Have fun with images


Pictures have a direct route to long-term memory.

 

Images

 

Use Photoshop Elements and free web tools to do exciting things with images! Turn any image into an online jigsaw puzzle. Put a photo of a student into a reading poster. Place your class on the cover of a magazine. Change a photograph into a cartoon drawing. Add picture frames and text to field trip photos. There are dozens of free online tools that let you do all of this and more!

 

Digital Image Samples

 

Teachers use digital images as visual aids to make their lessons more memorable. They also use images on their class websites to enhance its look or to communicate a message.

 

Students use digital images in their projects. The image itself might be the end product or images might be used in slide shows, websites, videos, brochures, etc.

 

Here are some free websites teachers and students can use to make fun and educational images:

 

Resize Image

Very simple website where you can easily resize an image to fit on your website. Remember, it's ok to make an image smaller, but enlarging a digital image will make it look blotchy.

 

Speechable

Caption a photo with speech bubbles and text. Great for foreign language and for learning about historic figures.

 

READ Image Generator

Create your own reading poster. Unfortunately, this site only produces a small image.

 

Make Your Own Chocolate Bar

Input short text and this site generates a candy bar with that text. This could be a cute way to advertise your web address or or upcoming event on your website or in a newsletter.

 

RedKid.Net

Put your own text on a variety of images, like a hotdog, iPod, sign, or even in a bowl of soup.

 

Dynamic Einstein Picture

Enter your own text on Albert Einstein's chalkboard.

 

Wanted Poster

Make an Old-West style poster. Instead of using yourself, try making posters about animals, environmental threats, or famous people.

 

The Newspaper Clipping Image Generator

Type in the name of the paper, date, headline, and story to generate a realistic-looking newspaper clipping. This is a fun way to post announcements on your website.

 

Big Huge Labs Magazine

Design a cover of a magazine using your own photo as the background.

 

BeFunky

Easily add photo effects, speech bubbles, text, and frames to your images. One of the best effects turns your photo into a cartoon drawing.

 

Badge Maker

Make an ID badge or pass. Issue one to students when they demonstrate mastery of a skill. Sometimes second grade teachers issue their students a "subtraction license."

 

Motivator

Create your own customized motivational poster. Great for illustrating vocabulary words.

 

Jigsaw Planet

Make any image into an interactive online jigsaw puzzle for students to solve. Using educational images will help students remember whatever is in that image. For example, students work on putting together a puzzle showing the three branches of government.

 

Picnik

Tweak your photos with a variety of editing tools. Add text, clip art, and picture frames to photos.

 

Block Posters

Create a poster size image from an image. Prints on several sheets of paper.

 

Dumpr

Upload a photo to create: Rubric cube, photo scene and in cell phone, ornament...

 

Big Huge Labs

Choose from many different effects: Magazine Cover, Warholizer, Motivator, Trading Cards, Billboard, Mosiac Maker, and many more.

 

 

It's best if you can use your very own images at the sites above. However, there are times when you want to use photos you find on the Internet. Remember that images you find on the Web are copywritten and you must have permission to repost them on online. Luckily there are sources for copyright-friendly images. You can download and freely use images from sites like the ones below.

 

 

As you can see, there are so many creative ways for images to be used in education. Got another site to share? How about specific ideas on using these tools in the classroom? Please leave a comment!