EdTechWalden

Assignment #3 The website provides keywords, basic information, and a list of open source software available for download. Furthermore, because it is a part of a blog, questions can be posted to collaborate, receive information, tips, and reviews which is a good option when pre-training.

Spaaze is a free online tool that offers a virtual endless desktop onto which a variety of information containers can be placed. Virtual hotspots can be created for quick maneuvering to critical locations. Also, documents, images, and videos can be linked to or uploaded directly, depending on the type of or degree of service being utilized (free, pay as you go, or subscription). While this is a form of graphic organizer, it does not utilize links between content objects. Rather, like objects are simply placed next to each other somewhere on the virtual desktop. Such items could be considered grouped or arranged in such a manner that would mimic the organization found in most graphic organizers or mind maps. The tool could be useful for students to organize information in a free-form format, which could help foster their organizational skills and develop essential cognitive processing skills. In sum, the tool could be useful for a variety of applications and needs and offers a drag-and-drop method of storage and organization; which could take on unique characteristics per the preferences of each user.

The wisemapping site offers a free online tool for creating graphic organizers / mind maps similar to those created by webspiration. However, wisemapping provides excellent file export functionality saving as .jpg, .png, .pdf, and other file formats. Also of interest are collapsible / expandable branches that could facilitate a gradual introduction of topics in a live lesson, as well as the ability to include notes, Web links, and a variety of icons in each node as needed. While much of the formatting options are present, as compared to webspiration, some items are not as robust. With more time, however, the functionality may rival or surpass webspiration or other products. In the mean time, the saving functionality, branching without termination nodes (use a line instead), and collapsibility are features that may prove more useful than comparable tools. Considering essential cognitive processing, the tool may assist with selecting and organizing complex material in order to reach a generative processing state. This may be possible by presenting information in a keyed and organized approach, which is a central premise of most mind mapping software.

Box allows for the sharing and managing of content files. Box will turn any folder into a public webpage to allow for project collaboration and sharing of information. A content search directory allows for easy look up of information. Box also allows for mobile access to your mobile device. Box is free for personal use and allows for access to files from anywhere.

Google Documents provide a free location for participants to store and share their authentic assessment activity. Google documents allow for easy access to documents from anywhere with internet access. Documents can be stored and shared with anyone or only with someone you have provided information to. Google documents is free and user friendly.

Camtasia studio is a screen recorder and editor for Windows. Camtasia can be used to create videos and creat professional looking presentations. Through Camtasia you can record onscreen activity, edit professional screen cast video and share it anywhere. It allows you to enhance your presentation with templates and editing tools. I like that you can try Camtasia free for 30 days and allows you to create professional presentations and share with anyone.

Users are able to use templates to customize and create a blog. Through a blog, ideas, thoughts and can be posted for other to see and respond to. This site is easy to use, free and accessible from the web or mobile phones.

This site provides sound effects and music for video creations in mp3 and wav formats. Participants may wish to include variable sounds other than fabricated audio in their media projects. Therefore, motivation and deep, creative thought regarding the project determines the level of involvement and generative processing by the participant. This site does require registration and a small fee for sounds. However, the sound designs follow copyright guidelines for use in video production and available for immediate download in accessible formats.

This screen capturing software permits the creation of video tutorials with audio, text, and image features. Struggling participants will view the tutorials in order to perform assessment criteria thus building knowledge structure and reducing essential cognitive load. Camtasia offers an affordable solution to producing a visually sound presentation with a professional polish. Although the final presentation seems complex, the creation process takes little time and effort.

Blockposters is a free online tool that will accept .jpg or .gif images up to 1 MB in size, allow for poster sizing, and return a .pdf file containing the image rendered across multiple pages. Simply print the file and assemble the pages for an instant poster-sized rendition of an image, graphic organizer, instruction page, or just about anything else. This is a tool I have been looking to find for some time! While I have tried replicating the functionality of this online tool using various desktop tools, the ease of use of Blockposters is amazing and the fact that a .pdf file is returned for easy downloading and printing is a welcome surprise. This tool could easily be used for pre-training by enlarging for print most graphic organizers, mind maps, and other types of assistive instructional material that facilitates essential cognitive processing tasks. By printing a graphic organizer in large format and posting in front of a class, students can easily refer to the diagram as needed while using their computers directly in front of them. Posting a large scale printout also eliminates students having to shuffle through miscellaneous printouts on their desktops while operating their computers. Handouts of the graphic organizer could be provided, but the timing of providing the handout could be strategically incorporated into the presentation / workshop to eliminate extraneous materials during the discovery and learning phases.

ActivInspire software used in conjunction with Promethean's Activboard creates multimedia presentations including a variety of media such as images, text, animation, and video. Software features affect essential and generative processing by using innovation to create an engaging environment and present fundamental skills in a variety of learning modalities. This software creates an interactive learning environment with a library full of resources and organizes select information with easy navigation.

Frobee.com allows users to upload images, arrange them, set transition and timing options, add captions, and save the presentation as a Flash (swf) file for immediate download. The site does not provide hosting of the presentation, but the simplified interface and quick generation of output are outstanding features that help this online tool stand apart from the rest. By using Frobee.com, pictures or diagrams could be sequenced and displayed in a particular sequence to demonstrate a concept that unfolds across time or to demonstrate a specific process and the steps required to reach the end state from the beginning state. This type of media and demonstration could assist learners during essential and generative cognitive load.

This interactive graphic organizer allows participants to create a storyboard for their media sample. The process of generating and organizing ideas on a graphic organizer fosters generative learning as participants reflect on personal experience and new knowledge to create an authentic product. This site demonstrates a unique teaching tool while promoting the editing process to adult participants. It is easy to use, printable, and shared in multiple formats.

This site demonstrates how to use the Snipping Tool in Microsoft software to capture images on the screen. This tool is helpful in creating pre-training tutorials where learners discover how to insert media into the computer and download files. This process generates essential learning as participants select tutorials necessary to build prior knowledge of workshop skills. The snipping tool is quick, easily accessible, and produces quality images effortlessly uploaded into a slideshow.