Mindmeister Review

Name of the Tool:

Mindmeister

URL of the Tool: 

www.mindmeister.com

Primary category for this tool: 

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Tool

Please describe this tool in your own words in about 150-250 words:

Mindmeister is on online tool that can be utilized by multiple users to create mind maps.  Mindmeister makes it easy for users to share and collaborate through chat rooms and make real time changes to the mind map.  Once a change has been made to the map it is highlighted so that others can see and discuss the updates and continue to make reviews.   As stated on mindmeister.com, users can “infinitely undo any changes”.  This is a great feature that really makes the web tool user friendly.  Another user friendly feature is that users can log on using facebook logins instead of having to set up a new account.  Mindmeister is easily accessible; others can be invited through email or through a direct link and can access it through a computer, tablet, or mobile device. 

What do you need to know before using this tool? 

Mindmeister requires the user to be computer literate.  The tools are symbols which helps, but it does take a while to get used to how to make the changes you want.  With some time it is a very user friendly program.

What do you need to have before using this tool?

A computer, tablet, or mobile device and internet connection.

How do you use this tool?

Locate or create your own example of an educational resource created with this tool and discuss what you found or created. Also, please include the URL for this example or embed it into your blog post, if applicable.

Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words):

There are many possibilities in utilizing Mindmeister.  Our senior students do a group research project.  Mindmeister would be a great tool for students to collaborate and share information.  It would also be very helpful in creating lesson plans.  Another option would be teaching through a mindmap.  Links could be added and students could be involved in creating the map to help comprehension on how concepts are interrelated. 

A specific example would be in the treatment planning course.  In advanced treatment planning, the feedback received from students is that they often don’t know where to start because the process does not follow a linear pattern.  If students were to collaborate and create a mind map for the treatment planning process for each disease site, it would force them to understand how each process and modifier is interrelated and contributes to the overall product.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment? 

This tool has an unlimited back button which really helps if using in a teaching and collaborative environment.  One mind map can be edited by multiple users at the same time while they can also chat. and it allows multiple users which can also chat. The only disadvantage is it takes a little bit to get used to using it. 

Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?

I would definitely recommend this tool.  

Magisto Review

I created an audio podcast to review Magisto.  

Below is the information contained in the podcast as well as an example video I made and 

how to use Magisto 

URL of the Tool:
www.magisto.com

Please select the one, primary category for this tool: 
creativity tool

Please describe this tool in your own words: 
Magisto is an automatic movie editing tool.  It is incredibly simple to use.  The user uploads a video, chooses a song, and a title and the tool automatically edits the video.  The program has tons of different song choices to choose from, or the user can use a song they already have on their computer, like a song from itunes.  The user can choose one movie or use multiple videos that can be edited together.  Magisto’s app on the iphone makes the program even easier to use.  The user can record a video straight from the iphone, choose multiple videos already stored on the iphone, add a song, and a title and let Magisto do the rest!  Movies can then be shared through email, youtube, twitter, and facebook. 

 What do you need to know before using this tool?

            Magisto is very simple to use it does not require a lot of skill.  The only skill you need to know is how to record a video.

What do you need to have before using this tool?

           To use this tool you need to have some sort of video recording device.  If you have an iphone, you can use this tool.

How do you use this tool?

1.     Go to www.magisto.com

2.     Click on sign in

3.     Sign in with your email and password (If you are new to Magisto, you will need to create an account)

4.     If you are an iphone user, you can click on the App store button, if you are a web user, click on the Start Here button

5.     Upload your video file – you can add several movies to your movie

6.     Click Next

7.     Select a title for your movie

8.     Click Next

9.     Choose a song for your movie – this can be from your computer or you can choose from Magisto’s library.

10. Your movie is now being created!

My video created with Magisto:

   Make awesome movies from plain videos automatically, for Free!

Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment:

            In the next year we will be implementing electronic portfolios.  One section of the e portfolios will be biography or about me.  Some employers like to learn a little bit about a person and a short video clip would be perfect.  For example, if a student likes to ski they could take multiple videos of them skiing, choose a title and a song and have Magisto create an entertaining video clip.  Magisto only takes a few minutes and the end result looks like something that took hours to compile.  The effort will impress employers as well as help them feel a connection with the student.  These videos could also be used as an introduction in a distance education course to help familiarize the students with each other.

What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?

           Using this tool in the teaching environment helps get the students creativity going. 

What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?

            I think the only disadvantage is that this tool is so neat it could be distracting in a teaching environment.  

Communication Tool Review: Podomatic

Name of the Tool: Podomatic

URL of the Tool: http://www.podOmatic.com/

Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Communication Tool

Please describe this tool in your own words in about 250 words.

Podomatic is a web 2.0 tool that allows users to upload, create, share, and view podcasts.  The user can upload a video or audio file on their profile and share the podcast.  Audio files can also be recorded using podomatic and created into a podcast.  Podomatic also allows the user to produce a minicast, which combines photos with audio or music files.  The minicast and podcasts can be viewed through podomatic and also uploaded to facebook, twitter, blogs, and other places.  

Podomatic is similar to other social networking sites where the user creates a profile uploading a picture and editing details such as basic information: name, age, etc, as well as a small personal description.  Users connect to each other through “friending” and subscribing to each others’ profiles and podcasts.  On the home page there is a recent activity stream where friends’ recent podcasts are displayed. 

There are many different ways to browse through podcasts and users that you may be interested in.  You can browse by category such as: education, music, news, or politics.  You can also browse by location with cities listed such as: New York, Paris, and Madrid.  Podomatic also has various lists that can be browsed.  There is a list called “Movers & Shakers” which is comprised of the top 50 climbing podcasts.  Popular podcasts can be found through the “popular podcasts” link.  You can become a fan of a podcast and be notified when a new episode is posted. 

        

What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)    

You need to know how to create and upload a video file.  Audio files can be created using podomatic if you don't already know how to create these.  The accepted media files are: flash, MPEG-4, and MP3.

What do you need to have before using this tool?

If you want to create a video file, you must have a camera. If you want to create an audio file, you must have a microphone.  

How do you use this tool? 

The following are instructions on how to upload a video once it has been created in imovie and saved in itunes.   

1.  Go to the URL: http://www.podomatic.com/login

2.  Log in to Podomatic 

Note: You will need to create a log in if you do not already have one

3.  Click on Publish->Podcast-> Create

4.  Enter a Title and Description and press Save & Continue

5.  Choose Upload a File

6.  Find the file that you want uploaded

7.  Click on “I’m finished uploading, close this window"

8.  You can choose a photo to be uploaded for this episode or skip this step.

                                  

9.  Choose any tags you want for this video to make it easier to be searched for

10. Review your video and press Save & Continue

11. It will take approximately 5 minutes until your video is published

12. Once your video is published, you have several options, you can email it to your contacts, update your status on twitter of facebook or even embed the link in a webpage.   

If applicable, please create an example with this tool and either embed in your blog or submit the URL. 

Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (about 500 words).

Podomatic has many different tools in the teaching environment and could be used many different ways in the medical dosimetry program.  As an instructor, I could create a profile in Podomatic and ask medical dosimetry students to create a profile.  All students and instructors could “friend” each other to see podcast activity.  Anytime the instructor has an announcement to make it would be very simple to create an audio file with the announcement.  This would be uploaded to the instructor’s profile and show up in the student’s recent activity stream. 

Lectures could be recorded and uploaded to Podomatic so that students can access the lecture and view it an unlimited amount of times.  Being able to access the lecture this way will significantly aid learners, especially those who are more audiovisual. 

A specific case in which Podomatic could be utilized is in the medical dosimetry treatment planning course.  In the treatment planning course, medical dosimetry junior students are introduced to treatment plans by disease site.  The instructor presents a Powerpoint over the background of the disease site followed by a demonstration of a treatment plan.  In the subsequent class periods students complete practice case studies and eventually demonstrate competence in a practicum.  With only seeing the treatment plan demonstration once, students often forget key points that are discussed.  A solution to this would be to record the treatment plan demonstration and upload this video to Podomatic.  Students can then view the treatment plan demonstration an unlimited amount of times. 

During the students’ senior year they are required to give a presentation on each treatment plan they complete.  Once the presentation is complete, they answer questions about the disease site and treatment plan.  In order to prepare for the presentation in the junior year, students could be required to record a presentation for each treatment plan and upload the audio or video file on Podomatic.  Then their peers could ask questions over the plan or disease site and answer these questions using Podomatic. 

    

What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?

Using this tool in a teaching environment could be very beneficial to audiovisual learners to re-view a lecture an unlimited amount of times.  Podcasts can also be viewed from virtually anywhere, even on your mobile device. 

What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?

Using this tool in the teaching environment may cause some students to zone out in class, or not even show up because they know they will be able to view the lecture at a different time.  It also requires students to possess certain computer skills and computer equipment.