Two Creation Tools for Students To Use

One of the best methods for students to provide evidence of understanding for a learning target is to create a tutorial.  In the past, a digital camera was ideal for this task.  However, today there are a number of web tools that can be used to accomplish the same task, but in a more user friendly way.  Two of these tools that I especially like are Powtoon, and Snagit, because they are web applications, meaning they can be used by any device capable of accessing the internet.

Powtoon (www.powtoon.com) is a presentation tool that has similarities to Powerpoint and Google Sheets in the sense that you edit a series of slides.  The two major differences are the editing options available and the final product that plays more like a video, than a slideshow.  While some options require a paid account, there are many images, characters, backgrounds, and music that are part of the standard creation options. More recently, a voiceover option was added which brings a new and welcome element to the presentation process.  Visit www.powtoon.com to set up an account and start creating.  Oh, and right now, teachers can set up a classroom account for FREE!



Snagit is a screen capture tool that will take a snapshot or record screen material for a period of time. You have a variety of options regarding how much of your screen to capture and you can turn audio recording on or off. While Snagit might seem limited due to it ONLY being a screen capture tool, think a bit more about it and ideas will come out of nowhere. For example, combine this with a whiteboard web application such as www.awwapp.com or Smart Technology's web based Smart Notebook Express and you have a quick and simple way to create a tutorial. Turn on your webcam and now you can capture video of yourself and/or what is around you for a reflection. Head to your Chrome Web Store now and add the Snagit extension for the Chrome browser!