GOOGLE DOCS

Google Docs (4/5): Google Docs is an amazing tool.  Students can use this when working in groups or when they need an input from teachers. Google docs allows students, teachers, and parents alike to work on one document from various computers around the world. People can either be part of the document as editors or they can just read said document.

Google Doc has a word processor, presentation, and spreadsheet programs. It has its limitations in the design department, but it is a great way for students to collaborate on school projects.
 

ExploreLearning Gizmos

Gizmos (4/5): Explore Learning Gizmos is a great tool for students because it takes a difficult concept and makes it more entertaining thus allowing them to focus more on it. It allows students to learn and understand difficult math and science problems.

Teachers use elGizmos to stimulate their students minds and keep the from getting bored. I would definitely use this tool in my classroom. Here is a further explanation on how it works

PREZI

Prezi (4/5): Prezi is a great way to produce amazing presentations.  It allows you to add pictures, text, videos, links, etc... On top of that, it takes you on a roller coaster ride of a presentation.
Students can use this site to become a little more creative.  Here is a link to a sample presentation
Sample Presentation

Prezi allows students to collaborate with others. They can publish their presentations online to receive comments from others. They could also download prezi onto their desktops to use when they do not have internet access.  Prezi spices up a presentation.

LIVEBINDERS (4/5): Livebinder is an amazing tool to organize anything and everything. Students can organize their school assignments, entertainments, etc.. in one location without getting any of them deleted. Livebinders is a virtual filing cabinet where everything you save remains. It allows you to create a binder for a specific topic, then add on a subtopic, and finally tabs that extend on the subtopics.

Live binders is a great tool for students to use when doing research papers. It allows students to store all research materials in one area. This way they do not lose anything and they could take it with them wherever they go. I would introduce this to not only students but also other teachers.

Teachers can use this to store assignments and other school related or unrelated materials. They could even create a binder (private setting) where they store all students grades and whatnot.

Scriblink

Scriblink (3/5): Scriblink is an amazing tool, but it is not the greatest when you use it on its own. If they partnered up scriblink with a tool that allows voice communication (skype,google+, etc...) then it would be outstanding.

What scriblink does is allow students to do work together on a virtual whiteboard even though they are in different location. These tool would benefit students in the math and science department the most because it is very difficult to describe exactly how a molecule should look or what a graph looks like without pictures. The whiteboard allows the students to just draw it out for the others to see.
I would encourage my students to use this site for group studying when they are unable to meet up. Here's is a great example of how it works

A problem with this tool is that students can end up just doodling to each other.

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha (4/5): Wolfram Alpha is an good tool to use when looking for quick facts. Unlike other search engines where they give multiple suggestions of what you are searching for, Wolfram Alpha leads you directly to multiple quick facts. Students can use this tool to get general information on different subjects. In a science class students can use this to get quick information about different elements, compounds, or any other topic they are learning at that point.
For instance, I typed in Carbon 13 and the search result came out like this. It gave all the basic information that students can use and expand their ideas on.
I also use this tool whenever I do not have a calculator on hand. All a person has to do is type in an equation and the result pops up. This tool is very useful. Definitely will be using it more often.

Diigo

Diigo (4/5): Diigo received an almost perfect score because it is an amazing site that allows students and teachers to collaborate on a different level.  Diigo allows people to bookmark, highlight, add sticky notes, etc... onto webpages visited. At the same time, it saves the marking for students to visit later.

One of the greatest thing this website allows is for students to work together from different stations on research papers. A student can highlight a section they do not understand and a teacher can clarify. A student can leave a note for his or her group mates to read about a certain section. Annotations made will not be erased if you log off. As long as you log in with the same username, previously made annotations will still be there.

I will most definetly consider using this in my classroom when I become a teacher. I will be using this for my next research project and will spread the word about it. This is a very good educational instrument.

SoundCloud

SOUNDCLOUD (2/5): Soundcloud is a good  resource to use to allow students to hear lectures and other recorded materials when they are away from the classroom. A teacher can record his/her lecture and upload it for students who were unable to make it to class, or students can use it as a way to share recording with each other.

I am planning on teaching a science course, so I don't really see how useful this site would be for me. I might be able to upload lectures but that's about it. This site is more fitting for instructors and students in the musical department. If a  music teacher was able to let his/or her student use this, they could record what they are doing and maybe even sell them on itunes. Soundcloud gives students who may not have recording contracts to expand their horizons and share their talents.
Although soundcloud is a very good source for sharing recordings of lectures and other things, I do not think it will be used in my classroom.

Welcome

This blog was created for my ED271 class. I am suppose to rate different online resources for students and teachers.  The rating i based on a 1 to 5 scale with one being the minimal helpfulness and 5 being most useful. The following blogs describe the different sources and how good I think they are. Education online, connecting students and teachers 24/7.
Enjoy :)