Keep Grinning

Slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

This is a simple slideshow that was created using an application called Smilebox.  By using this free tool, which is for PC or Mac, the user generates invitations or greetings, slideshows, scrapbooks, photo albums, calendars, recipes or collages.  There are more than 1,000 customizable designs that the user can add photos or videos to along with music and their own words.  Once the item is done it can be emailed or posted to a variety of social venues.  The code can be embedded into an online publication or there is a link to the creation on the Smilebox web site. It can be saved for future use or alteration.  Printing at home or via a store or burning to a DVD can be done but this will cost $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year.  Payment of this fee also enlarges the music selection considerably. 
The Smilebox application is installed on your computer in seconds.  You can create an account with your email, full name and a password.   This is just one more option available to generate classy visual presentations small or large.  Users must be 18 years of age.
Check out the Smilebox blog connection at the bottom of the home page. Additionally for educators click on Teachers Toolbox which is shown at the bottom of the home page.  Smilebox Teachers Toolbox offers the premium Club Smilebox service free of charge once you have provided the appropriate information.  It includes 900 designs specific to the classroom along with ideas on how it can best be utilized.  Not only can educators use this to convey a specific idea, capture moments in the classroom to share with parents but students can use this to address requirements for projects in the classroom.

Poster Panorama

In three easy steps using the web 2.0 application Block Posters the user can generate a poster of just about any size.  There is no registration and it is free.  It would be advisable for users under the age of 13 to work with a parent or have their permission.  I did check the gallery for any posters that might be inappropriate finding only one that might be slightly questionable but that does not preclude what might appear there in the future.

In step one the user uploads a photograph that is stored on their computer.  The image is transferred to Block Posters' web server so please be wise in making a selection.  The user's selection is sliced in step two.  The option of choosing the size of their poster in page widths and whether they would like it to be portrait or landscape is offered.  Step three asks the user to download the PDF file which contains the images.  They will be printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader.  If that free software is not currently installed on the user's computer it can be done at that time. 

Imagine the potential uses for this application in our classroom settings for bulletin boards or displays or to set up a wall where students can post comments about what is pictured.  The middle school media center is about to get a new wall display.  And what about that blank wall at home?

School Library Learning 2.0 #12

Having used Wordle with my students previously it was interesting to explore Rollyo to create a search tool with those sites that I use constantly.  And I can see a definite use for the ALA graphic generator option. (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/graphics/READ_Mini_Posters.cfmving

The Traveler IQ Challenge is a great way to increase your geography savvy. (http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq)

School Library Learning 2.0 #10

As far as online image generators go I still like to use Big Huge Labs, home of fd's Flickr Toys (http://www.bighugelabs.com/).   It offers so many options and the ease of use is a big plus.  I did try Comic Strip Generator(http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/maker.asp) also as you can see.