside scoop...

Need to give a presentation? I would recommend emaze. This presentation substitute for your worn, tired PowerPoint is a treat to use and goes a long way in augmenting your presentation. For someone who has created a total of 3 PowerPoints in his whole life, two of those in the past 5 months, this free presentation creator was a joy to use. The creators of the program made it with the direct intent to bring out the story aspect of giving a presentation. The two founders wanted to capture the essence of telling a good story when you are giving a presentation.

Stop giving boring presentations, and start telling stories.

With a choice of many interesting visual templates which do just that (a tribute to classic films, a magic act, a Marvel superhero city-scape, etc.), to the ease of dragging and dropping in your multimedia, this presentation creator tool has much to offer for initial users. I didn’t have much trouble getting used to the ins and outs of the mechanics either. I have helped a few friends with theirs already, and feel as if I am a go-to-guy for the service in our class. That does speak volumes for both the ease at which it can be picked up, and that it does take some getting used to. The actual execution of the presentations do not disappoint either, it does as it somewhat cornily promises - to emaze viewers.

One of the major drawbacks of the tool however, is that in order to do more than just use it, share it, or view it, requires a subscription. I was a little frustrated that our group had to pay if we wished collaborate, download, or save the presentations we made. With a plethora of prefabbed visuals and animations in place, the possibilities for endless creativity is there. Many people also used this tool to deliver presentations this summer session, and like anything, even emaze lost a bit of its luster.

Compared to other platforms, I still think it has found a niche, and I see recommending it and using it in my own teaching. For it being a breath of fresh air into the presentation game, its ease to pick up, and visually stunning templates which generate excitment, I give emaze a 4 of 5 on my 5 point scale (its restrictive nature and pay for maximization hold it back).

To make your presentations emazing click https://app.emaze.com

Winner! Best Website Creation Program: Wix

The inside scoop...

Personally, designing and creating my own website was something I thought was never possible unless one went to school and studied coding or programing. I never imagined I would see the day when an average, layman would be able to accomplish this. Then I learned about Wix. I am still trying to get my head around the fact that within one full day of work, I was able to create something I feel is both very professional and attractive(for my first outing).
The online creation tool is so easy to pick up and learn, that I enjoyed every minute of the process. When ever I had any question about what to do, I simply clicked on the question mark in the options box, and a short video tutorial would assist and provide suggestions.
The choice of templates was overwhelming, and I found that I enjoyed the thirty minutes or so that spent exploring the different types was worth the experience alone, later dwarfed when I saw my final product. Wix is incredibly convenient to use and allows for you, or students to create a very functional, personal corner of space on the Web.

The program is much better than the logo.

I have yet to try Weebly or any other existing website creation programs, but I find that Wix didn’t give me a need to look any further for one. 

One issue I do take with the program is that I was unable to find a way to insert more than one hyperlink into a picture slide caption. This was very disappointing as I wanted to allow viewers to access many places that related to my specific content, or link to other spots on my site. I intend on sending some feedback concerning this to the creators to see how good they are with providing service to their users, and improving on their creation.The functional possibilities of Wix have me inspired and excited.
To have an incredible, professional website by tonight go to https://www.wix.com

For anything ranging from class fundraisers to class projects, I can see this tool being a very motivating and inspiring program for students. The experience really created a new level of excitement and was the perfect culminating projects for our class. Wix allows you to have a whole new level of participation with the online world. I know I will be moving forward and utilizing space online for both instruction and personal use. I have already told people to visit my project and have received wonderful feedback on it through my contact page. Incredible!

The only drawback I found after an entire day of playing with it is so minimal that I can overlook it as a serious drawback for now. As I said, creation was smooth and very enjoyable. I want to encourage (and am doing so offline) people to get on it and create something amazing. You will discover things about yourself you never thought possible. Don’t just take my word for it, have a look http://roepke25.wix.com/ed609eportfolio 

I’m rating Wix a 5 on my 5 point scale.  

Winner! Best Music Creator: GarageBand

The inside scoop...

The final review for this post has to be Apple’s GarageBand. I was first introduced to this program near the end of ED 609. Again, I was a little scared as I thought it would be difficult to arrange and create music that actually sounded good. Again, how wrong I was. I jumped in and found it easy to use and learn. I was soon allowing my inner DJ to scratch and create some fresh beats that I sent to myself to continue working on later. With an amazingly extensive library of music samples to work with, the folks at Apple have outdone themselves again. I have used editing programs in the past (Final Cut) and found the interface to be very user friendly and similar (universal) to the audio mixing on the film and video programs I have used.

You and your Mac can make beautiful music together.

One major problem I have with the program is that it is a Mac tool, and as you may or may not know, Apple is very protective in the use of their products. Because I do not have a Mac, I have been unable to continue my work with this tool. I do have an iPad, but was a little dismayed that my saved and mailed music file is not compatible with the tablet version. For the first time I really feel the drawback of either being a Mac or PC person. I am looking at buying a Mac in the coming months thanks to another wonderful showcase of how Macs are great when it comes to catering to creative endeavors.

In talking with friends and classmates, I understand it is very easy to add your created music to presentations, websites, and videos. I am looking forward to getting my Mac and using this program for class created multimedia, and sharing my newly learned expertise with students. For my assessment of the tool based on my ease in picking it up, and its highly addictive nature, I give GarageBand a 4.5 on my scale of 5 (losing out on a five only do to its limited use and file incompatibility with its sister version).

To find your inner composer and see a demo on GarageBand go to https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/

Image Credits

The images, logos, and videos in this post are property of the following people/sites:

Youtube video: William Roepke, 2015

Google Chrome: http://www.google.com/chrome/

Gmail & Blogger:  https://www.gmail.com/

Moodle: https://moodle.org/

LiveBinders: http://www.livebinders.com/

Kahoot: https://getkahoot.com/

Emaze: https://app.emaze.com

Wix: https://www.wix.com

GarageBand: https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/

How Safe Are You Online?

We all use technology everyday as if it is second nature. It is convenient, time-saving, and now more than ever a part of our lives. Many of us find ourselves online almost as much, if not more than we are off. Every year, more and more of our personal data, information, and behavior ends up out in cyberspace. Most of us go about this with little to no worry as our interaction is between us and our PC, tablet, or smart phone. Or is it? Just how safe are we? Is there a need to be worried? Nothing is really going to happen, right? Wrong.

Click here to see what's lurking out there...

As technology rapidly expands and improves, so do the threats and dangers to our identity and personal well being. Carol Stott reports a shocking 64% of emails sent in 2014 were spam, which is nearly 2 out of 3 (Stott, 2014). With such a large number of potentially harmful emails being sent, there is huge risk to any technology user, a competent instructor can not be complacent. Our privacy and digital safety is always under threat. As educators, we are not only responsible for our own personal safety online, but more importantly, the well being and safety of our students. It is of the utmost importance that we educate ourselves on the potential disasters everyone faces every time we access a device which connects to the internet.

From pharming and phishing to sexting to cyberbullying, there is much to watch out for. With the Internet being a vast resource of information and tools, we must also pay careful attention that, we or our students, do not bring trouble upon ourselves with violation of copyright or fair user practices. Researching and delivering a presentation on pharming and phishing, I now feel much more prepared to ensure that my students and I are responsibly using the Net, and not allowing it to be used against us.

The threats we researched and gave presentations on as a class (mentioned in the paragraph above) are the most popular, most frequently encountered breaches of security we, and our students, will encounter every time we go online. It was very good that we examined these as we found that almost all of the class members had fallen prey to one of the tactics at one time or another. If we are to be responsible and effective users and teachers of technology, it is imperative that we set an example and have a solid understanding of how to avoid any such incidences.

Rootkits, and Trojans, and Botnets, Oh, my!

As we give presentations, create multimedia lessons, and require students to use online tools and software for their assignments, it is on each of us as educators to also demonstrate competence and teach what is responsible, acceptable use of technology. In addition to integrating into my instruction the topics we covered, I would also like to discuss and deal with Rootkits, Trojans, and Botnets in my classes. These invasive programs are incredibly damaging to a user’s privacy and the security of the information stored in a device. Once inside your machine the programs can record passwords, commandeer webcams to monitor your actions, gain administrator access to your device, or use your computer as part of a network of computers that contribute to the dissemination of spam emails and spyware (Sanchez, 2010).

Your best defense is teaching a solid offense

These viruses attack and destroy as they steal personal or professional data. I feel including these in a unit of study will help show students the reality of how much damage these invasive programs can do if allowed onto a device. Prevention is key in protecting your identity, privacy, and valuable data. How can we make sure students are smart about not encountering these potentially disastrous viruses? Michael Sanchez of Cisco Systems brilliantly states in his blog, “Just as your mother may have told you to never talk to strangers, the same advice holds true for the virtual world” (Sanchez, 2010).

So how then can we a educators ensure we are teaching responsible use of technology and ensuring students are avoiding “strangers” online? How can GE teachers reach students and help create safe, responsible, and tech savvy individuals? As a teacher of Language Arts, I have some ideas on how I will personally incorporate what I have learned in ED 609 into my classes. I will integrate one of the major threats (invasive viruses, copyright and fair use policy, pharming & phishing, sexting, cyberbullying etc.) at the start of each new content unit, starting with the invasive viruses. I will follow this with a lesson on copyright and fair use, as students must be aware of this early before our projects and presentations begin.

For more on teaching online safety visit staysafeonline.org here

I feel these lessons early in the course of the class is most helpful and also recommend that in future ED 609 classes the online safety presentations take place first as they impact on all we do online. Having students do group presentations similar to the ones we gave in class, research and create posters on Internet safety and proper copyright procedure, as well as create and sign student Internet usage contracts will prove engaging, immersive, and practical in keeping individuals safe and in compliance with the law. I would also consider assigning students writing assignments on the topics to publish and raise awareness around our school. It simply takes an understanding of the dangers and an informed educator who can demonstrate good practices/policies to help keep tech users safe and secure online.

For more useful information on countering specific threats to online safety, please visit the blogs of some of my fellow educators.

For cyberbullying:
Dianne West at http://diannewest.blogspot.com

For sexting or sexual harassment:
Katrina Quinata at http://enlightenedbymskat.blogspot.com

For copyright and fair user practices:
David Macaluso at http://technolanguage.blogspot.com/2015/07/david-f.html

 

References:

Sanchez, M. (2010, December 9). The 10 most common security threat explained.Retrieved

July 4, 2015.

 

Stott, C. (2014, May 7). 2014 Estimated Global Email Spam Rate is 64%. That’s Almost 2   Out of 3 Emails! Retrieved July 4, 2015.

                                     

A Technologically Proficient Teacher For The 21st Century

Please don't tell me your still teaching like it's 1999...

If you are reading this blog...there is hope for you yet...

1) Enjoy Video Email

Visual correspondence for a visual generation... 

                                                             

Send out visual emails in a blink, and express yourself fully with eyejot. 

Find out more about getting eyejot here!

2) Captivate with Presentations

Make sure your next presentation isn't PowerPointless...

Use the presentation tool to tell a story and engage your class rather than bore them to tears.


Click here to make your next presentation emazing!

3) Get in tune with copyright laws

Striking the right cord makes all the difference...

Create, augment, and unleash your inner DJ with Apple's incredibly fun BGM program. 

Find a full review of the latest version here

4) Gamify your classroom

 Generate excitement, interest, and fun with personal devices...

Add variety and flare to your class quizzes, surveys, and formative assessments.


Educators set up accounts here

         Students log in and partake here




 Read why educators love Kahoot here

  


5) Connect with the world

 Transcend the physical classroom and take learning global

Create speaking opportunities for language learners and cultural exchanges with one of the best, free web conferencing tools around.

Get your class connected to classrooms around the world here

  Check out the research on the possibilities of using oovoo for language learning by clicking here

6) Simplify your classroom management and life

Please everyone with the convenience and constant access 

   

Your life changes here

Transform the way you manage, communicate, and interact with one of the most versatile and learning management systems. Would you expect anything less from the house of Google?

Still not convinced? Here are 60 more reasons to intergrate Classroom

Which of these 21st Century essentials are you using?

What are you waiting for?

Special thanks to Doctor Jacqui Cyrus (ED 609) and Cohort 11 for helping me enter the new millennium of teaching.

Refrences:

Breen, C. (n.d.). GarageBand 10 review: Great tool for musicians (sorry podcasters). Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.macworld.com/article/2060742/garageband-10-review-logic-light-is-a-great-tool-for-musicians-sorry-podcasters.html

Cook, J. (2011, November 30). Watch your email? Eyejot unveils iPhone app for video-based email, business cards - GeekWire. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.geekwire.com/2011/eyejot-reenvisions-video-email-iphone-app/

Farner, S. (2013, May 21). Emaze: The cure for the common presentation? - BestTechie.RetrievedJune14,2015,from http://www.besttechie.com/2013/05/21/emaze-the-cure-for-the-common-presentation/

Ferriter, B. (n.d.). CTQ. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.teachingquality.org/content/blogs/bill-ferriter/tool-review-kahoot  

Hashemia,, M., & Azizinezhadb, M. (2011, November 10). The Capabilities of Oovoo and Skype for Language Education. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811024499  

 Heick, T. (2015, May 3). 60 Smarter Ways To Use Google Classroom. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.teachthought.com/technology/60-smarter-ways-to-use-google-classroom/