Add fun to learning with Trading Cards

Trading Card Creator

This site allows you to create Trading Cards which gives students an alternative way to demonstrate their knowledge of a concept. This interactive activity allows students to create their own trading card about a real or fictional person, place, object, event or concept. The site also provides ideas and lesson plans.

Turn photos into art with these 3 apps

Popsicolor

Popsicolor is a great photo editing app from the creator of Percolator. It turns your photos into an ink drawing using two colours. It is easy and fun to use. You can load images from your photo gallery on your device or take a photo.

ToonCamera

This is another photo editing app which allows you to be creative with both images and videos. You can select from a range of tools to create artistic effects.

Repix

Repix provides you with a range of artistic effects which you apply straight to the image by drawing on the iPad.  This gives you freedom to add effects where you want.

A Guide to Digital Portfolios

Here is a one page guide to Digital Portfolios I created.

Having fun with spelling

Here are two sites which can add variety and interest to spelling activities!

Spell with Flickr

Create words using images from Flickr.  Great for writing names or adding interest to spelling words or creating banners to decorate Virtual Classrooms. Type in the word and click on spell.  To change the look of a letter click on it.  To save the image use can use the snipping tool on your lap top.

GeoGreeting

This is a great way to add some interest to spelling and integrate geography at the same time. You can type a message and the site finds an image from around the globe which resembles the letter.  You could do this as a class activity or send a message to someone.

Here is an example I created

7 Great sites for free images

There are many reasons why we use images in the classroom.  With the internet, we now have access to more images than we have before.  However, we need to be aware of which images we use and the copyright restrictions.

Here are a few sites which provide free images to use.  You still need to check the requirements before you use the image. 

Morgue File

Open Clipart 

Flickr

Free Digital Photos

Free Web Headers  

       

Pixel Perfect Digital

Stockvault

Creating Comics with Photoscape

Photoscape is a free software which you can download. This software has many uses but the one which I really like is the ability to create photo collages and add speech bubbles.

It would be interesting to hear how others would use this software. It is great for creating Digital Storytelling, comics, digital multimodal products and collages.

To create a comic click on 'Page'.

You can then select the size of the page and select the page template you wish.

Change the size by clicking on Edit, an A4 size is Width: 720 and Height 1040

You select the folder with images and click and drag the images into the collage.

To add the speech bubble, click on edit and then object. Customise the speech bubble.
You can then save the page as a jpeg file to your computer.

Creating Photo Collages can also be a great way to tell a story by choosing a theme or take photos of the same object from different angles.  I would love to hear ways you would you this software.

Embed into PowerPoint

I had to share this bit of information.  Yesterday a colleague of mine showed me how you can embed items into 2010 powerpoint.

Go to insert, video and video from website

Copy the embed code from a website such as http://www.voki.com/

Paste in the Code

Select Insert and the embeded content will now appear in the PowerPoint.

For years Language teachers have been asking me how they can save their Vokis without having students sign in.  This is a great way for students to present work from the web.

Vokis in particular can be used for students to demonstrate understanding, reflecting, learning words and greetings, asking questions, responding and give instructions.