This week we looked at two Web 2.0 tools that could be used in the classroom, Gliffy and Wikispaces. I did not like using Gliffy for many reasons. Firstly, I didn't even know what it was used for and when I looked it up on their site (specifically the FAQ), there was no explanation, just that it was a great way for people to add to something that you made. Secondly, I couldn't figure out how to use the program. There were a lot of different drop downs on the side with a lot of icons, but I had no idea what any of them meant. Using the tools themselves was another struggle. I tried messing with changing the font color, etc, but the program behaved very buggy causing me to only become more frustrated with the whole project. Overall, the program may have looked visually pleasing, but the usability was horrible.
I really enjoyed using Wikispaces. The program was very easy to figure out how to use. I was able to add/format texts, hyperlinks, pictures, and video. When I was all done and published it, everything was still aligned correctly resulting in a professional looking page. I think that this tool would be excellent to use in a classroom. You could start something for your students and then they could easily add to it whether it be with texts, pictures, videos, sound clips, etc.
About Me
- Lauren
- I graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Digital Media. I enjoy dancing and was a member of the Drexel Dance Ensemble. For my thesis, I combined dance with digital media and developed a collaborative multimedia dance performance. I am continuing to do freelance projection design for shows in Philadelphia and New York City (On/Off Broadway).
4 comments:
Hi Lauren,
Sorry you were having issues using Gliffy Online. Check out our demo tutorial video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0UgI-FVIKo
Best regards,
Clint
Gliffy, Inc.
I agree Lauren. I didn't find use to either tool though. It just seemed like a novelty that I could live without. I understand how to use Gliffy but i didn't find a need to use it. I could have put something together in Photoshop quicker and published it to the web, but i guess thats not the point.
I liked Gliffy but that was because I was familiar with other flow chart software. I think it is a useful tool since powerful flowcharting software can be expensive. It's nice to have a web-based solution where you don't have to worry about licensing and can update your flowchart from any computer.
More notes about Gliffy--we have a newly revamped website with new how-to's and other helps. Give it a shot! If you have any suggestions and/or feedback please drop us a line at our website ! Thanks,
debik at gliffy dot com
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