Web 2.0 Tool - ComfyPage & Blabberize
Introduction to ComfyPage
- What is ComfyPage?
ComfyPage is a product from Affinity Software. We're a company made up of two brothers in Perth, Western Australia. Our office is a cell in an old prison. Strictly speaking it's only big enough for one but we squeeze in.
- Philosophy of ComfyPage
In the past, websites have been difficult to create, difficult to maintain and too costly. We wanted an easy way to operate our own websites. Our colleagues wanted a website they could control and they didn't want to pay by the hour to do it. We answered their call. ComfyPage was designed to put website owners back in control. Create and update your website for a low cost. That's what we want for ourselves and for the world. We use ComfyPage for our websites so we know it works.
- Why the name ComfyPage?
After a three day search for a product name (with an available domain) we came up with ComfyPage. It described what we're achieving; a comfortable website experience. None of the hassle and technical gobbledegook. It's a website the way it should be.
- How Does a ComfyPage Website Work?
ComfyPage is a tool to help you create simple, smart and super quick websites known as a content management system. It is designed to be easy to use and to handle extremely large amounts of traffic.
- ComfyPage and Its Use in Education
ComfyPage is a web 2.0 tool to help you create simple, smart and super quick websites. Teachers and students can create their own website and post content, researches, videos, pictures and varying information relating to different topics (concepts) in their content area. To lower the hassle of printing various works (assignments), the students can simply post their assignments unto their website and the teacher can therefore view the content and provide the students with their relevant grades. Students can also save their money as they won’t be printing the assignments.
Introduction to Blabberize
Strengths:
· It is Free!
· Easy to use!
· Student's e-mail address is guaranteed to never displayed on the site.
· May be used by teachers or/and students.
· It can be used to enhance listening and speaking skills (especially for foreign language and ESL/ESOL students).
· Users may use their own pictures or images from anywhere on the internet.
· Users may use previously recorded audio or record their own using a phone or microphone.
Weaknesses:
· Examples posted on the site are mostly non-educational and may not model educational use of the site.
· Teachers would need to be very creative to use the site for educational purposes.
· Must create account to save creations.
· Requires e-mail address for account creation.
· Terms of service states "You must be 13 years or older to use this site and its Services, or have permission from a parent or guardian."
Opportunities:
· Blabberize may be used to demonstrate knowledge on any subject are e.g. history, English, poetry, language learning
· For students who are more visual/artistic learners, provides opportunity to display learning through creativity.
Ideas for the classroom:
· Students can be asked to use text from history to make it come alive! e.g. historic speeches or major laws that were passed and made a marked difference.
· Have students record songs on poems demonstrating their knowledge of a topic and record the creation with Blabberize.
· It can be used to encourage students to prepare presentations to introduce themselves.
· Students can be asked to use it to demonstrate their content knowledge.
· Can be used to incorporate technology into an activity.
The Seminar
This experience was great for me because I will be able to use the skills gained to plan for functions and through this medium I was able to build on my public speaking skills. This seminar also help me to recognize the essence of team work. When I enter the world of work I will be able to work, comfortable with my coworkers.
Reference
http://www.goweb20.net/site/?a=ComfyPage
http://www.goweb20.net/site/?a=Blabberize
