Wordle is a site for generating word clouds. It can be used to introduce a topic, brainstorm ideas, or check for understanding. I have used the site before, and it allows students to become more involved in their work. I have also used Wordle to build synergy in groups. Some students, in the past, have created their own word clouds by using their inventive, artistic talents without the use of the software.

Skype allows presentations from anywhere without the physical presence of the presenter. It fosters a deeper level of learning through the experience of another. I have not used another site such as Skype; however, the ease and flexibility of the site attracts users of all ages and experiences.

Bubbl us is a graphic organizer used to organize ideas. As I viewed the site, I thought I could offer this to my students who might be intimidated by the use of graphic organizers on the web. Using this site might reduce the extraneous process because the goal is to organize thoughts not learn a new tool.

Spinscape is a graphic organizer that allows for images, hyperlinks, and collaboration. As a tool used for organizing material, it can help students focus on the important elements of the course. I believe the most important element of this tool is the potential for the effective use of collaboration among students using images and hyperlinks.

Slideshare allows users to share their slides regardless of program installation. It also allows the user to edit slides in the spirit of connectivism. The option for embedding slides is easy and useful when helping students transfer knowledge. Slideshare allows students to receive feedback from others which in turn will help their senior project presentation.

Xtranormal is a movie-making tool that allows the user to create movies with little experience. It permits prerecorded features as well as user inventive frames. Using this tool in my presentations will move my students to a deeper understanding beyond PowerPoint presentations.

Jing is a screen casting application that allows the user to capture pictures and videos for authentic assessment. One of Jing's best features is the fact that it sits on the user's desktop for accessibility. The images can be saved and added to other material to add depth, or it may be used to create a video.

Phixr is a free online photo editing application that supports popular social media applications such as Facebook and MySpace. Pictures can be uploaded from a computer as well as a cell phone. The free web application is user-friendly and very interactive. It is comparable to others such as Picasa; however, you don't have to have an account in order to work with your photographs.

Mutimedia Working Wiki for EDUC 8847/7104

Presentation wiki for EDUC 8847/7107

My topic is Community Service and Work Place Learning. The first website including multimedia artifacts is http://hcscareers.vic.edu.au/index.php?page=Occupations-A-Z. This site includes opportunities for behavioral and physical activity. By using the career quiz as a hook or a preassessment, students are able to reflect on their career of choice. The cognitive artifacts include videos related to each occupation. As stated by Mayer (2009), learning comes from cognitive activity, and the videos describing each job in its natural state allows for active processing. The site encompasses cognitive and physical activity that supports active learning from the hook presented on the home page to the opportunity to develop personal profiles and resumes.

Using the site, http://swearercenter.brown.edu/Literacy_Resources/advocate.html, might be useful for improving thought or action as Mayer (2009) describes as artifacts in creating the community service work place learning project, but I am not sure the purpose of the site relates to my objective in the class. It may be an effective method if my intended audience includes teachers, but not as effective if my audience includes students. This particular medium seems equivalent to a textbook with not much meaningful, interactive learning; however, I will bookmark it for future reference and study.

As I continue to ponder the idea of community service and work place learning, I have come to the understanding that the project would serve students better than professionals. This site, http://www.kidactivities.net/, is fun and interactive dedicated to the learner and centered in engaging children through a variety of activities. The community service aspect of the site is full of behavioral activities, but in this case, learning is taking place as teachers can help students integrate their prior knowledge with information obtained. Though I continue to agree with the video in our module 1 resource related to methods not media; however, the media in this case will improve the methods used for a variety of students and styles of learning.