Moodle, Blackboard, and D2L.... My Thoughts.... :D

Well... I researched Blackboard and learned some interesting info about it. 

* Blackboard provides technology that improves the students experience outside the classroom. It also makes the lives of students more convenient and secure. 

* Similar to SCSU's D2L

* Has SafeAssign, which allows the teacher to access the individuality of each students work and prevent plagiarism.

* Very expensive!!! $25,000 to $50,000

I didn't personally research Moodle or D2L, but these are some of the important points I learned about them.

* Desire 2 Learn can be used by schools, colleges, and corporations. The mission of D2L is to improve human potential globally by providing the most innovative technology for teaching and learning. 

* Moodle is open to universities, schools, companies, and independent teachers. Moodle is FREE! On Moodle you can find information, free downloads, and detailed community discussions about installing, using, and extending Moodle. 

Overall, all of the sites are good, but some are better than others because of cost and features. 

Google vs. Yahoo!

Yahoo and Google have both come up with ways to use word documents and spreadsheets online. Having these documents online is great because you can access them from any computer and it can save people money. It will save people money because then they wont have to buy the application from Microsoft or Macintosh. 

When comparing Google Docs and Yahoo Zoho writer, I found Google Docs to be easier to use. Google Docs had the same set up and applications as my computer. I could navigate my way through the word document and spreadsheet very easily. The problem I had with Zoho was printing. I couldn't get the spreadsheet to print the chart and table on one document. Also, I wanted to make a pie chart on Zoho and it would not apply the pie chart to the table. One thing that Zoho had that Google Docs didn't have was little faces you could insert to your document. I thought they were kinda fun! Overall I think both websites have amazing word documents and spreadsheets! 

Using RSS feeds in my personal and work life

I like the idea of RSS feeds. They are useful because you subscribe to articles or websites you want information from. RSS feeds are nice because they cut down on the time it takes to search for articles. They would also be helpful in work settings. This is because everyone at work could subscribe to the work website and get updated information everyday. It is easy to set up RSS feeds on a blog and email account. They are also easy to use once they are set up. 

Trading Card

Lindsey and I
Originally uploaded by Becca 1234

Making trading cards would be a fun activity to do in class. There are a few things I would worry about. There could be a potential problem with the kids wanting to print them. This could be a problem because most schools don't have colored ink, so the cards wouldn't look as nice. You would also have to make sure the pictures the students wanted to use were appropriate for the school setting. Making the trading cards would be another way to get to know your students better.

Sharing photos online

What do I think of sharing photos online...? Well, I think sharing photos online has its positives and negatives. 

Positives: 

*Storing them online gives you more storage space on your computer for other things. You also wont have to buy more memory cards for your camera.

*Easy to access.

*Your friends and family can find your pictures, without you having to send the pictures to them.

Negatives:

*Anyone can access your photos.

*Someone could find your personal information.

*If the site goes down you could lose your pictures.