Anyone Using This Platform in an Educational Context?
If This Then That, or “IFTTT” (https://ifttt.com/), is a free online app that will allow you to define relationships between applications and devices you use, and set up triggers so that X happens, Y will happen. This can creates myriad possibilities for automation.
For example, you can do something as simple as “check Bitcoin's price at 6 AM every day and notify me”, or something fancier like, “synch my Alexa To Do list with my Reminders on my phone”. This can even funkier when you start incorporating “IoT” devices, like a programmable thermostat or automated light switches. This article, “Automate all the little stuff in your life with these awesome IFTTT recipes“, provides a bunch of interesting examples (the sets of logic you define in IFTTT are called “recipes”).
I've been curious about this tool for quite a while now, but to be quite honest, when I wear my CIO hat, I can't bring myself to share multiple user names and passwords with an online app. It just makes my too nervous. Nevertheless, I imagine there could be some cool uses for IFTTT in the classroom if you are willing to take a little security risk (maybe I'm just being paranoid, this Reddit thread explains that IFTTT uses tokens and APIs and doesn't necessarily store your usernames and passwords in a retrievable way - I need to spend some time understanding that better).
I did poke around the web looking for examples of IFTTT use for education and found these resources which are worth exploring if you are interested:
- Connect and Automate your Digital Classroom Using IFTTT
- 12 applets for educators collection
- IFTTT for Educators (from Ed.TV)
Of course, I'd love to hear from someone who has actually used the platform (in or not in the educational context), so please share if you are using this and have used IFTTT. Thanks!
