Del.icio.us

Delicious is an online bookmark.  It works to save addresses of favorite websites, share and discover websites, and search for websites.  Users can make sure that all favorite websites are saved, even after their hardware crashes. Other features, other than saving your links include Sharing and Discovering.  Users are able to share favorite links with their social networks and discover links related to interests from other people using Delicious.

Delicious’s one-click function on search engines make saving websites fast and easy.  After clicking the save button, users will have the option to title the website in their address book.  It will also give the option to use a tag help other users from the Delicious community browse. 

This would be a positive tool to use in the educational field.  Students or classmates can use this site when researching, tutoring, or learning from each other.  Teachers could use Delicious to organize sites to separate resources, internet tools, live binders, or other professional sites.  Plus, they can easily share it with other professionals or their students.  The new Discover feature gives recommended sites based on the user's interests.  A search may just be at the tip of a finger!

Overall, Delicious is a great tool for categorizing and sharing favorite websites.  I recommend Delicious to teachers, students, or others trying to find solutions to bookmarking.

Website: https://delicious.com/

Image source: http://yumieyang2112.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/delicious-upcoming-redesign2.jpg

Wix: A Basic Publishing Tool for Education

Wix, a leading industry host site, offers a free web designing tool for personal, educational, and business related purposes.  Wix  has a number of features that create and manage information and communication on a computer or mobile device.  This easy-to-use tool includes simple ready-made templates and a drag-n-drop website builder.  This site is great for people, such as teachers and students, with little to no coding skills who want to create an efficient website.

Some features are restricted to a basic account, but a larger bandwidth and an ads free package are added to paying premium members.  Teachers and students can still benefit from the free, basic Wix package. Wix provides creative designs, artistic features, personal blog features, and business services.  This can engage students in online learning through publishing important documents, posting important dates, posting materials to be used online, and improving collaboration and communication outside the traditional classroom. 

Teachers need to become more technologically skilled to meet the needs of the 21^st century student.  Wix offers a way to provide education using technology without having to be technologically savvy. However, Wix does not offer a way in which teachers have administrative functions such as creating, managing, and monitoring student accounts and activity. 

If a teacher requires a tool that offers basic web design and hosting, Wix may be the right internet tool to use. Otherwise, Wix would be more suitable for marketers and bloggers rather than educators.

Image source: http://static.parastorage.com/services/html-landing/html/hp-new-design/hp-resources/images-v-01/wixlogo.jpg

RCampus

RCampus is a free Course Management System.  Teachers and students can use this online system as means of communication, building portfolios, and saving important school-related data. RCampus, as advertised, is fast, easy, and secure.

Upon entering the site, users are asked to create a log-in name and password.  Once the application is completed, an email will be sent to secure your information.  Then, users can begin developing their site.  I tested the site by creating a course simulation.  It took less than two hours to input course work, assessments, and create an electronic portfolio.  However, planning the course work takes more time.  To cut that time in half, ready-made rubrics are inputted in the system by other teachers enrolled in RCampus. Once course work is complete, students can begin to enroll in the course, but they must have an account.  If they do not have an account, it can be easily made by filling in the same application as the teacher.

I would like to explore the other features such as the matrices tab.  The content taught in schools are based on data, item analysis, and assessments.  Building a matrix is essential to teaching, but RCampus members cannot use this feature unless they pay to become a premium member.  Being a premium member unlocks many other features such as website design, producing reports, and access to tests and quizzes.  Still, RCampus offers many free features that are beneficial to both teachers and students.

Image source: https://www.rcampus.com/images/rcampus/rcampus_logo_2011.gif

Welcome

Welcome to my personal technology blog for ED638.  My Internet Tools/Resources reviews are forthcoming.