Week 3 - Image Editing

Jessica Meier (2011).  Fenway Park.  From my personal computer, manipulated at Big Huge Labs.com.

This week we got to play with image editing tools.

The first was Big Huge Labs.  This site has a number of tools - from making motivational posters to creating magazine covers to designing trading cards - to edit pictures.  The site is pretty easy to navigate, but once a tool is opened, the screen is a little cluttered.  It could be difficult for younger students, struggling readers, or students with sensory concerns to use.  Students who are very good with the computers would have no problem with the site.   This would be a great assessment tool for any subject.  The students could make posters, magazine covers, or trading cards to show what they know about a topic.

Next, I explored Image Chef.  This site has stock photos where the students can add text.  There is also an option to upload a photo.  One tool I found interesting was making Wanted posters.  Students could upload pictures of famous Americans and create Wanted posters with information that they have learned.  The could do the same with literary characters at the middle and high school level.

Foldplay takes photos and turns them into puzzles, FoldBooks, kaleidoscope puzzles, or poly puzzles (double sided, double shaped puzzles).  I can't see using the puzzle features in the classroom or library, but I love the FoldBook feature.  This feature could be used at all of the grade levels for book publication.  Younger students can write easy books about themselves or their families or even tie the book into a content area resource.  Older students can write study guides for a younger audience or even books for their content areas.  The possibilities for this feature are endless and helps the students become instant authors.

Jessica Meier (2011).  Green Monster Chairs.  Manipulated at www.tuxpi.com

The final image editor that I explored was Tuxpi Photo Editor.  This site boasts 58 photo editing tools, from adding boarders and effects to other fun effects.  Students can make motivational posters on this site as well. Outside of the motivational poster tool, there is also a Breaking News tool.  This could be used to help the students get to the point with their presentations.

Manipulating images was fun to try this week!