Wordtune – Review

I was recently asked to try out Wordtune and share my thoughts about it.

I have tried the free version and the premium version. It is an extension that you add for free on the Chrome browser. They even show a video on how to use it.

The free version includes suggestions for words and phrases. If you highlight a sentence and then click on “rewrite” it will provide you with suggestions on how to write that sentence differently. I believe that this feature has enhanced my writing tremendously. I have used it a lot when writing in Google Docs for my blog posts.

The premium version gives you the same features as the free version and a lot more. It can make your sentences longer or shorter. It can also change the tone of your sentence and make it more formal or casual. It can also give you other examples of your sentence or find words you can’t quite think about. The premium version is $9.99 per month. If you write professionally or do a lot of writing for your business, I believe this is well worth the money.

They offer a 50% discount to students and educators with a .edu email. There is also a 50% discount for non-profit and NGOs.

I think that students will benefit greatly from this program. My husband hated to write and once he learned how to use the spellcheck feature on the computer, he felt more comfortable doing it. Wordtune will make students feel more comfortable with their writing and less hesitant to start.

If you haven’t given Wordtune a try, I suggest you head over there and add it to your Chrome browser.

Writing Gloves – Product Review

I was recently sent these writing gloves from Literary Book Gifts and they sell for $52.

According to the website:

“Fingerless gloves for writing! These soft cashmere knit gloves are perfect for handwriting, typing, touch screens, and crafting. Warm cold hands with this stylish accessory available in a wide range of colors from heather purple to blush pink.

Made of a breathable knit of about 35% cashmere wool. Cotton, polyester, and microfiber are blended in for durability.”

I got my gloves in the color black and they arrived very quickly. I couldn’t wait to try them on because they felt so soft. My hands get very cold when it is damp, or it is cold outside. These are perfect for touch screens and for my knitting. I also spend a lot of time on my computer, and they do not hinder me in any way. They are warm but not bulky feeling. You hardly even notice they are on your hands.   

I’m so glad that I had a chance to review these! If you have a chance, please go check them out!

Kore Stool – Product Review

I was recently sent a Kids Kore wobble chair to review. It looks like there are many places to buy one of these stools – Retailers.

The stool seems to be made of sturdy plastic and would be easy to clean. It came in 3 parts that easily fit together but doesn’t come apart. It comes in several sizes: toddler (10”), preschool (12”), kids (14”), junior (16”), and pre-teen (18.7”). There is also a limited lifetime warranty on the chair.

I have had a few children try it and they seemed to like it. They could wiggle in their seats without being distracting to the others. The price seemed reasonable for this (varies depending on the size). I noticed on the website that there are also adult adjustable chairs that may be wonderful, but I haven’t tried it.

I would suggest that you go to one of the retailers to look at this chair. I think it is a great option to have in the classroom for those children who just can’t seem to sit still. If you have one already, please leave a comment sharing what you think about it.

Reading and Writing Reviews

I don’t feel that people understand the value of reading and writing reviews.

As a smart consumer, I am doing more and more research before I buy something. With the use of social media, I find that I’m bombarded with items that are easily bought on impulse. I see a lot of ads that sound like they would be a great product to have. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that many things are not as they seem.

I am learning that before I buy anything online (or any big purchases at the store), I am doing research and looking at the reviews. Things that sounded too good to be true are usually too good to be true after reading the reviews. I like to look at the number of reviews given, the recent reviews, 20 of the top reviews and 20 of the bottom reviews (if there are more than 50 reviews written). Usually, that gives me the big picture of what the item is really like.

When we go to a town that we don’t know anything about, I look up restaurants in the area through Yelp. I like to see the ratings and what people say about the restaurant. Usually, we can pick a good place to eat by using this process.

When we travel, I go on to TripAdvisor and look up things to do at the location we will be in. Usually, I can learn a lot by what people have written about the area and we can fine tune our itinerary using these reviews.

I was telling my husband today that I’m guilty of not reviewing items that I’ve bought, and I should. I know how much I valued the reviews that other people give, and I need to add to the community. If others were slack like I am, then I wouldn’t benefit from everyone else’s opinions. I need to write reviews of where I’ve eaten and places I’ve been too.

A good lesson to do with students is to have students review specific items. Before writing the review, talk about specific things that people might be looking for when reading a review. Then have them review a product, a restaurant, or a town/city.

Here are some possibilities for product reviews:

·      Did you like it and why?

·      Did it do what it was supposed to do?

·      What were the good or positive things about it?

·      What were the bad or negative things about it?

·      Is it durable?

·      Battery life if applicable.

·      Was it worth the money paid for it?

Here are some possibilities for restaurant reviews:

·      Did you like it and why?

·      What food did you order?

·      Was the food tasty?

·      Was the service good?

·      What were the good or positive things about it?

·      What were the bad or negative things about it?

·      Were the prices reasonable?

·      Would you go back to it again?

Here are some possibilities for travel:

·      Where did you go and how did you get there?

·      How long were you there (hours/days)?

·      What time of year were you there (season)?

·      What was the weather like while you were there?

·      What things did you do there?

·      How much did those things cost or were they free?

·      What were the good or positive things about it?

·      What were the bad or negative things about it?

·      Would you go visit there again?

What other things would you like people to mention in reviews? Please share.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Echo Dot and Smart Plugs - Review

A few months ago, I went to an Assistive Technology conference and heard about the Amazon Echo Dot and Smart Plugs. I thought I would give it a try so I ordered the Echo Dot and a smart plug online and there was almost a month back order on it. About a week later, we went to Sam’s Club and found two smart plugs so we bought them. Then we went to Best Buy and the Echo Dot was available now so we bought it. Of course I cancelled my online orders and was so excited to get to try both now.

I installed the smart plug which included downloading the Wink app. Then I had to download the iHome app and link the two of them together. After that, I had to install the Echo Dot and then link that to the iHome app. I plugged a lamp in and decided to try that and see how it worked.

The Echo Dot only cost me $49 and it is a fun toy. I like asking Alexa for the weather, to play Pandora music, or to tell me a joke. The best thing is that once I set up a shopping list on Todoist, I can tell Alexa to add things to the list. Then I can access the Todoist app on my phone and have the shopping list available wherever I am.

Unfortunately most of the time, the connection between the Echo Dot and the smart plug is disconnected. I end up having to reinstall the plug in Wink, iHome and then connecting it to the Dot. At first, the plug worked okay and I even scheduled the light to come on and off at a certain time one day a week. Then it started going offline more frequently. Now it seems like I go through the reinstall each day only to find out a few hours later, that it doesn’t work.

I think if I had to do it all over again, I would get the Echo Dot. In fact, we might get one for the kitchen so my hubby can add to the shopping list when he wants something. I also like the ability to listen to my music when I’m cleaning or cooking.

I don’t think I would get a smart plug again. Maybe eventually the smart plugs will work better but I was disappointed in this plug. It is too much of a hassle every day to try to get it to work and then find out a few hours later that it doesn’t work again.

Have you tried the Dot or smart plugs? Please share your experience with me.

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