otos a little easier, and maybe even more fun!
Individuals have uploaded their personal photos and assigned one of six Creative Commons licenses to the photos. By choosing one of the six categories, you and your students will know for sure how you can use the photos you select. You will also have fewer problems with inappropriate photos by using this type of photo sharing site.
The folks that upload their photos add tags (or keywords) that describe what the photos represent. In looking for photos, you will use tags to find photos you want.
When you select photos to use there are a few things to remember:
1. The size of the photo file is important. Very rarely will you want to use the thumbnail size. The file is too small and when it gets stretched, the quality is very poor. On the other side, the largest file size can be a memory hog and make loading slow! The average size of 400-500 dpi is usually a good all-around size file to use.
2. The best format to use in saving pictures is jpg. The next most popular and easiest to use format is png. Try to save photos and other visuals in these two formats.
3. Here is some help in downloading pictures from Flickr Creative Commons and saving them to your computer so you can use them.
Ok, you have found a great place for you and your students to select photos. Now what kinds of things can you do with the photos? What results happen when you mash up two or more pieces of information?
IMAGE GENERATORS & MASHUPS
There are so many sites that allow you to upload pictures and create products with those pictures. Check out these sites and have some fun:
Big Huge Labs
Kid-Friendly Image Generators
Comic Strip Generator
Logo Makr - currently not available in district.
Spell with Flickr
How about creating a word cloud?
Make a book from Flickr pictures and your own words
Make a movie out of pictures, a few words, and some music.
How about trying a virtual poster or digital bulletin board full of pictures, hot links, and even videos?
For your Tool #3 Post in you blog:
1. Choose two different image generators or mashups and create a sample of each.
The samples could represent something important to you personally, classroom-related needs, or ideas for student projects.
If you have used any of these resources, please select two new (for you) choices.
2. Post your samples on you blog. You may add them to your Tool #3 post or your side bar using a gadget. There are directions for saving your creation on each site. Be sure you credit any photos you borrow!
3. Briefly explain how these samples would be used and how they might add to the learning process in your classroom.
Other than the search engine feature, probably the most well-known Google tool is Google Earth, a mash-up of photographs and maps. It is loaded on your SBISD laptop and other district computers, so you will not have to download it to use it. There are lots of uses for Google Earth.
There are Google images, Google videos, a Google news service and more!
For this Tool experience, the 11 Tools project managers would like for you to concentrate on Google Docs and Google Reader.
In another Tool further down the list, you will have the opportunity to explore Google Sites if you wish.
Take this tour to learn more about the Docs and how to use them. The Common Craft video will also quickly explain the value of using them.
This video will give you some insight to using the forms included in Google Docs
Listen to educators who use Google Docs. They describe many ways Google Docs can be used for their professional needs AND for student products!
Atomic Learning contains some videos on creating and using Google Docs if you would like to have more information. (This will require the district-provided login and password.)
The Common Craft guy Lee LeFever explains what a reader is. You will want to create one of these for the 11 Tools blogs you are following and any other online resources that update regularly.
You have probably seen the little orange RSS feed icon on many online resources. RSS or Really Simple Syndication is the means by which y