URL Shorteners
http://tinyurl.com/amevans
I tested out several different URL shorteners before deciding on TinyURL. In my opinion, this site wound up being the easiest and most convenient way to create a custom shortened URL. The website itself was easy to use with minimum steps involved (paste the web address, type in the desired custom domain, and click a button). I wasn't required to sign up for an account either, which is usually a huge plus for me. I get too many emails from websites I've signed up for (yes, I know I can always unsubscribe, but it's the principle!), and I don't need another username and password to remember. I'd rather have a quick, easy-access website that allows me to get the results I need in seconds.
If I were going to use URL shorteners in the classroom, then I might consider using Bit.ly or Goo.gl. Those sites make it easy to track the URLs you've shortened and how many views they've gotten. This would be beneficial if I shared a link with students and/or parents to see how many had actually visited the link.
I can also see myself using URL shorteners for my personal internet activities on occasion, particularly on Twitter. I don't use Twitter nearly as often as I used to, but I do use it from time to time, especially during football season, so those shortened URLs will come in very handy when I'm trying to keep my posts under 140 characters!
QR Codes
I have somewhat limited experience with QR codes compared to other online tools. I know what they are, what their purpose is, and I've even scanned QR codes using an app on my smartphone. However, this was the first time I'd ever created one myself.
The process was easy. First, I picked an "object" from my home (my rescue dog, Carl), and decided upon a related and appropriate website that I could create a link to with my QR code. I visited Delivr, created and confirmed my account, copied and pasted the URL for the website I had chosen, and that was it. Delivr created the black-and-white icon known as a QR code for me and gave me the option to download it with or without my username, change the color of the QR if I so desired, and play with some of the other display settings. I tested out the QR code by scanning it with my smartphone, and voila! It worked!
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be in my school building this week (we're currently off for summer break and desks are being rearranged to make room for new teachers and arrange teachers' seats by grade level), so I wasn't able to post my QR code anywhere. However, I was able to photograph an enlarged version of my QR code in front of its inspiration.
Bookmarklets
Finally, I examined two separate bookmarklets. One, I can see using a great deal for personal use and the other for classroom use. That's a good outcome, I'd say!
Visiting Quietube allows you to install a bookmarklet to your browser's toolbar in a pinch. You literally click the icon and drag it to the toolbar. Using it is a breeze too! I visited YouTube and selected a video that I might share with students (a Bill Nye the Science Guy video on atoms). Then, I simply clicked on the Quietube bookmarklet icon on my browser toolbar, and it took me to a new page that displayed the Bill Nye video without any of the comments, usernames, or related video previews that show up on YouTube. I also had to option to create a shortened URL with Bit.ly that I could share with students. I had previously been downloading videos from YouTube to avoid all of the "junk" that shows up below and next to the videos, but this is a faster and easier way to share with my students some of the great videos I've found on YouTube without fear of inappropriate content lurking on the page! I could also use this same tool to share videos with friends and family on Facebook without having to worry about my more "sensitive" friends and family members being offended by something else on that page.
The Pinterest bookmarklet is something I've been meaning to try for ages. Pinterest is a site that I've spent countless hours on, yet I've only ever repinned other's pins; I've never used the bookmarklet. In fact, this whole assignment was an experience in finally letting go of the fear of installing anything on my computer that my IT manager father instilled in me. Anytime I've considered installing something, even something as simple as a bookmarklet, I've instinctively heard my father's voice in my head, cautioning teenaged me against the threat of viruses and malware. However, I'm an adult now, with computer skills of my own, and a healthy does of both common sense and online skepticism. So, I feel comfortable testing out these new add-ons. And look! Nothing bad happened!
The Pinterest bookmarklet was easy to install too. Just like Quietube, I only had to drag it to my toolbar. Once I started testing it out, I realized that this is a tool I should have been using for a long time, and it is something I can see myself using a lot for my own personal use. I do frequently search for teaching ideas and lesson plans to repin on Pinterest, so now I know that if I find ideas or articles related to teaching on another site, I can easily click the bookmarklet and pin it myself. I share a lot of ideas with colleagues I follow on Pinterest, as well as other educators who follow me. This will allow me to contribute even more to our shared pool of resources! I'm sure, though, that I'll get a ton of use out of this for personal reasons too. I've already pinned curtains from the Kohl's website and two comforter sets I liked at Sears so that I can show my fiance later as we start decorating our new townhouse. Little did he know that my homework assignment would lead to me further seeking his input on interior decorating!
Whether for personal use or adding to my toolbox of classroom technology tools, I've found four more great resources this week!
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