Author Archives: Valerie Robin

Dropbox

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Dropbox

taken from http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/04/Photos-Dropbox.jpg

ABOUT:

Dropbox is an open-source storage and sharing tool that exists both on your computer, and on the cloud. It’s as simple as downloading the application on your computer and saving all your files into the Dropbox folder. After that, all your files are backed up on the cloud, and you don’t even need a thumb drive anymore to access your files on any other computer with an internet connection.

Supported

PC, Mac, Mobile

Pros

  • Even if your computer crashes, your files are safe on the cloud and cannot be deleted unless you delete them on purpose.
  • You can share dropbox folders and files with other people, which means you don’t have to try and send huge files through email.
  • Dropbox is open source, which means it’s made for regular people, by regular people, and it doesn’t advertise to you like a social media would.

Cons

  • Dropbox comes with 1.5 Gigs initially, and while you can increase that by inviting your friends and family, you have to pay for a lot of storage space.
  • You MUST be wary of what you save to the cloud, just in case someone hacks into the Dropbox system. Do not keep social security numbers, passwords, taxes, or anything else that could compromise your personal safety.

EXAMPLES

Below is a video of how Dropbox works. A student example cannot be included because dropbox is someone’s personal file system.

Uses

You can use this to share large files. Some of your professors may even ask you to share files through Dropbox, though it will be more likely that this will happen with other students. Further, Dropbox could save your academic life: if your computer crashes (and it will at some point), your files are safe in the cloud.

Etherpad

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Etherpad

taken from http://ejohn.org/files/etherpad.png

ABOUT:

Etherpad is an open-source internet writing software which allows you to write in a document alone, or with someone else in real time. You can customize your own Etherpad to suit your needs, or you can use one someone else has set up. You can use plugins to expand your customized Etherpad, if you choose. Because of the availability of plugins, you can install a real-time chat box, or a draw(art) feature, and so on.

Supported

PC, Mac

Pros

  • Allows real-time collaboration so you don’t have to travel to meet someone to work on a paper.
  • Open-source, which means it’s not owned by a big corporation who is trying to sell you everything and harvest your data.
  • Saves your paper on the cloud, so that even if your computer crashes, it still exists on the internet.

Cons

  • If you don’t own your own computer, you can’t customize or download Etherpad.
  • It may be tricky for new users to know how they might want to customize Etherpad.

EXAMPLES

Below is a tutorial video for Etherpad. I have placed a tutorial here, rather than a student example because of the fluid nature of Internet writing software.

Uses

You could use Etherpad for group work of all kinds, for all classes that ask you to write anything. You can also use it to brainstorm any other kind of project, draw up an outline, or a plan.

Evernote

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Evernote

taken from http://img.creativemark.co.uk/uploads/images/172/10172/largeImg.jpg

ABOUT:

Evernote is a unique application that allows the user collect, store, sort, and create notes for personal use. It is capable of syncing across all devices so you can manage content easily and constantly. Evernote allows hyper organizers a place to store just about anything. If you have a lot going on in life – a heavy course load, that internship, a full-time job, children, a social life – Evernote can help you keep it all organized in one place. Because you need to download Evernote, you must own your own devices to use it, but once you’ve learned the features, uploaded your stuff, and kept it up to date,  you might not lose anything ever again.

Supported

PC, Mac, tablet, mobile

Pros

  • Syncs instantly across all devices
  • Works excellently for the highly organized person
  • Since Evernote is on the cloud, you won’t lose any of the information if your computer crashes.

Cons

  • Evernote has a LOT of features, so it has a bit of a learning curve. You will want to watch tutorials, or sign up for a course on it through your department.
  • If you are not organized, you may lose track of items in Evernote, forget to update, or just clutter your life further
  • MUST be downloaded onto devices. If you do not own a computer, you cannot use Evernote.

EXAMPLES

Because an Evernote account is a mostly private affair, there are no student examples. Instead, watch the short video below to see a couple of the features:

Uses

Evernote could be used in a variety of ways, though most of them would be for personal organization and as a study aid. You can keep your notes in Evernote, or keep track of presentations, and other materials from your courses. Evernote contains a potential wealth of ideas. If you need to come up with an idea for a paper, check your Evernote entries and see what you’ve been collecting. It can help you keep track of the clippings, notes, recipes – all the things that interest you – which can help you come up with project/paper ideas you really care about.

Google Documents

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Google Documents

taken from libguides.library.kent.edu

ABOUT:

Google Documents is an Internet writing software that works similarly to Microsoft Word. You can write an essay, or any kind of report just like you would in any word processor. But Google Docs also does so much more. Not only can you work alone inside the document, you can work at the same time as other people. Google Docs allows more than one person to type in a document all at once. It also allows comment bubbles that you can create and respond to. And there’s an instant messaging feature. Google Documents is excellent for group work.

Supported

Mac, PC, Google Chromebook, Mobile

Pros

  • Google Documents is on the cloud, so you can never accidentally erase it forever if your computer crashes.
  • It is sharable instantaneously and all you need is an internet connection.
  • I makes group work a lot more convenient because you can write with someone else without being in the same room.

Cons

  • Under the ‘anyone can edit’ feature, it is easy to lose track of who has written which section.
  • It is sometimes difficult to find documents that someone has shared with you.

EXAMPLES

Below is a video showing how Google Docs works. It is difficult to attach a student example here because of the fluid and ever-changing nature of the Google Docs environment.

Uses:

You can use Google Documents for almost anything you can imagine. You can embed a document into a website and use it as a presentation, or you can use it to collaborate with a group on a paper. It is great for peer review, or even for just writing stories you want to share easily.

Hightail

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Hightail

taken from http://www1.pcmag.com/media/images/395413-hightail-for-iphone.png?thumb=y

ABOUT:

Hightail is a both a storage and a sharing application. You do not need to be signed up for Higtail to receive files, but you must in order to share them, or contribute to them. Hightail works on the cloud and can store all your files for you, allowing you to share a high volume of files like film footage, music files, or videos. It is more for business than for school, but if you are making large multimedia projects in groups, this might be the right storage and sharing application for you.

Supported

PC, Mac, Mobile

Pros

  • Allows you to share large files without a need for email
  • You do not need to sign up for Hightail to receive files
  • Since it operates on a cloud system, even when your computer crashes, your files are still stored.

Cons

  • Since you have to download Hightail onto your device, you cannot use it from a school or borrowed computer.
  • Unless you password protect your files, they may not be private to you and your colleague.

EXAMPLES

Because Hightail is a sharing/storage application, it would be invasive to show a student example. Instead, here is a video about how it works:

Uses

You could use Hightail for any class that asks you to share or store large files. Hightail may be most useful to film production students, but you need not be working with that much content for it to be useful.

Adobe Photoshop

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Adobe Photoshop

logo-photoshop

ABOUT:

Adobe Photoshop  is the industry standard for photo editing and manipulation. It is by far the most featured out of all the Adobe products, and contains tools to do just about everything with any type of image. Adobe provides wide-span use of Photoshop in mobile, tablet, and desktop PCs and Macs. A wide variety of tutorials can be found anywhere on the Internet to make presentation media seem professional, creative, and expressive.

Supported

PC, Mac, tablet, and smartphones

Pros

  • Edit any image of any type to produce quality images
  • Variety of features
  • Industry Standard
  • Integration with the rest of the Adobe Suite

Cons

  • Advanced techniques are somewhat hard to use
  • Pixels (Photoshop is raster software) are difficult to work with sometimes
  • There is a learning curve – you will likely need tutorials to learn Photoshop.

Examples

Tablet to PC integration is a very useful Photoshop feature for any inspiration to follow your way.

Uses

Most uses of Photoshop include assets for web design, image manipulation for flyers, posters, and other types of paper media, and fixing up images in post-processing for photography. Note that Adobe Lightroom is commonly used with Photoshop to achieve dynamic lighting situations, and is included in the purchase of the CC version of Photoshop from Adobe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adobe After Effects

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Adobe After Effects

logo-1zpnhzy-300x300

ABOUT:

Adobe After Effects is the professional standard for video composing software. It can add elements already present in video or make up elements from shapes to create motion graphics. Using After Effects can change standard footage from ordinary to amazing with a little know-how.

Supported

Mac, PC

Pros

  • Add anything you want in videos
  • Use to create elaborate animations and website assets
  • Input other files from the Adobe Suite and animate them

Cons

  • High Learning curve, but there are numerous tutorials
  • Cannot use some older version files/ Backwards Incompatibility

Examples

3D elements are advanced workflows that includes After Effects. Check out the example below to see what After Effects can do for a video.

Uses

Adobe After Effects is mainly used for the purpose of creating assets for video and web. With the Internet moving Flash to HTML5, Adobe has included new tools for the integration of video into the web. However, After Effects is mainly used to add new objects to video mainly for film and tv, including motion graphics and general video-making.

 

 

 

 

 

Vine

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Vine

Taken from: http://colorlib.com/sparkling/media-twitter-embeds/vine-logo/

ABOUT:

Vine is an application where you can view and create 6.5 second videos that loop continuously. Vine is set up to be a mobile application where you use your phone to record, upload the footage to vine, and edit in application. The editing feature is basic, but does allow some cropping, slow motion, and length adaptation.

Supported

Mobile (editing & viewing), MAC (viewing only), PC (viewing only), Tablet (viewing only)

Pros

  • Very easy to learn and to share
  • Potential for wide viewer-base

Cons

  • Built for heavy compatibility with a SmartPhone
  • Vines default to play on their own, which can be distracting

EXAMPLES

Below is a Vine a student made to show that she participated in the 2014 General Election:


 
Below is quick illustration of a Treble Clef

Uses for Vine

Vines could be used to enhance a presentation, or to make a creative video to prove a point. They’re so fast, they’re almost a .gif – you might use these inside a presentation for any class.

Tiki-Toki

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Tiki-Toki

taken from http://www.tiki-toki.com/

ABOUT:

Tiki-Toki is a sleak, easy-to-use, presentation friendly timeline software. It allows embedded photos and videos. Each panel is clickable, and enlarges to the screen, which makes this good for presentations as well. The application exists on the cloud, is visually driven, and is easy to use.

Supported

Mac, PC

Pros

  • Visually beautiful
  • Great for linear thinkers
  • Embeds a variety of media
  • Allows groups to edit one timeline together

Cons

  • You cannot store presentations. The free version only allows you to make one presentation – though you can erase that and create another, endlessly.
  • Unless you upgrade, you cannot embed content, or share with anything other than a link.
  • Easily invites over-design

EXAMPLES

Below is an example of a news story that was a current event at the time it was built. This tiki-toki was used as a short presentation. Click the image below to visit the example:

Tiki-Toki-example

 

Uses

Tiki-Toki can be used to present, or record events. You would likely use this in a History course, or any course where you need to create a historical record that features video, audio, or images.

YouTube

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YouTube

Taken from: http://xmorbid.blogspot.com/2014/10/logo-youtube.html

ABOUT:

YouTube is a video viewing, editing, and hosting platform. Many of us already use YouTube to watch music videos, commercials, and even whole television shows, but you can also use this great tool to host your own videos. What many people don’t know is that you can upload raw footage and use YouTube as an editing tool, which is pretty simple. YouTube also has a lot of social distribution features like tagging, labeling, and creating channels for specific topics.

Supported

Mac, PC, Tablet, Mobile

Pros

  • Extremely wide user base
  • lots of features
  • Editing tool availability

Cons

  • uploading takes a lot of time
  • storing footage to upload takes up a lot of space on your hard drive
  • student videos tend to be longer than most people want to watch (be careful of this)

EXAMPLES

The video below was created by 200 students at Kansas State University in 2007. It features real concerns by real students.

Uses

YouTube has a nearly endless set of uses: presentations, documentation, illustrations — pretty much any creative process that you could film.