Change Your Image: Free and Simple Online Photo Editing Tools

While much of the appeal of digital photography is in being able to edit images, Photoshop is a program that just takes too long for most of us to learn. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with images -- thanks to some easy-to-use online tools. Learn 13 simple websites that allow you and your students to manipulate, change and use digital photographs. Create posters, customized images, and other original products. Fun even for the beginner.

This workshop is hands-on. In it, participants (needing Internet access) will be divided into teams. Each team will be given two resources and 45 minutes to explore them both. The task is to create two products for each site and a list of at least three ways the tool can be used by students as part of an assignment. (Teams can explore additional items of interest as time allows.)

As groups finish their products, they should upload them to a common DropBox Folder or a another file sharing site. (Fickr and Picasa work fine for graphics.)

The second part of the session is for each team to demonstrate one of the site they've worked with and share the activities with the group.

1. First, filters. A good way to change a photo is to run it through a "filter" that makes it look artistic. Commercial programs like Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, even Powerpoint and Word have these filters, but so do free products like Picnik. Nervous about protecting student privacy - filter them!

2. Fotoflexer Group One

3. BeFunky Group One

4. TImetoast - Group Two

5. ImageChef Group Two

6. Prezi- Group Three

Libraries of the Past; Libraries of the Future on Prezi

7. Big Huge LabsMotivator Group Three

8. Fodey Generator Group Three

9. MindMeister Group Four

10. Photofunia/photo505 Group Four

11. Blabberize Group Five (note does not seem to play well with Firefox on Mac - use Safari)

12. Make your own READ poster Group Five