This past Team Assignment really made clear to me the criteria for an effective technology tool. An ideal tool, to me, should be the following:
1) Accessible
2) User-friendly (intuitive)
3) Versatile
4) Simple (nothing flashy and unnecessary)
A couple of tech tools that meet these criteria are EDpuzzle and PowToon; they would rate high according to my criteria. EDpuzzle is not complicated at all. It is what it is. It's very straightforward and easy to use. Same goes for PowToon. Both of these tools can be used for any situation, for any course. It can also be used for non-educational purposes like entertainment and humor. Tech tools should make our jobs easier and less painful. In my opinion, if a tool is extremely complex, it's not worth the trouble of learning it because it will be time-consuming and cause more stress. The tools were so easy to learn that I did not have to immediately look up tutorials; the interface felt familiar and the navigation of it was natural.