Thing 27 DIY

I found out that working with one of my teachers that has used Animoto that teachers can sign up for 50 free accounts. The teacher has to log in but then the students can work on it. The education link promised that the students would simply be able to share their book project with their teacher which really didn’t happen. But since all of our students do have gmail accounts the students were able to send the link directly to the teacher. So Animoto does work but it still is quirky but it can still be a valuable tool for creativity. I still like Photo Peach the best.

Thing 27: DIY Pick

Thing 27: DIY – You Pick
So I tried PhotoPeach because it had the Animoto style to it. Unfortunately when my students used Animoto months ago we found out that it has the Animoto logo on the screen therefor we do not use it anymore. It was very easy to learn. Basically collect pictures in a file and upload them in PhotoPeach. It has a follow and comment functions like most programs have. The free version has the video set to “Not shown to the public.” This way students can send the link to the teacher or librarian to view. It is cheap if you want an individual $3.00 a month personal account or $9.00 for a class. I, like most educators, use the free version. It can be embedded into blogs and shared via social media.
Cool features:
• Easy upload images (from computer or web based like Picasa)
• Max photos 30 (excellent amount)
• Easy text input
• Choose their music (decent variety similar to Animoto)
• Change speed
• Can be made into a quiz
Bummer features:
• Cannot download unless paid subscriber
• Cannot upload own music
• Cannot fully change transitions
• Has ads but that’s the price to pay for free
Rating: I think this is a great free program that can be used with students in both elementary and secondary schools. Definitely a thumbs up.

My very first test run of this program was extremely simple, but, now I know how easy it is to use I can’t wait to show it off.

http://photopeach.com/album/13tf50j

I currently have an ELA teacher using it. We wanted the students to create book reports by using technology beyond PowerPoints to share with other. We created a link on my library web page for images for students to use. We wanted to make sure the images were being used within the parameters of fair use and not infringing on copyright images. So one link we used was from Questar III SLS LibGuide  Can I use that Picture? Students can actually use the visual to decide what they can or cannot use. Hopefully the students will use the links. Every time you turn around they always seem to be on Google but when we tell them they have to search it a different way they groan and switch to Bing. So we have to remember to tell them constantly what sites they can use and how to use them. Hopefully we will have many awesome book videos and very few usage violations.