Tools to use for student creativity
Creativity has long a part of many forms of instruction and is a critical component to the productive evolution of a society. Fortunately, with the advent of new technology tools, student creativity can be automatically built in and encouraged into many tasks. Beyond that, student "create-ivity" (the students creating the product) can be enhanced and encouraged through a variety of Web 2.0 tools that inspire children to think "outside the box."
Animoto: This application claims to be the end of slideshows and honestly, it's got a "cool factor" other tools dream of having. Easy to use, Animoto allows users to upload photos and short video clips while integrating music (choose from a vast array of pre-loaded music or upload your own) to design professional looking presentations. On the surface, Animoto doesn't look like a higher level tool, but looking at samples from other teachers there are all sorts of powerful uses for this tool.
Animoto has a basic version for free, but educators can register and sign up for the All-Access Pass. Keep an eye on this program though, as it's been rumored to change. There's no current option to create student accounts, but the site appears to be safe for kids to use under teacher supervision.
Click here to view a sample Animoto a third-grade student created for the planets.
Animoto has a basic version for free, but educators can register and sign up for the All-Access Pass. Keep an eye on this program though, as it's been rumored to change. There's no current option to create student accounts, but the site appears to be safe for kids to use under teacher supervision.
Click here to view a sample Animoto a third-grade student created for the planets.
Glogster EDU: Why create traditional posters when you can do so much more? Add graphics, videos, photos, and sounds to traditional posters that have much more pizzazz. Integrate multiple ideas into one project. Use Glogster EDU to accomplish lots more than you could with construction paper. Poster yourself!
There are two versions of Glogster: the standard version, which might contain objectionable material, and the education version with the EDU prefix. Glogster EDU is free and allows you to create student accounts. Glogster now includes an Education Resource Library to help with rubrics and lesson plans too.
From an instructional perspective, teachers could use Glogster to introduce topics and units. For assessment, Glogster is a great tool to have kids connect different concepts using different types of media and hyperlinks. Check out some examples:
There are two versions of Glogster: the standard version, which might contain objectionable material, and the education version with the EDU prefix. Glogster EDU is free and allows you to create student accounts. Glogster now includes an Education Resource Library to help with rubrics and lesson plans too.
From an instructional perspective, teachers could use Glogster to introduce topics and units. For assessment, Glogster is a great tool to have kids connect different concepts using different types of media and hyperlinks. Check out some examples:
JayCut: A free online video editor that's fairly quick and easy to use. Upload short clips and edit them like you would in other, more expensive tools. Even add things like voice overs and transitions!
BigHugeLabs: A funny sounding name, but lots of potential tools! Where to start? There are literally dozens of things you can use. What's best? The magazine cover maker and motivational poster maker could make for some nice project ideas.
Educators can register for a FREE educator's account which allows you all sorts of great added benefits, like creating student accounts and ad-free sites. It's very easy.
BHL is probably best for quick assessment tasks, like possibly as part of a station-based unit. Not all tasks are suitable for academic work, but there are enough where it's worth looking through.
Educators can register for a FREE educator's account which allows you all sorts of great added benefits, like creating student accounts and ad-free sites. It's very easy.
BHL is probably best for quick assessment tasks, like possibly as part of a station-based unit. Not all tasks are suitable for academic work, but there are enough where it's worth looking through.
Ahead: Similar to Prezi, Ahead is a zooming presentation tool that allows students to be enormously creative while communicating information. What separates Ahead from Prezi is the ability to load Microsoft Office and Adobe products.
Flixtime: Similar to Animoto, Flixtime allows you to upload pictures, short video clips, and audio and synthesize it into a cool looking presentation. At this point, you're limited to 60 seconds, but this is a great boundary to set with kids as you get them started.
Flixtime is FREE and (as of this writing) doesn't foster the sharing of other people's creations. This makes it practical for students to create their own accounts and start innovating.
Instructionally, teachers can use this to introduce new concepts or as a review. In terms of assessment, students could create quick videos to synthesize a concept or topic using videos and captions. The necessary brevity forces students to stay on topic and use only the most relevant information.
Flixtime is FREE and (as of this writing) doesn't foster the sharing of other people's creations. This makes it practical for students to create their own accounts and start innovating.
Instructionally, teachers can use this to introduce new concepts or as a review. In terms of assessment, students could create quick videos to synthesize a concept or topic using videos and captions. The necessary brevity forces students to stay on topic and use only the most relevant information.
Kerpoof: Featuring a wide range of different creativity tools, kids can create online stories, make animated movies, and design cards with simple, kid-friendly tools. Geared for elementary aged kids, Kerpoof allows teachers to create accounts that can be distributed to students safely. Teacher accounts even come with lesson plans already designed featuring things like the life cycle of a butterfly.
Capzles: Capzles is a collaborative storytelling site that allows students to blend music, video, audio, text, and even different file types into a single presentation. Capzles would be great for time-lines or virtual field trips, or students could create thematic presentations that are truly multi-media!
Nota: Nota is a site similar to Glogster EDU with different functionality. Nota allows you to search and import directly from other web products like YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, and others as well as other forms of media. While not obviously flashy, Nota is another tool that enables students to create lively multimedia presentations that break the boundaries of Power Point. Also, Nota allows for collaborative creation which unleashes all sorts of possibilities.
ToonDoo: An online comic strip creator. This is powerful and fun to use. Create strips with multiple pages and lots of content. Tell your history story using a creative method (see some of the samples they have on the Bubonic Plague, for example!) or come up with another fun and exciting idea for this great tool!
ToonDoo is best used as a new way to tell a story or share information. Student examples have ranged from modern-day Cinderella stories to exhibit elements of fairy tales to cartoons explaining the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering.
ToonDoo is free to use, but could contain objectionable material. ToonDoo Spaces is a pay-to-use part of their site that allows you to create student accounts that are safer to use.
ToonDoo is best used as a new way to tell a story or share information. Student examples have ranged from modern-day Cinderella stories to exhibit elements of fairy tales to cartoons explaining the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering.
ToonDoo is free to use, but could contain objectionable material. ToonDoo Spaces is a pay-to-use part of their site that allows you to create student accounts that are safer to use.