JAlbum

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 * JAlbum**

JAlbum is a program that allows users to create digital photo albums. It is very simple and user-friendly, so students of all ages could use it in the classroom or at home. The user can simply upload photos from his or her computer, choose a skin and a style (which change the look and feel of the photo album), and make the album. A slideshow feature is also available. Once the album has been put together, the user can create an account at JAlbum.net for free and publish it on the Internet for others to view.

This program can be downloaded and installed for free and requires at least Java 1.5, but can run on any Java-enabled system. There is no registration required. JAlbum could be applied to any classroom with students of all ages. I see it being used for long-term or culminating projects. For example, in a biology class, students (or groups of students) could be asked to take photographs of at least ten different species of trees, upload the photos to JAlbum, identify them and label the photo with the scientific name for the species in the photo caption, and provide the link to the photo album to the teacher for grading. This software provides a fantastic way for students to create products that demonstrate their knowledge using technology instead of poster board and other art supplies; this would surely save schools money and streamline the creation process, making students more time-efficient.

Unfortunately, I don't think this program could really be considered to support metacognition. Students do not necessarily gain a better understanding of their learning by creating a product with JAlbum. Even so, I think it is a valuable tool for assessment in education.

Below is a screenshot of an album I created featuring pictures of my nieces and nephews: