EDMODO         

I would like to begin my review of Mobile Web Services with Edmodo, a free private microblogging web service for teachers and students. However, I would like to make this review interactive so you can experience Edmodo first hand. I already set up an account and an ETEC 676 group. Please follow these simple steps to view, and experience, my review:

1) Access the Edmodo website
2) Click on “Student”
3) Enter this ETEC 676 group code: wux606
4) Type in a username, password, first name, last name (1st two letters of each name is fine)
5) Agree to terms of service by clicking on “Sign Up”

POLL EVERYWHERE

Poll Everywhere is an online polling web service. Subscribed users can create polls for participants to submit their response via a text message, a Twitter Tweet, or from a Poll Everywhere webpage. Results of the poll are immediate and organized easily for viewing. Teachers can utilize this polling tool to quickly assess student learning. Results can be downloaded into a spreadsheet for further review.
I created an account and a poll to test the features. I think it’s a great tool, and if you have a group smaller than 30, the services are free. I intend to try out several polls with the catechism class I teach. I noticed this past year that many of my catechumens brought their cell phones to class. The only problem I have with texting in a response is that it could cost them. Other than that, this is a great tool to be used with mobile devices.
I did make a poll: “What type of cell phone do you currently have?” If you’d like to see how Poll Everywhere works, you can either:
1) Text 24032, with your cell phone type to 99503
2) Tweet @poll 24032, with your cell phone type, or
3) Visit the Poll Everywhere website, type in 24032 with cell phone type
Watch the results as you enter them at my designated Poll Everywhere results page

WIRENODE.MOBI

Here is another gem of a web service for mobile devices. I was introduced to this web service by Jerry Green from the CUE. Basically, Wirenode allows you to easily make web pages designed to work on mobile phones. There are features such as the Blog RSS Widget, Google Maps, and the Twitter Mobile Widget that can be added to your mobile website. 
I created an account and I converted my ETEC 676 blog to be accessed on mobile phones. Wirenode allows anyone to create a mobile website with multiple pages and minimal effort. The only issue I have with this service is that you can only edit while using Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Sea Monkey. I usually use Safari at home, just because. No particular reason. So I have to open up Firefox to edit my mobile web pages. 
My mobile website. I did test the layout on my iPod Touch, and it worked just fine. However, webpages not set up for mobile devices did display too large. I would be interested in you trying to access my mobile website on your mobile device, especially if it’s a smaller screen than an iPod Touch/iPhone or a Samsung Omnia.

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