Ask A Scientist

Well......I guess everyone knows by now that Ask A Scientist takes quite some time to respond to questions.  Actually, I had a difficult time even submitting my question.  By the way, my question was, "How is a person's DNA affected if he/she receives an organ or bone marrow transplant."  I tried several times to sumbit my question while using Internet Explorer.  Each time the screen timed out before the question was submitted.  I finally tried using Safari, and it worked right away.

Considering there is so much information on the web, and the amount of time it takes to get an answer back, I am not sure that Ask a Scientist is something I would use with my students.  There are sights (like NASA) where you can partner with an engineer or scientist.  They will work with you throughout the school year to answer questions or direct you to places where you can find answers.  I think this is a much better arrangement for my middle school students.

Thanks to a Walden classmate, Kelly Roberson, I found the answer to my question.  If you would like to know the answer, just go to  http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=208  Thanks Kelly!

Have a great week!

Web 2.0 Exploration

It is hard to believe how many tools there are on  the web!  I could have spent all day viewing what was available.  The two tools I selected to review are Prezi and Museum Box.  I liked both pieces of software.  Another web tool I found this summer allows you to create cartoons.  I used it for my handouts for the first day of school.  I told my students we would be using it in class.  They were very excited.  Here is that website:  MakeBeliefsComix.com.  Give it a try!

Feature	Prezi	Museum Box
Ease of Use	From my initial experience the software seems fairly easy to use.  It is not as user-friendly as some software I have used.  You have to remember were all the features are.  With practice I am sure I will get to know more complex features.	This software seemed very easy to use.  You do not have to remember so much to begin making a box.  The software guides you through the process.  This might be a good software to use with my students.
Features	Theme wizards, ability to borrow from editable prezis, ability to add URLs.	The software creates a box.  You decide the number of slots in the box.  You pull out each box or cube and decide what to put on each face.  You can put text, video, or pictures.
Reliability	Having never used Prezi until now, I spoke with several people who use it.  They say it very reliable and they like the fact that you do not need the software to show the presentation.	In order to use this software you have to register your school.  If your students submit work, it may take up to five days until you view it.  This would probably not be good for our class presentation.
Training	Tutorials and manuals available and easy to use	There is a brief tutorial at the beginning, and use the help menu as you go along.
Equipment Requirements	Prezi’s website says you can run prezis from most contemporary computers.  Browsers supported include (Internet Explorer 7 and above, Firefox 3 and above, Chrome, Safari, Opera)	The website supports the following browsers for Windows:  Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Mozilla Foxfire.  You also need Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Microsoft Word.
Collaboration	Easy to collaborate or file share	You can view others presentations but you cannot share files.
Cost	Free version for teachers	It is free for students and teachers.
Accessibility	Accessible from home and school	Accessible from home and school.
Multi-media capabilities	Can imbed photos and videos from YouTube	Can imbed pictures, photos, and videos.
Motivational Factors	After viewing several of the prezis on the website I found the presentations to be professional and interesting to watch.  I think you need to be careful not to have so much movement that your audience experiences motion sickness!	I viewed some of the museum boxes on the website.  They were very interesting, and I think they would be fun for students to create.

Just as a note, my brother is the director of career services for a local university.  He uses Prezi all the time.  He said it is really easy and fun to use once you get the hang of it!  I am looking forward to seeing what software others have reviewed.

Have a great day!