Thing #3: Eye Candy--use visuals to engage learners

This month, you will explore web 2.0 tools that generate pictures, avatars, comics, videos, animations and other visually stimulating THINGS.

Assignment:

1. Play with 3 tools (or more)
2. Evaluate tools you tested out
3. 3 Twitter posts about each tool
4. 1 Blog post to summarize your learning

1. Play:

Create accounts for 3 new-to-you visual web 2.0 tools.  Play around and make sample projects.  You might spend anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes on each.  A list is on the bottom by category, as well as links to websites and articles on similar tools. 

2. Crowd-sourcing evaluations:

For each tool, complete the *EVALUATION FORM* 
View the *RESULTS HERE*. to see evaluations by others of tools you might want to use.

3. and 4. Tweet and Blog

1. Write at least one post about each tool on Twitter.  Try to use the handle/username and hashtags to draw attention.
Example:       
"attn.HS Libraries: looking for pro/con on @BrainHive Please RT! Thx! #tlchat #AASL13"
is more effective than 
"Has anyone used Brain Hive?"
You can also search Twitter to see what others have posted.
I use Twitter for tech support (contact them directly or ask your PLN).  I often get a response sooner than email from the company or someone else in my PLN.
2. Write a blog post about your experiences with Thing #3, preferably toward the end of the month when more evaluations are posted.

Deadline to qualify for iPad raffle drawings: December 31, 2013

TOOLS

Picture tagging

• Thinglink

Photo editing, tools, and toys

• Fotoflexer
• Aviary
• PicMonkey
• Pixlr
• Big HugeLabs

Picture slideshow

• PhotoPeach

(Talking or not) avatar or image

• Voki
• Blabberize
• Pickaface
• Telligami--ipad

Comic strip

• Pixton
• Bitstrips app
• Toon Doo
• comic life
• comic creator

Animated cartoon/video OR movie

• Powtoon 
• Plotagon
• Moviestorm

e-books

• bookr
• tarheel reader

QR codes/Augmented Reality

• kaywa
• aurasma app (looks wicked cool!)
• tagmydoc
• visualead

Infographics

• visual.ly
• Piktochart
• infogram
• ease.ly

Timelines

• Timetoast
• Dipity
• Xtimeline

Digital poster/wall/graphic organizer

• Popplet
• Mural.ly
• Smore
• bubbl.us
• Padlet 

 

Word Tools

• Wordle-word cloud generators  or check this article
• ReciteThis -turn a quote into art
• Haiku Deck meme maker -ipad
• Superlame-add speech bubbles to pics

Just plain fun

• Fodey Talking squirrels, newspaper generators, wizard text above...

Visual conversations

• Voicethread (only 3 threads with free account, so don't overdo it!)

How-to guides

• Snapguide
• Explain Everything

RESOURCES

Check out my Diigo Tech tools Library  Search within or click a tag--in case it's tagged.
Tech tools organized by device is a handy spreadsheet organizing tools by function and device compantability for BYOD options.
I often use Google to find tools and You Tube for tutorials (example: You can also Google ("Powtoon alternative" or "online journal creator classroom" or "infographic generator")