LE+10+reviews

= = =10 Reviews of online tools and resources: =

[|www.zohoshow.com] Zoho Show is a website that allows one to do many different things and keep it sharable between users. The site has more to work with than just presentation tools. There were invoices, quotes, and more that could be used in the classroom. It is very similar to Google docs but seems a bit harder to use. Like Google docs and other sites, the projects can be shared amongst many users. It would allow students to work on the same projects without having to meet. You are not required to sign up with another account and can use Yahoo or Google which is nice. I thought the site was going to be easy to use but found that was not the case. I attempted to upload a presentation from Google docs. But had problems. Then I had to save it to my computer and convert it so that it could be uploaded to the site. Maybe after sometime of exploring the site, it would be easier to use. But it was definitely a confusing site to use. I am not sure that I would encourage anyone to use it because I believe there may be easier sites to use.
 * Zoho Show **

[|www.animoto.com] This is a website that you can upload pictures or find them on other sites and create a slideshow. This site was very easy to use, fun, and fast. However, you can only develop 30-second shows for free and have to pay for longer versions. There are many different types of music for a soundtrack or upload your own. The site was so easy to use that within thirty minutes I registered and created the presentation. However, you need to be careful how many pictures you try to jam into the slideshow. It is best to just pick a few. It is limited on what you can do with text but it is a great site to use. It is easy to go back and edit previous projects. This could be easily used in the classroom. I could see use it for a history project or pretty much anything. Students would love using this site because it is fun and easy. This was one of my favorite sites that I explored.
 * Animoto **

[|www.toondoo.com] ToonDoo allows you to create your own cartoons. This site was fun to use along with easy. They provide many different subjects such as people or aliens and backgrounds to create whatever you want to do. It was very user friendly until I attempted to load it to another site but even that became easy. Teachers can also make their students work private so only they see it. This could be used for the students to develop their own political cartoons and enjoy it. It was fun to play around on this website and I think students would love to develop their own cartoons.
 * ToonDoo **

[] There are so many applications that one can use from iTunes related to education. I was surprised to find out what is available for free from iTunes and even if you do not have an iPod. There are many educational programs that can be downloaded including study guides and lectures. You can download free lectures from universities around the country to show to students. While there is a cost for some items, there are a lot that are free. I did not realize that iTunes had an educational section and how easy it was to use. I would definitely try to find stuff on iTunes to use in my classroom. Plus, you can continue to learn many different subjects such as psychology or law from the online lectures.
 * ITunes **

[|www.ijourneys.com] On this site, you download walking tours from around the world. There are a variety of locations that you can walk along to including Rome, Florence, Amsterdam, and more. The locations give a good background to the areas. The site seems user friendly and looks like it is going to add more locations. It is a simple site based on Elyse Weiner and her travels. Having been to some of the sites that can be downloaded, they look like they cover the main areas of the cities. One downside to this site is the cost. It is at least fourteen dollars per tour which seemed a bit high to me. I did not end up downloading anything from this site because of the cost. But it did seem easy to use. If it was paired with pictures, it would be a good walking/class tour for students.
 * iJourneys **

[] This is a website that allows the user to develop timelines and flipbooks. You can follow other users or you can develop your own timelines. It is very simple and easy to use. There is no cost and the information you can find is great. A lot of the topics are recent news however you can find history topics. They can link you to outside sites for information. But you can add your own such as delicious or Google. Multiple users can work on a timeline together which is a great project for a class. You can follow other sites like a RSS feed. I would recommend this website for any history class. It would be a perfect timeline project and it is fun to use. This site could also be used a research resource.
 * Dipity **

[|www.blogspot.com] [|www.wordpress.com] I have never been a big blogger so I do not have much experience with them. But I found how easy they are for students and teachers to use. Within minutes of registering for the sites, I was able to post a blog and it was free. Both the sites above are good sources to post to and easy to use. I would recommend this to any teacher who wants to keep students up to date and allow them to post comments. In the past, I did not think that I would be inclined to use this form of communication. However, after reading other teacher blogs, it is great. Also, teachers can learn from each other’s blogs with tips and lectures. There is so much great information available and people can give out good information. Like other websites, everyone needs to be safe about they post and if they want the information to be private or public.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Blogging/BlogSpot/Wordpress **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[] Zoomerang is a survey site that is fairly easy to use. There can be a cost depending on what you like to accomplish with your survey. For free you are limited to 100 responses and a few other limitations. I was just trying for a simple questionnaire and it worked perfect for that. There are a lot of labels to follow to complete your survey but they are easy. And the step by step process is easy to get it published. I did have a problem trying to go back and edit my completed survey. After exploring this site more, it would be easy to do. I would recommend this survey to anyone who is looking for it. The instructions are easy and the surveys were easy to complete.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Zoomerang **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[] This site allows teachers to develop quizzes and assignments for students to complete online. It is free for 60-days and then there is a small subscription fee. It is very simple to use once you read all the directions. I tried to skip ahead and got confused but was able to get my quiz published. There are many helpful tips and it is a user friendly website. It allows you to do multiple types of questions on the same quiz. You can keep the quizzes private to just your classes or allow anyone to take them. If I had more time to explore all the options on the site, I would find that there is a lot on it. You can also import previously made quizzes so they are accessible online. I could see using this site in the future if it did not a cost.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">QuizStar **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[|www.remixamerica.org] Remix America is a great website for making videos based on American History. This remixer lets you take clips from everywhere to develop your own videos. It was super easy to use even if you have no experience with clipping videos and mixing music. In addition, they have remixes from others that you can enjoy. This site allows the user to create their own remix based on their views about what is happening in the world. It is free and pretty easy to use. Having limited experience with this, I was able to create a quick video with clips from many sources. They allow you to draw from many other sites along with your own clips and pictures. This would be a great project for a history class. It is interesting to see what other people have developed along with being easy for the students to use. This was another one of my favorite sites to work with.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Remix America **


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