Tag Archives: Mobile

SquareSpace

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SquareSpace

squarespace logo-1

ABOUT:

SquareSpace is an easy-to-use web building platform that features lots of different templates, and types of pages. You can use it for free, or pay for a subscription and have your own .com. People use SquareSpace to build online stores, digital portfolios, or to showcase art and other projects. SquareSpace is largely drag-and-drop, it allows easy embedding, and upkeep. SquareSpace websites tend to look clean and professional.

Supported

PC, Mac, tablet, mobile

Pros

  • Looks very professional without a lot of effort
  • Relatively easy to use and maintain
  • Lots of colorful modifiable templates

Cons

  • Does require some learning – you may need to take a short tutorial
  • Free application has much fewer options
  • Some features cannot be changed or manipulated

EXAMPLES

Below is a student website from a SCAD student:

squarespace-example-1

Uses

You can use a website for anything – and it’s no different when you’re using a SquareSpace website. Build your portfolio, use it to present work to your professors, keep a blog here, or showcase your projects — if you can imagine using a website for it, you can probably pull it off here. And it’s more and more normal to have your own .com.

Google Slides

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Google Slides

GSlides-logo

ABOUT:

Google Slides (formerly Google Presentation) is an Internet presentation generating software that works similarly to Microsoft PowerPoint. You can create presentation slides, or embed  any kind of media just like you would in any PowerPoint presentation. But Google Slides also does so much more. Not only can you work alone inside the presentation slides, you can work at the same time as other people. Google Slides allows more than one person to type in a presentation at once. It also allows easy sharing and embedding in external documents. And there are comment bubbles and an instant messaging feature so that you can receive and provide feedback from other users. Google Slides is excellent for group work and collaborative presenting.

Supported

Mac, PC, Google Chromebook, Mobile

Pros

  • Google Slides 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 create slideshow presentations 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 generated which section.
  • It is sometimes difficult to find presentations that someone has shared with you.

EXAMPLES:

https://youtu.be/RdKuNrGapco?t=53s

Uses:

You can use Google Slides for versatile presentations, and more. You can embed a slideshow into a website and convert it to a Prezi. Or you can use it to collaborate with a group on a presentation. It is great for peer review, or even for just creating a slideshow you want to share easily.

Google Sheets

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Google Sheets

google-spreadshets-logo

ABOUT:

Google Sheets (formerly Google Spreadsheets) is an Internet spreadsheet generating software that works similarly to Microsoft Excel. You can record data, or generate  any kind of report just like you would in any spreadsheet. But Google Sheets also does so much more. Not only can you work alone inside the spreadsheet, you can work at the same time as other people. Google Sheets allows more than one person to type in a spreadsheet at once. It also allows easy sharing and embedding in external documents. And there are comment bubbles and an instant messaging feature so that you can receive and provide feedback from other users. Google Sheets is excellent for group work.

Supported

Mac, PC, Google Chromebook, Mobile

Pros

  • Google Sheets 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 create data 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 generated which section.
  • It is sometimes difficult to find spreadsheets that someone has shared with you.

EXAMPLES:

Uses:

You can use Google Sheets for almost anything you can imagine. You can embed a spreadsheet into a website and use it as a presentation, or you can use it to collaborate with a group on a lab report or data set. It is great for peer review, or even for just creating a data table you want to share easily. Finally, you need to be able to program data into a spreadsheet to make a map, so Sheets is part of Google Maps creation too.

Google Fusion

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Google Fusion

taken from blogoscoped.com

ABOUT:

Google Fusion is one of the many ways you can make maps yourself to show data, group places, or combine places with their data. Google Fusion must be combined with Google Spreadsheets for it to work, and once you create a map with Fusion, it cannot be updated automatically. You must collect all your data before you begin. Once your data has been created and synced, inside Fusion, you can change your pointers, which data is displayed, and even group pointers to show how data flows. Google Fusion, like all Google Drive products, allows you to share, and build with others, but because Fusion requires training and practice, it may be difficult to remotely meet with someone to map using Fusion. Last, Fusion can be published and shared, but it does not go live to Google Maps because it does not readily export as a KML file.

Supported

PC, Mac, Android

Pros

  • Once your data is created, it is easy to make changes inside Fusion
  • The visualizations are fun, and exactly like what you see in a Google Map
  • Navigating the visuals of your data is as easy as it is on Maps

Cons

  • It is not easy to learn Fusion. You will want to use lynda.com through the Exchange, or take a class to learn the basics.
  • Fusion does not sync to your spreadsheet, should you need to make changes. You must upload or merge a whole new spreadsheet.
  • Fusion does not go live to Google Maps. Instead, you must learn to plot on Google Earth for this feature.

EXAMPLES

Below is a screenshot of a map a student made in Fusion of study spots in the Atlanta area. You can see she made the plot points green, instead of the classic red. And you can see the information she included on the selected spot.

Learning_Google_Maps-1

Uses

There are many reasons you might make a map in Fusion for a class. If you need to present information containing places for a history class, or to map where all the oak trees are located near campus for Biology, you can use Fusion to do this. If you have data to present on gas pricing in a certain area, or want to plot where people live that own drones, you can do this in Fusion.

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.

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.

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.

Blogger

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Blogger

ABOUT:

Blogger is one of the most popular platforms of blogging on the Internet. Blogger is owned by Google and therefore integrates many of Google’s tools like Adsense and Google+. Microsoft Word documents can be directly added into Blogger posts, making it easy to format posts and share them through a Blogger account. Customized templates as well as CSS integration are available as well.

 

Supported

Mac, PC, mobile, tablet

 

Pros

  • Can gather lots of followers with a wide community
  • Easy integration with many of Google’s other services
  • For use on mobile devices

Cons

  • Very specific limitations (No html markup, 500 characters max…)
  • Limits on picture sizes and resolutions
  • New post editor is somewhat unreliable

Examples

Below is an example of a blog hosted on blogger for nerds who want to get into shape. Notice the design choices this blogger has made. He targets a specific audience, uses a fitting font and template, and matches his pictures to the content. Click on the image below to visit the site.

from http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/

 

Uses

You can use a blogger blog in any class. You might use it to respond to reading, to organize thoughts, or to just let the world know how your course is going. Alternatively, your instructor may assign you to run a blog, and blogger is a fine place to start when choosing a place for the blog you want to create.

 

tumblr

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tumblr

taken from http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/tumblr/ffa2fb4f-61b2-4075-ac7b-488846998b72

ABOUT:

tumblr is a social media that can be used in a variety of ways. It not only has blogging capabilities, but can be made to look a lot like an instagram feed, or on the opposite spectrum, a text-heavy informational feed. tumblr allows you to embed video, and images of all types. It also allows you to favorite posts, comment, and reblog other posts you want to share with others.

Supported

Mac, PC, phones and tablets

Pros

  • widely shareable
  • intuitive, easy to create platforms
  • variety of uses

Cons

  • social media aspect can be distracting
  • some themes can be too busy and can become distracting from a design aspect

EXAMPLES

In the example below, you can see how the authors used their tumblr page to both present and archive information that could be useful both in a presentation, or for people to visit like they would an informational website. Click the image to visit the full site:

Taken from http://america-underwater.tumblr.com

Uses

tumblr can be used as a presentation tool, an archival tool, a blogging tool, or in many other ways. One of the beauties of tumblr is its versatility.