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Doug Johnson's Tech Proof

Five for Fun

While much of the appeal of digital photography is in being able to edit images, Photoshop is a program I have just not gotten around to learning in any depth. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with images -- thanks to some easy-to-use online tools.

Lots of these image “generators" are available on the Web. Most are free and easy to use -- so easy even a technology director can manage them. Here are five of my favorites -- just for fun.

Image created with Motivator..

ImageChef

Image created with Image Chef..

Create banners, buttons, signs, license plates, bling and a host of other graphics using the pre-built images in ImageChef. Choose an image, add the words, and click Preview. That’s it. To save a creation, click Post to Blog or MySpace, choose the size image, and drag it to your desktop. Easy cheesy.

Cameroid

Image created with Cameroid..

If you have a webcam, Cameroid uses it to modify the user’s image. Choose from a variety of special effects, filters, frames, and scenes; align your picture; and click the camera. One click saves it to your desktop. I don’t want to get into a discussion about evolution here, but….

BeFunky Cartoonizer

Image created with BeFunky..

BeFunky will turn your photos, uploaded or taken with your webcam, into a cartoon-style line drawing.Add detail, color, and “accessories." This program requires some experimenting, but it can turn out some striking images.

The Fodey Generator

This tool, like ImageChef, allows you to add your text to pre-created images. One nice feature is that it creates html scripts for pasting into web pages for animations, like the “ninja writer" below. Spice up your website!

If you’d like to discover more of these kinds of tools, peruse the archives of The Generator Blog.

Creative teachers will find many ways to put these graphics tools to use in student projects and in their own communication efforts.

But perhaps it’s enough that they are just plain fun!

Meet Doug Johnson Doug Johnson has been the Director of Media and Technology for the Mankato Public Schools since 1991 and has served as an adjunct faculty member of Minnesota State University, Mankato since 1990. His teaching experience has included work in grades K-12 in schools both here and in Saudi Arabia. He is the author of four books -- The Indispensable Librarian; The Indispensable Teacher's Guide to Computer Skills; Teaching Right from Wrong in the Digital Age; and Machines Are the Easy Part; People Are the Hard Part. His regular columns appear in Library Media Connection, Leading & Learning and The School Administrator magazines and his articles have appeared in more than 40 books and periodicals. Doug has conducted workshops and given presentations for more than 130 organizations throughout the United States as well as in Malaysia, Kenya, Thailand, Germany, Qatar, Canada, the UAE and Australia. He has held a variety of leadership positions in state and national organizations, including ISTE and AASL.

Article by Doug Johnson
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Copyright © 2008 Education World

09/05/2008