Tech Tool Task #1: Wordle
Wordle is a website that takes a text and forms it in to a word cloud. Whatever words appear most in the inputted text shows up the largest, and the least used words show up with smaller font. This tool has multiple functions. You can use it to find main ideas in a text that you don't understand, to find the meaning of your favorite song or poem, or just to make a cool picture out of a bunch of words.
I think that Wordle is a pretty awesome tool. I knew that it existed, but I had never thought about all of the uses that it could have outside of finding what words are used most in a text. Throughout high school, I have read many books and articles that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If I had known about Wordle and word clouds and it's many uses, it would have been helpful to simply copy and paste the text into the website and find which words are used the most, giving me some ideas as to the purpose or theme of the piece.
This is a tool that I defiantly plan to use in the future. In fact, I might use it tonight when analyzing Karl Marx's works for AP European History!
I think that Wordle is a pretty awesome tool. I knew that it existed, but I had never thought about all of the uses that it could have outside of finding what words are used most in a text. Throughout high school, I have read many books and articles that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If I had known about Wordle and word clouds and it's many uses, it would have been helpful to simply copy and paste the text into the website and find which words are used the most, giving me some ideas as to the purpose or theme of the piece.
This is a tool that I defiantly plan to use in the future. In fact, I might use it tonight when analyzing Karl Marx's works for AP European History!
Tech Tool Task #2: Voki
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This tool is called Voki. It is a website that allows you to create an avatar with countless different looks and voices. After creating the character, you can give it something that you want him or her to say, and they will take your text and turn it into speech with the voice that you gave it. Above, you can find two Vokis: The first is a Voki of me, telling you who I am and what my plans are for Mid-Winter Break. The second, is a Voki of Urie Broffenbrenner. If you click play, he will introduce himself and give you a synopsis of what makes him important and influential to developmental psychology.
I think that the tool is cool and fun to use for a short period of time. However, It isn't anything revolutionary, and personally, I don't find much use for it. As you can tell, the voices are hard to understand, and you would be better off watching a video or actually reading the info rather than listening to a robot-voiced cartoon speak it to you. I can understand it's use and why some might find it useful, as it can take an individuals words, and bring them to life in a sense. Personally, I find it to be tacky and unnecessary.
Nevertheless, here it is!
I think that the tool is cool and fun to use for a short period of time. However, It isn't anything revolutionary, and personally, I don't find much use for it. As you can tell, the voices are hard to understand, and you would be better off watching a video or actually reading the info rather than listening to a robot-voiced cartoon speak it to you. I can understand it's use and why some might find it useful, as it can take an individuals words, and bring them to life in a sense. Personally, I find it to be tacky and unnecessary.
Nevertheless, here it is!
Tech Tool Task #3: Prezi
Prezi is essentially an alternate to PowerPoint with some different aspects to it. It allows your presentation to be more interactive and engaging, making it a great way to present without the stale undertones of a bland PowerPoint. It takes pictures and words and incorporates them into the slides and slide transitions, bringing the information to life. While Prezi has its advantages, it also has its disadvantages and limitations. Personally, I feel that a presentation through Prezi is much harder to personalize than a PowerPoint, and the templates feel very set in stone. It has a sort of off-brand feel to it as well. The presentations seem corny, and appear as if the work was all done before the presenter even started to work on their project. Despite this, I do feel that a Prezi certainly does have it's place in certain situations. Presenting on a universally humdrum topic, or presenting to younger children with low attention spans would be some good examples of this.
Staff Pick #1: Online Integrated Marketing Strategy
https://prezi.com/vf_htjmpnpca/online-integrated-marketing-strategy/
There were certain parts of this Prezi that I appreciated, and certain parts that I didn't. I liked how the presentation was colorful and inviting. It makes the topic of marketing strategies seem a little bit more exciting than it really is. What I didn't like about it was how the information on the slides was so wordy. It takes away from the clean feel of a Prezi.
Staff Pick #2: #MeritYourself
https://prezi.com/3bzii5w4jt_y/merityourself/
The bulletin-board template that was used for this presentation was really cool, and created a fun feel while organizing the information into sections. Unlike the Online Integrated Marketing Strategies slideshow, this Prezi wasn't too wordy, and doesn't require the audience or the presenter to have to read directly off of the slides. This presentation captures the essence of a Prezi, and utilizes it to its full potential.
https://prezi.com/vf_htjmpnpca/online-integrated-marketing-strategy/
There were certain parts of this Prezi that I appreciated, and certain parts that I didn't. I liked how the presentation was colorful and inviting. It makes the topic of marketing strategies seem a little bit more exciting than it really is. What I didn't like about it was how the information on the slides was so wordy. It takes away from the clean feel of a Prezi.
Staff Pick #2: #MeritYourself
https://prezi.com/3bzii5w4jt_y/merityourself/
The bulletin-board template that was used for this presentation was really cool, and created a fun feel while organizing the information into sections. Unlike the Online Integrated Marketing Strategies slideshow, this Prezi wasn't too wordy, and doesn't require the audience or the presenter to have to read directly off of the slides. This presentation captures the essence of a Prezi, and utilizes it to its full potential.