Technology Tools Assessment

I am among those who fall in the generation of witnessing an evolution in technology. From cassette tapes and vinyl discs to compact discs, Walkmans to Mp3 players and IPods, library research to Internet research. Almost anything can be done in the power of the fingertips! Since I have decided to return to school to pursue a degree in Elementary Education, I have been exposed to new tools. The following is an assessment of 8 tools that I have been introduced and their ratings:

1.) Tool: MOODLE
Rating: 4 out of 5
MOODLE is a course management system that teachers can use to let students know about
upcoming assignments on a weekly basis. The additional tools that Moodle have are chats, forums, knowing the participants either by groups or as a whole class. This reinforces the concept of going "green" due to the absence use of paper. Moodle is very easy to navigate and icons indicate what type of work is due. However, I was dissatisfied with the chat; I found it difficult for me to communicate with my group mates, because I constantly had to refresh the page.

2.) Tool: Delicious List (http://delicious.com/)
Rating: 5 out of 5
I really like this tool! It is a bookmarking website where I can save my favorite links without having to save it on my personal computer. Users can subscribe to other users and see their bookmarks. It can be personalized by arranging the list into categories and this allows it to be more practical when the account is revisited.

3.) Tool: Firefox browser (www.mozilla.com/firefox)

Rating: 5 out of 5

This browser is easy to use and it is faster. You can control the web pages by zooming in and out especially if the fonts are tiny and images are not big enough to see. It’s easy to bookmark a page by just clicking on the star icon, and there are lots of short cuts to save on navigation time.

4.) Tool: Google Suite Applications (http://www.google.com/apps/)

(Google Docs, Blog,)

Rating: 4 out of 5

Google Suite Apps has a lot to offer aside from email (Gmail). Just create an email account and one can have full access of the tools that Google has to offer such as Google Docs where teachers instantly create a quiz without having to design a format. All that is needed is to fill in the necessary questions and it is ready to print, or save and access the quiz later. Another tool that is useful is having immediate access to a blog. The Blog is also useful for journal writing and sharing ideas with other users who have the same interests. The entries can be saved as a draft and published later when ready. However, enhancing tools of the Blog are very limited such as fonts; there is difficulty in formatting the texts. The preview format may not look the same after the entries have been finally published. There is always a need to edit and reedit.

5.) Tool: Online Storage (www.mediafire.com)

Rating: 5 out of 5

This is another useful tool where I can upload and store my important documents. It was easy to register and most of all it is free. This can be used as a back up storage in the event documents could not be retrieved from personal computer and flash drives get lost. It’s very simple and not complicated; most of all Mediafire also helps free some memory space from my computer.

6.) Tool: Jing Project (http://www.jingproject.com/)

Rating: 5 out 5

The software was easy and fast to download. I liked the fact that I can crop my pictures repeatedly and still be able to keep the original format. The icon is conveniently located always on the screen so the icon is accessible every time and can instantly capture images on any part of the screen or website. Captions and texts can be inserted onto the image, and instantly save and link it through email.

7.) Tool: Picnik (http://www.picnik.com/)

Rating: 2 out of 3

Picnik is a website that photos can be edited online. Photos that are stored in other websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Photobucket can easily be accessed and edited. Picnik offers a lot of effects that can enhance pictures; however it is very limited to the user. To use the “better” effects, the account needs to be upgraded to premium for a monthly fee.

8.) Tool: Prezi (http://prezi.com/)

Rating 4 out of 5

Prezi is another way of using power point without having to use slides. The information of the presentation is enhanced by zooming capabilities which captures the audience’s attention. Prezi allows the user to see an overall view all in one screen versus a basic installed power point in a computer whereas to see the overview, the user has to view the slides one by one by clicking on “slideshow” and literally keep pressing the “enter” button. The tutorials are very helpful and it is easy to follow but the background design choices are limited due to language support.