Something for Everyone....

Another website to explore chosen by the American Association of School Librarians, Best Websites for Teaching and Learning 2012 under Media Sharing, Standards for the 21st-Century Learner is Jux.  Like all the websites selected for this list, the services offered by Jux are without cost.  The motto shown when accessing the home page for Jux is:

Simply the best showcase for your content...

Jux claims that the best reasons for using this application are:

• full screen with no ads, sidebars or knobs
• a user can improvise safely
• a user can put their heart into their creations with the results being an accidental masterpiece
• use of HTML5 on your computer, an iPad or iPhone
• easily share results with others

Prior to signing up a visitor to the site can explore the works of others.  Users must be 13 years of age.  To begin click the Get Started button within the big blue balloon.  To register you are asked to provide an email address, a username which becomes your personal URL and a password.

When first signing in you are visually presented with a selection of possible creative choices.  They are Block Quote, Article, Photo, Video, SlideShow, CountDown and StreetView.  In the upper right hand corner are three small icons representing:  share, add new and your account options.  Account options include all my stuff, explore Jux, help, what's new, settings and sign out.

I decided to try as many of the options as I could to highlight a well-known author/illustrator living in Michigan, Union City to be exact, Patricia Polacco.  I wanted to see if I could set up an author study using this application.  The first option I tried was Block Quote.

When selecting Block Quote a smaller screen appears to the right on top of the Block Quote screen.  This smaller window allows the user to upload a photo from their computer, Flickr, Facebook, Instagram or enter in a URL.  At this point type in the quotation; Express Yourself. 

To make the Block Quote as artistic as the user desires the photo size can be altered as can the text position.  If the photo is small a background color can be chosen.  There are a variety of font styles, sizes and colors.  For even more enhancement there are ten photo effects; Stylize.

Prior to clicking the done button under Set Options you can decide to show or change your name, the date, photo permissions (optional) and whether you wish to display the Jux logo.  At this time you can choose to email your creation, embed it, share it on Facebook or Twitter.  


After clicking the done button your presentation appears on a new screen.  The blue pencil in the upper right hand corner allows you to change how the initial screen highlighting all your work appears; white (day) or black (dusk) background, five fonts for the title, size alteration and color, whether to show or hide the home link, email address, Twitter name, or add a link to the Block Quote.  You can choose to show your name as the author and change its font, show the date and how many views have been made of your creation.  When mousing over the Block Quote you are allowed to edit your work, pin it to the top or delete it.


As in designing a Block Quote if the Article is clicked the same options appear, Express Yourself, Stylize and Set Options.  It is identical with all of the other design choices.  CountDown is where you can make a list of favorites.  StreetView takes an address and gives a visual snapshot of that point.

I found working with Jux to be enjoyable with professional results.  Using the same format between presentation venues makes it very easy to use.  This application is worth going to again and again; a one stop shop.

I have embedded my Block Quote example here.  You can toggle through all the others by clicking on Next.  If you click on the icon in the middle looking like a small stack of rectangles you can go to full screen.