Crazy Talk is a software program that must be downloaded to your computer in order to use it. It is not free (I purchased the "bare bones" basic package at the educator rate of $39.95, and it has been more than enough to dazzle my students. Essentially, Crazy Talk allows you to use any picture and, after lining up a few dots and dropping in an audio file, animate it! For my first project, I used a picture of Langston Hughes and an audio files of him reading "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." I loved the reaction from my students! Now, this can become a time-consuming project, if you are a perfectionist who insists on everything looking completely perfect, but I have to admit that it is a lot of fun. Also, the company offers a free trial version (the final product will appear with a watermark) so you can try before you buy. If this seems too complex and it's just not for you, I recommend trying Blabberize for a similar effect. The drawback to Blabberize is that the end product is not nearly as professional-looking; however, the time and money saved might be enough to keep you happy.
0 Comments
www.qwiki.com Like many of the sources that I find and instantly fall in love with, I first discovered this on the Free Tech for Teachers blog, which is an excellent source in and of itself. I would describe Qwiki as Wikipedia, but designed for the multi-media-obsessed-visual-learners-with-attention-span-issues out there like me. You simply type in a search topic (I searched Romeo and Juliet because my English I unit on Shakespeare is quickly approaching. Needless to say, I was truly impressed with the quality of information provided. The multimedia, picture-rich entries are not long-winded, and easily captured my attention. One of the best features was that, if you want more information on a topic, related videos will pop up at the bottom of the entry. Also, words and phrases that have related entries appear in blue during the entry that you are watching. |
AuthorDr. Jessica Pilgreen, Ed.D. Archives
December 2020
Categories
All
|