First off, how many of you out there are excited about creating a virtual scavenger hunt? Just as I thought. The idea of the online scavenger hunt doesn't seem that exciting. That was my mind set before I actually used Trailfire. To see my creation, Click Here. This very simple application was actually fun to use, too. I had to stop myself from adding more and more pages. It was something that you can really get into and seemingly never get out of. Despite the addictive properties, it is also a great teaching tool. Being able to link web pages and even add "post-it" notes to the page itself is a great thing to have. When using web pages in a lesson, Trailfire greatly simplifies the process of bringing up each of the pages. Class projects, homework, and student research are all possibilities of this tool. I could go on for quite some time about Trailfire, but I think that you can get a feel for it best by just playing with it. Give it a shot.
When one thinks of presentations, one usually thinks of slide shows or even PowerPoint. For me the same is true. At least, it was. A new media presentor has arisen, and its name is Animoto. This is a Web 2.0 application and is web-based. Like with most programs, there is a premium or a free package available. The free version lets you make as many 30 second "mash-ups" as you would like. Longer mash-ups would cost $3 a piece or $30 for a year of unlimited videos. Either way, this is a great tool for educators to know about. This is an easy application to use, though I am still working my way through it due to time constraints. Audio can easily be incorprated into the visual presentation. This ease of use and incorporation ability makes Animoto a great tool for student-created short presentations. My ideas for application in English have included, but is not limited to, developing the main idea of a story with photos, make a visual essay, or even use it to compliment a research assignment. All in all, this tool helps both teacher and student alike in similar ways. To give it a go yourself, head over to their site and at least give the samples a watch.