The three widgets/plugins I chose to review are:
- Print, PDF & Email by PrintFriendly
- Image Widget
- Video Widget
What are their strengths?
Print, PDF & Email by PrintFriendly
This plugin was easily installed and incorporated into the blog. It is a simply design that allows new users to easily navigate through the features. This plugin adds a button at the bottom of each post that when clicked, allows the blog post to be emailed, printed, or converted to a PDF. This plugin also allows the user to quickly edit parts of the converted blog post before it is sent, printed, or converted.
Video Widget
This widget allows me to add a video directly into my sidebar or even footers if I wanted to. Now anyone who visits my blog can immediately start playing the video without having to go to another page or post to view it. It can be played while still in the sidebar but can be expanded as well. This allows for viewers to quickly check out what the video is about before becoming further invested. It is easily added to the blog like any other widget. The widget only requires a YouTube link to function as well. Therefore it is a great tool for people who aren’t familiar with embed codes.
Image Widget
The Image Widget allows me to add a photo directly into the sidebar of my blog. This widget supports multiple file types such as GIF’s . While it isn’t shown in the screenshot above, the photo is actually a GIF of a glacial fall. Having a photo in the sidebar is a way to make the blog more aesthetically pleasing. It helps break up all the text of the page. Having a GIF allows for even more visual value as it is a moving image rather than a static one.
What are their weaknesses?
Print, PDF & Email by PrintFriendly
I found that this widget is relatively limited to capturing the text of the blog post. I found that the format wouldn’t always be identical to the format of the blog. In some cases, this could be a good thing, as it does improve the readability of the text. However, if it’s important the original format be preserved, this widget may not be able to fulfill that. When I would go to print some of the blog posts, I found that the plugin would include my photo from the sidebar. While due to the edit menu provided, the image can easily be deleted, it’s still an extra step. If a blog were to have multiple images in the sidebar of footer area, the plugin may end up including them all, therefore requiring the user to have to go in and edit the final copy. At this point, the user may decide it would be faster to simply copy the desired text and/or images themselves and put them into a new document.
Video Widget
This widget has very basic customization. While not necessarily a weakness, seeing that it does it’s job of displaying a playable video in the sidebar, there are definitely features that could be added to make this midget more useful and desirable. For example, having this widget appear only on certain pages or customizing the size of the video player window. Perhaps even including a feature that allows the user to select the start and/or end time of the video. If it is someone’s personal video, they would have the benefit of editing the video to their situation. However, if it is a YouTube video, the video will be exactly how it was posted to YouTube.
Image Widget
The image widget is very basic. It makes the options easy to navigate but there the user is quite restricted in their customization. I found when using a GIF, I was restricted to one or two sizes as the rest of the size options didn’t allow for the GIF to play. The sizes are also quite general and don’t allow for specific measurements. The difference between the sizes can be quite significant too.
Can these programs be used in a classroom setting to enhance student learning? Would you use it and/or recommend it?
Print, PDF & Email by PrintFriendly
This widget is a quick tool that can be used by students and teachers alike. It allows for the blog posts to be easily converted to other formats that would better suit their needs. In any cases where past work made by another blog or your own blog posts needs to be put together, this tool allows the user to easily do just that. For example, for the upcoming capstone project, if a student were to want to use parts of old posts since their blogs do act as digital portfolio, the student could use this option to quickly copy and edit what they want from the blog post and either print, email or convert it into a PDF. When using class OneNote, a student could use this plugin as a way to transfer a blog post into their notebook. This plugin is easy to install and use. I think it’s a cool little feature that takes no time to set up but could come in handy later.
Video Widget
In a classroom setting, I can see this widget being used more by teachers. This widget allows for videos to be directly placed into the sidebar of the blog. This means the videos are easily accessible for students as soon as they visit the blog. Rather than having multiple links or posts, teachers can place videos directly into the sidebar. If a teacher has a how-to video or an introduction to the course, they can include these as well. Students won’t need to look around the blog for a specific post anymore as it is always accessible even if they aren’t on the main page of the blog.
Image Widget
This widget is nice since it allows for further customization of the blog. It allows for the user to place an image that can be viewed across the different pages and posts rather than being restricted to the main page for example. I think if there’s an image that a student or teacher would like to have featured on their blog frequently then it would be a good widget to have. I currently don’t see a way this widget could directly enhance a students learning per say. However, this feature does help enhance the blog as a whole, whether that be making it more visually appealing or better accessibility. I could see it benefiting students by improving the teacher blogs they frequently visit and use.
