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On July 24th, we went into panic mode about the possibility of MS Paint being discontinued. Evidently, so did the whole MS Paint community. See, we have a special love for MS Paint as most of our images at first were made using it! (See our About Us page). Over time, we have used a growth mindset to continue to improve and we use different tools now in trying new projects. Still, Paint---with all its simplicity---is a great tool and also works well for creating in the classroom. While it turns out now that MS Paint is here to stay, we had been doing some exploring of alternatives that would work well in a classroom setting for creating back when we thought it might disappear. We LOVE AutoDraw, a Google project. Other than being able to use A.I. technology to guess what someone is drawing (especially helpful for Pinky as you see the suggestions for the bird in the screenshot below), this program also requires NO downloading and works on all device types. While we never want to focus just on a technology tool as tools come and go (with good pedagogy remaining), you will find that AutoDraw has the potential to be an awesome classroom tool for all kinds of creating. Vocab comics on a virtual word wall? Frames for a GIF? Yes, AutoDraw is fabulous for student classroom creators.  Reviewing? We have a resource that uses our GIFs in a powerful way! We think reviews can be great with visuals and questions- and these Google Slides use our Amoeba Sisters GIFs (animations)! Click the GIF below to access our "Biology Discussion Topics with GIFs!" These can make GREAT warm-ups and exit tickets, and they also can be powerful in facilitating discussion. Instructions on how to use and present it will be found in the second slide. Click the purple button below to access entire slideshow. Sorry, this GIF review is not set to allow for editing, but you can get the individual GIFs found in this slideshow to use in a different way. Visit our GIF page. Are you looking for a print-out? Scroll down at bottom of this post for a PDF copy.  Click purple GIF button above to access. Due to GIF animations, this is too large as a PowerPoint. However, in Google Slides, you need only click "present" (at top right) to present it just like a slideshow. Do you need a PDF of the questions that can be printed? You can download it below. (Note: GIFs are not animated in a PDF. See our GIFs page to access individual GIFs.) 
Well, we are just about done with our "how to create and use" GIF series. Oh, we're going to keep making them on our GIFs page! But we're on to other EdTech topics.
So we leave you with some of our ideas - here are 5 Meaningful Ideas for Using GIFs in your Classroom. We have featured how to create GIFs (both for teachers and students) as well as using GIFs in Google and review games (like Kahoot).
How do you feel about virtual word walls? We know that having students copy down definitions isn't the best practice. What if, instead, we let students create GIF animations for vocabulary? If every student had a different vocabulary word, you could end up with some powerful animations of an entire word wall! Plus, it allows for students to use creativity and demonstrate deep understanding in order to animate a vocab word. Websites like Padlet or Linoit are perfect for hosting them! Take a look at our example here! So in our previous topic, we talked about how students can create GIFs to bring vocabulary and processes to life. Now, we can focus on what to do with them! As you may know, student created GIFs work on most teacher websites. They also work in PowerPoints (once you are in slideshow mode). Did you know that GIFs play in Kahoot? Kahoot is an awesome, interactive quiz game that works with all device types. Load a GIF like a picture and ask a thought provoking question that relates to the GIF. GIFs also work in Google docs, Google slides, etc. Instead of a card sort---consider an animated one using a Google Doc and GIFs! Click here for an example of a Google Doc showing a virtual card sort!  |
About This PageThis page features some of Pinky's favorite instructional technology websites, apps, online resources, response systems, and other tools. Please always read the terms and privacy policy of any technology tool that you plan to use in the classroom.
Disclosure? If we share a tool or website on this page, it's because we like it and find it useful. We don't have affiliate links on this blog. If we use affiliate links at any point on this blog, we will announce on the individual post. Topics
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