June 4th, 2013- Week 5
Internet Resource Evaluation
1.
Gliffy
a.
Gliffy
could be used by teachers as a way to teach a complicated subject or encourage “thinking/thought”
maps. For instance, and English teacher could teach the students how to
brainstorm with one of these diagrams. Another option would be good for science
teachers when they are trying to teach the students how things happen like the
water cycle, plants lifecycle, etc. You can also use it to explain to people
what steps to take when trying to do something, for instance like making a
diagram! Businesses could also use this program in order to be able to show
their merchandise, or layouts, etc.
b.
Easy
to use. I would say you still have to be someone that is familiar with working
with diagrams or programs like Prezi, PowerPoint. It seems pretty easy to use
since it offers you multiple layouts, options of diagrams that might go best
with your subject or your topic of focus. You can drag the shapes and objects
that you want to have on your diagram, download pictures you want added, etc.
c.
I didn’t
see any cost when first going to the website. Free trial and no cost to be able
to make your diagrams. But if you want to save a diagram you have to register
and the basic standard package is $4.95 and the Gliffy Pro is $9.95 which they
recommend for large organizations. With the standard you have limited amounts
of diagrams you can make, Pro allows you unlimited. You can get a free 30 day
Pro trial.
d.
Design
is flexible because it allows you to make your own diagram if you want or
layout. You can also use one that is premade for you. You can upload any images
you want to the diagram. You can make changes to backgrounds, shapes, colors, sequence.
e.
Security
is good because you can choose if you want to have your diagrams be private or
public. You do have to sign up like everything else.
f.
You
can add your own media to the diagram by putting your own pictures into the
diagram. Unsure if you would be able to upload music, but I imagine you could.
There is an option to search for images they have in their library.
2.
Popplet
a.
Popplet
could be used more as a sort of social media. You can have an idea, or create
an album or something. This could be used by students or teachers to display
pictures of a project or a trip. Families could use this to document vacations,
important things in their family like baptisms, etc. Communities could use this
to display images of their business and also schools could use this as a sort
of media Year Book. Students could use this as a brainstorm kind of like
gliffy, but more simple because it creates a sort of “web”.
b.
It is
very easy to use, I don’t think that young children could use this but probably
from 4th grade and up with some instruction by professors the
students would be able to manage and learn how to use it in a basic way. It tells you how to use it, to add a popplet
click twice, colors you can choose, draw or upload an image. Very easy to sign
up and I think this would be good for young students to use or teacher to teach
a concept. Also provides you with good examples of popplets (ex. Facts about the
Earth).
c.
You
can get it free if you keep it to 5 popplets for a month, or you can upgrade and
pay. But it’s free to sign up! It’s only $3 if you want to sign up and you get
unlimited, which isn’t too bad of a cost if you really make it worth it!
d.
Design
is simple, colorful and flows very good! I liked it more than Gliffy because it
is something that you can share on Social Media, tells you what to upload and
if you want to draw. It’s not complicated for people that are technically
challenged, etc. You can either make one that is more complicated/complex, or
you can keep it very simple with the spiderweb layout.
e.
Security
seems good, because you can choose if you want to share your popplet on a
social media page. Doesn’t automatically sync anything to your social media
pages. There are some public, but it seems as though you choose if you want it
to be public or not, not automatically public.
f.
You
can correct your mistakes easily and change the colors to things. If you want
to delete a popplet it is very simple or change what you put in that box, you
have the option to clear it if needed.
3.
Slate
a.
Slate
could be used by teachers also in the classroom and also by older students. It
is a bit more advanced than the Popplet but it is good at teaching diagrams, or
presentations. Also a good alternative to Prezi. I don’t think it is as useful
for people that are in families, communities, etc. Maybe organizations could
use this to display their work or their purpose or for work presentations.
b.
It is
similar to Popplet, you choose your own color scheme and one thing I liked was
you could “embed an image” and in this you could search the internet without
having to search images, save to computer than upload, and I think that is a
nice thing I enjoy. It is easy to use because it tells you the steps to do, but
there are less examples. You can have your own profile, but I didn’t make one.
c.
Cost
is free to sign up and I didn’t see any cost to post the Slates or create your
own profile.
d.
Design
is a bit more basic in my opinion compared to the others. But you still have a
little less/more complicated way to make changes or change mistakes. It has less “attractiveness” to the
e.
Security
is very good. It sh0ows you the option to make your profile public or keep it
private. And I liked that it assumed you
wanted to keep your profile private, when many assume you don’t. You can choose
to post your Slates.
f.
I didn’t
find it as easy to correct your mistakes. But it is manageable.
Final Thoughts: I really liked Popplet. I think if I
had to use any of these 3 it would be this one! Maybe because it is so basic
and it allows for you to make albums, post to your social media pages, etc. I
really liked it because it is something that you can teacher younger children.
I feel as though slate is something that you can use if you are more advanced,
along with Gliffy. Gliffy is something that allows you to enhance, your
business, organization, and make something more complicated. I really did like
Gliffy, but I know it might be a challenge for me to get it going and to work
with it but I like that many of the layout options are already available to
you. I think with Popplet I would be
able to make simpler options for my students ( more pictures, images, etc).
