For my web 2.0 project, my partner and I have been assigned Smilebox. Smilebox is an online service that allows users to use their own photos to create digital scrapbooks, greetings, slideshows, collages, and photo albums. The basic service is free, but users can upgrade to a paid membership in order to receive access to a greater number of designs and music options. Teachers may also apply to upgrade free of charge when using the service for educational purposes.
The Teacher's Toolbox link on the site provides suggestions for how educators can use the service to benefit their teaching and classroom activities. Some possible applications include creating newsletters for students and parents, overviews of teaching units, and commemorative slideshows and cards after events.
Despite these suggested uses, I am not yet impressed with Smilebox as a potential classroom tool for myself. Other than providing attractive backgrounds for pictures or text, I don't believe that its tools would truly enhance anything that I would use for teaching purposes. It's mostly just a fancy version of PowerPoint that takes more time to use and adds distracting elements. It seems much more like a scrapbooking site than anything else.
While a teacher might enjoy making a virtual scrapbook of photos as a class trip or a science fair, I don't see this service as having true educational value for me as a high school English teacher. I think Smilebox might appeal much more to someone who teachers K - 2 grades or a creative arts subject.
No comments:
Post a Comment