These summer courses were certainly an
interesting and intense experience. I started the courses knowing about few of
the web 2.0 tools and did not expect to see that many of them out there. That
was sometimes overwhelming.
Initially I struggled with the assignments
however that became easier overtime. Reviewing a tool was relatively more
challenging than the mini-research project. It was great to learn how to create
and maintain a blog.
I discovered that while web-based
applications are theoretically platform-independent, in practice not all of
these tools support all browsers equally, and as a result certain functionality
is more effective on some browsers than others.
While I found some of the web 2.0 tools very
interesting such us Voicethread and Prezi, others were less exciting and less
relevant to medical and higher education such as Museum Box.
All of these tools required Internet access which
was a challenge while I was away on vacation. I still appreciated the
flexibility of being able to study online and post the assignments from
overseas.
My overall experience with the courses was
excellent and I enjoyed the discussions a lot.
3) Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Productivity/scheduling
4) Please describe this tool in your own words in about 150-250 words.
Doodle is a tool that helps finding suitable dates and times for group events such as appointments and conference calls. It also supports polls in general so that groups can decide on options other than dates. Doodle is a free service. Poll results can be hidden from participants.Doodle mobile enables to use Doodle using a mobile device. Besides the mobile Web app Doodle also offers a native App for the iPhone and Android. Doodle has different features. Some of theses features are free such as connecting calendars, MeetMe which is the contact center to coordinate the meetings. Other features are for charge such as Premium Doodle which is an ad-free professional version of Doodle for individuals or companies and organisations. The premium subscription offers higher functionality and theming possibilities.
5) Try using the Tool (you may need to sign up for a free or trial account) so that you will learn how it works and what its capabilities are - and so that you will be able to answer the following questions.
6) What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)
Basic Computer and Internet skills. A mouse is needed to check the polls making accessibility difficult for those who cannot use their hands.
7) What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources)
Computer and Internet Access
8) How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)
1- Sign in using your Gmail, Facebook, Yahoo and other accounts
2- Follow instructions to invite others for a poll
3- Allow Others to view your availability using "MeetMe" feature
4- Merge Calenders. The following vimeo link from Doodle website explains how to connect calenders:
9) Locate or create your own example of an educational resource created with this tool and discuss what you found or created. Also, please include the URL for this example or embed it into your blog post, if applicable.
Doodle is not designed to be a teaching tool
10) Include screenshots, audio podcasts, screencasts, or other multimedia elements that help describe the tool and how you used it. (Please indicate what program you used for this task.)
The following SlideRocket presentation shows the different functiond and steps of Doodle:
11) Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words).
Doodle is not designed to be a teaching tool. However Doodle would be a great tool to schedule classes. I could send an invitation for a face to face or online class via Doodle to check the students availability. Based on the students\ responses I will schedule the time that meets the availability of the maximum number of students. The other students will see the responses and may be able to adjust their schedule accordingly. That will save me a lot of time and energy trying to schedule the class. Using the "MeetMe" feature I could also show colleagues and students when I am available to meet and how I want to be contacted.
12) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
Advantages: Simple to use, can synchronize calender with different other calender tools
Disadvantages: Privacy concern as students may see other students schedules.
13) Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?
I recommend this tool for scheduling availability polls. Calender synchronization can be done with this tool or
3) Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Networking/Social Tool
4) Please describe this tool in your own words in about 150-250 words.
This a Networking/ Social communication tool for teachers. The teachers sign up for free. It does not require a ".edu" email address however you need to confirm the email. Once signed you may invite teachers to be your chat bodies, you may join a group, have a forum discussion. Another important feature is uploading lessons' plan. The other teachers will rate your lesson plans and if you get high rates that will increase your "clout" which means increasing your rating influence on other teachers' work. The more lessons' plans you upload and the higher rates you get, the higher your clout is. The tool also allows uploading files and sending messages to other teachers. Educational apps (see screenshot below) can be downloaded for free.
5) Try using the Tool (you may need to sign up for a free or trial account) so that you will learn how it works and what its capabilities are - and so that you will be able to answer the following questions.
6) What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)
Basic Computer and Internet skills
7) What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources) Computer and Internet Access
8) How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)
1- Sign in and confirm email sent to you after signing in
2- Upload lesson plans
3- Rate other teachers' lesson plans
4- Add teachers as friends
5- Communicate and network with other subscriber teachers around the globe.
9) Locate or create your own example of an educational resource created with this tool and discuss what you found or created. Also, please include the URL for this example or embed it into your blog post, if applicable.
The tool is social networking tool. Lessons plans can be uploaded. It does not create new educational resources however allows you to share them with others.
10) Include screenshots, audio podcasts, screencasts, or other multimedia elements that help describe the tool and how you used it. (Please indicate what program you used for this task.)
11) Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words).
This tool can be used to communicate between teachers. Teachers can get ideas and download lessons' plans from other teachers. They also get feedback from other teachers about their lessons' plans. This feedback will be useful to enhance the instruction. The discussion forums and message features allow asynchronous communication between teachers. The tool is mainly for K12 teachers however a group of Higher Education educators can for a group to discuss their work, instructions, lessons' plans. In that case the rating will be done by fewer other instructors but would be still valuable.
12) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
Advantages: Simple to use, rating of your instruction by other teachers, communication and networking between educators, exchange of ideas, can download instructions done by other teachers (not re-inventing the wheel)
Disadvantages: Does not include students, mainly K12 teachers, anyone with an email address can sign (no educator verification)
13) Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?
I recommend this toold to K12 teachers. High Ed instructors may not find it suitable for them.
