Our brains love images. They let students really show what they know. Here are 10 tools students can use to create images.
Images are an integral part of our lives.
- Babies interpret the world in images, not through text, through vision.
- Children love picture books.
- We watch videos and read publications that are visually rich.
In short, our brains were made for processing visuals! There's lots of evidence that learning and remembering is improved through the use of visuals:
- Picture superiority effect: Pictures and images are more likely to be remembered than words.
- Dual coding theory: The formation of mental images helps with learning.
- Sensory semantic theory: Pictures assess meaning more directly than words.
Want to give your instruction -- or your student activities -- a jolt of brain power? Infuse some visuals in them.
In this post, I'll share 10 image creation tools that students can use to demonstrate what they've learned.
Quick Navigation: 10 image creation tools for students
Adobe Spark
Website: spark.adobe.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser. Also mobile apps.
Description: Spark is a three-in-one creation tool. With Spark Post, students can create visuals by blending images, text, shapes and more. With Spark Page, they can make webpages to display information. With Spark Video, they can use the same elements to make videos. All three Spark tools are free to use in education.
Ideas for the classroom:
Canva
Website: canva.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser. Also iOS (iPad, iPhone) and Android apps.
Description: Canva is a graphics creator. Start with one of their gorgeous pre-created templates or a blank image. Pull in their design elements or make something from scratch. When you're done, you can download your creation as an image file to share with others.
Ideas for the classroom:
Google Drawings/Slides/PowerPoint
Website: drawings.google.com, slides.google.com, powerpoint.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser. PowerPoint: also desktop software and mobile apps. Slides: also mobile apps.
Description: These three options come from productivity suites G Suite and Microsoft Office. Drawings is like a digital posterboard. Slides and PowerPoint are technically slide presentation tools. But by designing on a single slide, you turn Slides and PowerPoint into powerful graphics creation tools. Use the creation tools on any of them -- images, text, lines, shapes, etc. -- and save your finished product as an image file.
Buncee
Website: buncee.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser. Also for iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Windows tablets.
Description: Buncee is a creation and communication tool for students, educators and administrators. It helps them create interactive content, allowing those of all ages to visualize concepts and communicate creatively. Add a variety of graphics and media tools to your creation. Buncee designs go beyond the digital poster project with interactive elements.
Piktochart
Website: piktochart.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser.
Description: Piktochart might be best known as an infographic tool. Add images, icons, text and more to a blank page or one of their free templates. It can also be used to create presentations to share with groups -- and to create printed posters, flyers and reports.
Storyboard That
Website: storyboardthat.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser.
Description: A storyboard is what creatives, from film producers to YouTubers, use to visualize their ideas. They chart it out in images and text in the order it should happen. Storyboard That lets students create storyboards (kind of like comic strips) with thousands of customizable images. Their free account empowers students to create new storyboards every week.
Ideas for the classroom:
PicCollage
Websites: iOS app / Android app
For mobile devices with iOS (iPad, iPhone) or Android
Description: This mobile app lets you and your students transform photos you've taken (and photos you've gotten elsewhere) into multimedia creations. Add them to grids. Use text with a variety of fonts. Add stickers for emphasis or decoration. When you're done, save them to your camera roll to share with others -- or turn in to the teacher.
Adobe Fresco
Website: fresco.adobe.com
For iPad and Windows 10 tablets (Surface Pro, Surface Book, etc.)
Description: Fresco is a sketchbook program for touch screen devices like iPad and Microsoft Surface tablets. It's a feature-rich sketch app. It can help the serious artist create realistic watercolors. It also helps the basic doodler get ideas on a page. Save sketches as image files to share with others.
Paper
Website: paper.bywetransfer.com
For iOS devices (iPad, iPhone)
Description: Paper is a simple sketch app. But its simplicity doesn't mean you can't get fancy with it. Use a variety of digital brushes and pencils. Mix colors. Insert images. Create smart shapes. Turn your artistic ideas -- or your deep brainstorm -- into a visual others can appreciate.
Ideas for the classroom:
LunaPic
Website: lunapic.com
Web-based. Runs in a browser.
Description: Looking to make some adjustments to an image? Add some text? Change a photo into an Obama-style high contrast poster? This simple browser-based image editor has lots of filters and effects -- as well as basic image creation features -- to let your students' creativity run wild.
What is your favorite image creation tool for students? How do you use it? Is there one that missed my list? Share your thoughts in a comment below!
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I have a good tip for all the readers, besides making amazing presentations with the free iSlide PowerPoint add-in, you can also just copy images, custom made charts, icons and vectors, from PowerPoint, to any other office program. For Windows and macOS, in 9 major languages, and with a free subscription available.
See this example:
https://islide-powerpoint.com/en/support/tips-ideas/15-minutes-en
Just register an email address to get started!
Try it sometimes!
Regards,
Silvia
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