Rating Scale
0 -Not Useful or User-friendly at all
1 - Could be Useful but not User-friendly
2 - Somewhat Useful and Somewhat User-friendly
3 - Useful and User-friendly
4 - Very Useful and Extremely User-friendly
5 - YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO USE THIS!
1. Moodle
Rating: 3
Having used Moodle before, I was familiar with its functions and capabilities before using it for this class. I have even used a different "moodle" site for another online class here at UOG and have found UOG's Moodle page to be easier to use. I do, however, think it could be a bit more user-friendly. Certain functions are just harder to navigate to when there should be an accessible link from any page on the site. Other than that, Moodle was extremely helpful in staying on task throughout the semester.
Having used Moodle before, I was familiar with its functions and capabilities before using it for this class. I have even used a different "moodle" site for another online class here at UOG and have found UOG's Moodle page to be easier to use. I do, however, think it could be a bit more user-friendly. Certain functions are just harder to navigate to when there should be an accessible link from any page on the site. Other than that, Moodle was extremely helpful in staying on task throughout the semester.
2. Firefox
Rating: 4
Choosing the web browser Firefox is an easy choice to make when concerned about keeping your computer safe from unwanted malware and other harmful viruses and tracking means when using the Internet. I had to rate Firefox a 4 because I have encountered websites that Firefox has problems with loading scripts. One example of these sites is Wiggio. For some reason, when accessing Wiggio through Firefox, a warning message pops up stating that some of the necessary scripts for the site to run at its best are unable to load. Other than that, Firefox is a reliable technological tool that keeps computers safe from unwanted security issues!
3. Google Apps
Choosing the web browser Firefox is an easy choice to make when concerned about keeping your computer safe from unwanted malware and other harmful viruses and tracking means when using the Internet. I had to rate Firefox a 4 because I have encountered websites that Firefox has problems with loading scripts. One example of these sites is Wiggio. For some reason, when accessing Wiggio through Firefox, a warning message pops up stating that some of the necessary scripts for the site to run at its best are unable to load. Other than that, Firefox is a reliable technological tool that keeps computers safe from unwanted security issues!
3. Google Apps
Rating: 5
Google Apps are everyday lifesavers! My Gmail account is my cyber best friend. I love its interface and how it's connected to Google Calendars, Google Docs, and basically every other extremely useful Google App! I cannot say that I have used them all but the apps that I have are always so helpful! Google Scholar makes researching a breeze, Google Docs saves me from using pesky thumb drives that are susceptible to viruses, Google Folders keeps my inbox organized so I don't go crazy, and Gmail keeps me in contact with everyone I need to be in contact with! In all seriousness, Google Apps save my "cyber" life everyday!
4. LiveBinders
Google Apps are everyday lifesavers! My Gmail account is my cyber best friend. I love its interface and how it's connected to Google Calendars, Google Docs, and basically every other extremely useful Google App! I cannot say that I have used them all but the apps that I have are always so helpful! Google Scholar makes researching a breeze, Google Docs saves me from using pesky thumb drives that are susceptible to viruses, Google Folders keeps my inbox organized so I don't go crazy, and Gmail keeps me in contact with everyone I need to be in contact with! In all seriousness, Google Apps save my "cyber" life everyday!
4. LiveBinders
Rating: 5
Live Binders is such a useful tool for keeping resources organized and literally only a click away! I loved how easy it was to create a binder and fill it with tabs and subtabs to my liking. The interface is simple enough to navigate through after only using it for a few minutes and the capability to upload personal files such as PDFs and personally owned photos makes this the ultimate resource organizing tool! I can honestly say that I will be using this tool for as long as it is available!
5. Wiggio
Live Binders is such a useful tool for keeping resources organized and literally only a click away! I loved how easy it was to create a binder and fill it with tabs and subtabs to my liking. The interface is simple enough to navigate through after only using it for a few minutes and the capability to upload personal files such as PDFs and personally owned photos makes this the ultimate resource organizing tool! I can honestly say that I will be using this tool for as long as it is available!
5. Wiggio
Rating: 5
Wiggio really is the easiest way to work in groups (just like it says on the homepage). The interface is extremely easy to use and the greatest feature was being able to subscribe to the conversation so any new posts are emailed to my gmail account right away and all I have to do is reply straight from my email...no need to go to the site to sign in or anything! That feature made it so easy to communicate with my group because I always have access to my email...whether I'm at work or even on the go because I can receive emails on my iPhone and constant access to email meant constant communication when we were planning our project and its execution. I really like that you can also choose to only send messages to specific individuals instead of the whole group all at once. This prevented confusion when planning our individual responsibilities for our group project.
6. Prezi
Wiggio really is the easiest way to work in groups (just like it says on the homepage). The interface is extremely easy to use and the greatest feature was being able to subscribe to the conversation so any new posts are emailed to my gmail account right away and all I have to do is reply straight from my email...no need to go to the site to sign in or anything! That feature made it so easy to communicate with my group because I always have access to my email...whether I'm at work or even on the go because I can receive emails on my iPhone and constant access to email meant constant communication when we were planning our project and its execution. I really like that you can also choose to only send messages to specific individuals instead of the whole group all at once. This prevented confusion when planning our individual responsibilities for our group project.
6. Prezi
Rating: 3
Prezi takes the predictability out of multimedia presentations. We have all had more than our fair share of boring PowerPoint and KeyNote presentations where presenters fill their slides with too much information and then just read exactly what their slides say. Prezi gives presenters more options to be creative with every little aspect of their presentations and that creativity makes audiences want to pay attention to the presentation. I had to give Prezi a 3 because there are some functions that are just unnatural and therefore take longer to gauge and become a bit harder to do what should be a simple task. Also, it's difficult to go back to a portion of the presentation when the situation arises. I might not have used it enough to master ever function...but in this day and age when technology is apart of more aspects of everyday life than ever before, web tools should be designed so it should not take more than one or two uses to get used to the basic functions of the tool.
7. iMovie
Prezi takes the predictability out of multimedia presentations. We have all had more than our fair share of boring PowerPoint and KeyNote presentations where presenters fill their slides with too much information and then just read exactly what their slides say. Prezi gives presenters more options to be creative with every little aspect of their presentations and that creativity makes audiences want to pay attention to the presentation. I had to give Prezi a 3 because there are some functions that are just unnatural and therefore take longer to gauge and become a bit harder to do what should be a simple task. Also, it's difficult to go back to a portion of the presentation when the situation arises. I might not have used it enough to master ever function...but in this day and age when technology is apart of more aspects of everyday life than ever before, web tools should be designed so it should not take more than one or two uses to get used to the basic functions of the tool.
7. iMovie
Rating: 5
iMovie makes me feel like a professional film maker. I feel so in control of every little aspect of whatever video project I am working on and the design of the program works so well with other programs such as iPhoto and iTunes so that it is almost effortless to integrate still photos and audio tracks to video projects. Theme, transition, and text options are overly abundant and the newest iLife even includes a feature that creates minute-long trailers with a few simple drags and clicks! iMovie for iPads and iPhones also make it easy to fine tune videos recorded on mobile devices before uploading to YouTube or Vimeo or even social networking sites. iMovie is just a fantastic technological tool all around!
8. Blogger
iMovie makes me feel like a professional film maker. I feel so in control of every little aspect of whatever video project I am working on and the design of the program works so well with other programs such as iPhoto and iTunes so that it is almost effortless to integrate still photos and audio tracks to video projects. Theme, transition, and text options are overly abundant and the newest iLife even includes a feature that creates minute-long trailers with a few simple drags and clicks! iMovie for iPads and iPhones also make it easy to fine tune videos recorded on mobile devices before uploading to YouTube or Vimeo or even social networking sites. iMovie is just a fantastic technological tool all around!
8. Blogger
Rating: 4
My favorite feature of Blogger is that it is connected to my Google account. I swear, it just makes life easier not having to sign in using a different username and password for every single tool I use. Sites like Blogger and YouTube that are directly connected to my Google account function so that as soon as I go to the site, my account is signed in and ready to be used. I also loved the option of creating multiple blogs on one account. I liked this because I am able to separate what I want to separate and have consistency throughout my blogs. It was also extremely easy to customize the look and feel of my blogs and posting is effortless! It is even great for posting photos and other media. Overall, Blogger takes the mystery out of blogging.
(Photos are all personal screen shots taken with my MacBook Pro and the tools I rated are all hyperlinked. Si Yu'os Ma'ase'!)
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