Blended Classroom

I was able to attend a technology workshop with faculty from our college on Friday.  Eric Lee, with JSU Technology in Motion was the facilitator, and he shared many resources that I now feel as if I cannot live without.  I will be addressing some of them in various posts on the blog.  Feel free to try these out!

In this post, I will be discussing my new favorite thing, Blendspace.  Blendspace is a presentation tool that is able to incorporate slide show, youtube/video, webpages, pictures, Google Docs, Dropbox, and other web-based tools.  All these tools can be integrated seamlessly into a Blendspace presentation.  As you advance from the slides to a web page or video, you stay in one application.  The new pages do not open in new windows.

Blendspace is better than most presentation tools in that you never leave your presentation.  In many other programs, you are able to click on a website that opens in a new window, or closes your current presentation.  Blendspace moves effortlessly into each of the different types of presentation tools.  As you can see from the picture, you are able to view/add/edit each page from the same screen.  Additionally, you are able to insert a quiz, text, video, or picture file onto each page as well.

Another beauty of Blendspace is that all of the searching is done within the program as well.  You do not need to leave the page to find a picture, file, or video.  You are able to link your Dropbox or Google Drive documents for easy access.

And another thing:  There is a gallery where you can search for previously made Blendspaces to use at your convenience!  Don't like something another user incorporated into their space? No problem!  Once you have saved it onto your page, you are able to edit as you wish!  

I cannot wait to give this one a try!