Blog Post 8 - Technology Tool Kit

Hello! 

I used the site Pearltrees to showcase my collection of technology-related sites to share with our faculty.  Some of our faculty members already use this tool to collect news sites.  We draw much of our curriculum from real-world news sites, and for some of our tech-savvy instructors, this has been an easy way to document and share their favorite sites. 

http://www.pearltrees.com/hortonec

My technology tool kit is designed for partly for use by foreign language teachers, but my main focus is on our faculty training program.  Much of my focus is on short, reusable, relevant training sessions for our faculty.  The tools I have curated below are simple, intuitive and easy to learn - all of which are a must at our school.

1.  eMaze:  eMaze is an easy-to-use presentation software.  This tool is a great alternative to PowerPoint.  Additionally, it can be used to create professional-looking websites with fun fonts, unique backgrounds and a variety of layouts.  This tool can be used for our train-the-trainer sessions.

2.  iPad:  Official Apple Support:  For our team, this site is a must-have and it is frequently used.  This is basic guidance for Apple products and our staff and faculty are frequent visitors to this site.  Rather than "reinvent the wheel" by re-creating training on Apple products, we often ask our new instructors to review the guidance on Apple's website.  This site is helpful for both our beginner and our advanced instructors. 

3.  Prezi:  This is actually my favorite presentation software!  Easy-to-use, it looks like you have some amazing technical skills and spent hours building a fun, engaging presentation.  The free version limits some of the capabilities, but still allows for the creation of impressive looking presentations.  This site is good for train-the-trainer sessions.

4.  Youtube:  Youtube is an extremely valuable website for accessing training videos.  Just like the Apple website, Youtube has ready-to-go training on Excel functions, PowerPoint tips and tricks, and more advanced skills like audio and video editing.  Youtube's free access to user-generated videos creates a gold mine of experience available to anyone.  This site is good for personal professional development and in-class use.

5.  Screencastomatic:  This simple, intuitive software allows users to create screencasts that they can save and share.  This tool is amazing for showing others how to use both hardware and software products.  The free version offers all of the capabilities needed to create basic screencasts, save them, and share them.  This site is good for train-the-trainer sessions.

6.  My Simple Show:  This software creates short, fun presentations using your text and their graphics.  Though the graphics are limited, this can be an engaging way to explain a concept or present new information.  The free version offers enough options for those looking for a fun introduction to a new topic, or a quick overview of a concept.  This site is great for pre-lesson introductions.

7.  Voki:  This software allows the user to create an avatar and provide it with audio, either through typed text or by using your own voice.  The free version is limited but for a reasonable fee, a variety of options are available.  The avatars are a perfect way to engage students through unique characters.  This site is great for pre-lesson introductions.

8.  Pixabay:  Pixabay is a collection of free images.  This site is perfect for instructors who are nervous about copyright and fair use agreements.  The key here is free, free, free!  This site is great for lesson development.

9.  Adobe Spark: Adobe Spark assists users in creating fun, simple videos and images.  The tool is simple, which makes it easy to learn, but it is also limited due to its simplicity.  This is a fantastic tool for creating simple movies from pictures.  This site is good for lesson development.

10.  Audacity:  Audacity is a well-known tool for editing audio cuts.  It is robust and able to accomplish a variety of tasks, though there is a substantial learning curve for those unfamiliar with audio editing.  This site is good for lesson development.