I had an old coat that was worn out, so instead of throwing it away, I gave it to my kittens to sleep on. I kept getting up and finding that coat in the hall, in the den. I could not imagine how it got there. Then one night I heard a strange noise while I was on the computer, looked out my door, and there were my two babies dragging that heavy coat down the hallway!! They weren't even a year old at the time. Needless to say, I had to grab my camera!
My next creation was also at fototrix but is a magazine cover:
Rusty likes to get inside anything he can, or cannot, fit. My son had just emptied the bottled water package and set it next to the trash can. Next thing I knew, Rusty was in it and having a grand old time. I'm glad I keep my camera handy...
Finally, my news headline from http://www.imagechef.com/ It was easy too...just type in your words and it automatically generates the headline in all caps.
Fototrix was very simple to use. Simply upload a photo from your computer, or you can do a web search for one, using their upload tool. Choose from hundreds of layouts, click on the one you want and it automatically inserts your image. Save it to your computer and it's there for whatever use you have in mind.
I tried to use the Body Switcher, but I could never get a picture that fit into the body just right. All I got was a corner of the face, or an ear - the pictures were either too big or in the wrong place on the photo. I gave up on it. I'm sure I'll go back and try it again. I saw many possibilities for funny pictures, but tonight I was more anxious to move on and see what was next.
The last picture, the headline, was the one I thought I might use with my students. I can see them using the headline to report the main idea of a specific passage, make a cover page for a report, create a headline using required parts of speech - any number of ways. Image Chef has so many templates in so many different categories that I believe my students would be able to find several they could use for demonstrating learning.
I also can see using both FotoTrix and Image Chef myself for some of my family photographs and vacation pictures to add some humor to our family album or to my scrapbooking pages.
I had no idea there were so many great programs out there to use - free! I've found myself wanting to sit for hours and just browse, play, create. Unfortunately I have a house that needs cleaning, pets that need feeding, and a bed that really needs to be slept in!!! Time flies by when I'm playing...er, I mean working...and all of a sudden it's after midnight, one o'clock, and I'm still at the computer.
I'd really like to hear how some of you are planning to use the toys we've found in your classrooms. I think it's great to be able to share our ideas. Can you imagine what it will be like when our students get involved in online education. I think it's a good move. Now if we can only convince the government to back off and let us get about the business of teaching....
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