525 Week 3

This week I reviewed different tools for brainstorming. I reviewed Bubbl.us, CMAP, Education Oasis, and Exploratree. I started using Inspiration last spring and I feel fairly comfortable with the program so I will give my thoughts but I did not review it specifically for this assignment because I have the software on my computer at home and I am currently in Mexico.

Bubbl.us: I found this to be a fantastic and easy to use tool. I really liked the fact that I didn't have to download anything. I was able to register and start using the program immediately. The fact that you don't have to download it means that the program can easily be used on any computer in the school and students can use the tool on their own. It was incredibly easy to create a concept map and add, edit, and change the formatting to the different bubbles and text.


CMAP: I did not find this tool to be very user friendly, especially trying it after I spent time with Bubbl.us. I did have to download this program so I was expecting to see more tricks and options than what I saw with Bubbl.us. However, I found it to be more difficult to create and edit a concept map. As a middle school teacher, I could not see my students using this product easily.


Education Oasis: I was thrilled to review this resource. It is full of many different types of concept maps and graphic organizers for students to use in the classroom. The website divides the organizers into categories and then the user can select different PDF versions for classroom use. Some of the organizers can even be filled out and then printed. I definitely will use this resource in my classroom!


Exploratree: Exploratree is an online tool that has ready made thinking guides but also allows users to create new guides. The ready made guides are divided into many different but useful categories. The categories are separated by a few main ideas, map your ideas, solve problems, explore, analyze, and different perspectives. After choosing your guide, you can change almost everything from the text, colors, the direction of the guide, etc. You can also print or save projects.


Inspiration: I started using this program last spring with a group of middle school world language teachers. I thought it was such a great product I used it with my class. I still like the program a lot, but I think that other programs offer just as much without needing to purchase or download a program like Inspiration.


Overall, I found two tools to be most valuable. First bubble.us because of it's ease of use and simplicity and Exploratree because it is easy to find a basic guide to get started but you are also able to edit the guide to make it fit your exact needs. I definitely plan to use both of these tools with my students this year. I also plan to take advantage of the wonderful concept maps and organizers on the Education Oasis website.