New Tools

            In our last class session in SEDU 183 three of my classmates presented on three new websites and products we could use as future teachers. The first website was http://www.popplet.com/. Popplet is basically as Colton described it “an endless billboard”. It is an online thought organizer that allows you to establish your thoughts and branch them together using text, videos, and pictures. Remember when you were told to brainstorm and you were given a worksheet with one big circle for the main idea and little circles connected for branching thoughts? Well Popplet is basically the same concept except you have much more freedom.
           My second classmate introduced us to http://www.storyjumper.com/ . Story Jumper allows you to illustrate and write your own children’s book. The book can be up to sixteen pages and they give you templates to choose from or you can create an original. Not only can you use the clipart provided by this cite but, you can upload pictures to illustrate your story. When you’re all done you can even order a copy of the finished product and share it with others.
          The last product that was presented was the website http://www.wordle.net/ . This website allows you to create as Wordle put it a “word cloud”, which basically is a jumble of words used in different colors, sizes, horizontal, or vertical. You are given a text box to start with to put whatever you desire. You could copy an article, use words that describe you, or even write a poem. After you have entered your text press go, and your words will appear, the more often you used a word the bigger it will be in the end product. If you don’t like the way the words are set up you can change the color, which way the words are written, and the font.