I found the coolest web tool!!!
It's called SlideRocket and its an online slide show generator. While my 7th and 8th graders are making video, my 6th graders are creating slideshows. Their assignment was to create a slideshow about our middle school for the incoming 6th graders. I really didn't want to have them use Windows Movie Maker, so I set out to search for the perfect program. And, I think I found it - well we all know there is no such thing as a perfect program - but this one comes darn close.
An added bonus - if you have a Google Apps for Educators account, then SlideRocket EDU is free for everyone at your school to use!
An added bonus - if you have a Google Apps for Educators account, then SlideRocket EDU is free for everyone at your school to use!
You have to sign up and give an email address, but there is no verification before using, so this will work for my 6th graders. I opened it and it asked me if I wanted to watch a tutorial - naturally, I said no (he he he). The set up was VERY easy to follow. It allows you to import Google Docs or Microsoft PowerPoints - kinda cool.
You have to pick a theme and there are about 9-10 to pick from in the free version - not too bad. Once in the main program, there is a tool bar down the left side that shows all you need to do: adding text, pictures, video, plug ins, audio, and voice over. I had a ton of options for choice of font, lines, boxes, colors, and more.
The menu at the top is also very easy to follow and understand.
It was also a breeze to crop and move pictures around.
This was so simple to use. In my final product I added transitions and audio from Garage Band. I wanted something else for audio, but I was pressed for time - know how that goes!
I decided to dig up all the Easter photos of my girls that I could find from 2001 to 2011 - I am missing 2005, 2006, and 2008... It's cute to see how they changed each year.
November 7, 2011 at 5:13 AM
I agree this seems like a cool site. It reminds me of imovie but I am guessing that you could use it even without a Mac. It was neat to see your girls transition from babies to adolescents. You did a great job putting that together.