From Blank To Beautiful

Just a bit more than a month ago Richard Byrne, educator, speaker and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers tweeted and posted on his blog about a new graphics design tool.  Canva is in invitation beta.  You can request a username at the home page.

Within a day my request was fulfilled with a message arriving in my email.  You are asked to click an Activate button to begin the registration process.  You can sign up with your email address or your Facebook account.

You are next cheerfully prompted by a Welcome screen to begin using the service.  With a single mouse click a new window opens.  At this screen you are invited to learn the basics of Canva.

To begin participate in the offered 5 Starter Challenges.  Page by page you learn how to change colors of an element, search for an image and add it to a picture, add a background, search for a favorite food to add to a page, change a layout and upload an image from your computer.  It's as easy as dragging and dropping from the tool bar on the left-hand side of the page.  Follow the screenshots below.

When the challenge is completed you are congratulated and ready to start creating your own design.

The next window is the dashboard which will appear each time you log in to Canva.  For this first time an explanatory overlay is visible.  It shows three options, create, edit and learn.

Designs offered are:

• Christmas Card
• Document (A4)
• Presentation
• Blog graphic
• Facebook cover
• Social media
• Card
• Photo Collage
• Poster
• Invitation and 
• Business card.

Above and to the right of the designs you have the choice to use custom dimensions. At the top of the page you can access their blog for up-to-date news and suggestions, get support by viewing videos, reading articles, conducting a keyword search or submitting a request, and edit your settings or log out.  You can also view any invoices you might have if you choose to use extras offered.  Keep in mind though, this is a free service.  Beneath the design choices you can view your creations, access two tutorials and invite friends (five invitations are given to you).

I decided to begin with creating a greeting card for those students, colleagues and parents who are readers of my blog.  I clicked on the icon for Christmas Card.  When the new window opens the layouts appear first.

There are more than 100 layouts from which to choose.  The first layouts are themed for the holiday template.  When you click on a layout, it becomes outlined in blue and appears on the right.

Then I uploaded images from my computer by clicking on that option on the left.  I was able to drag the images into the template. If you notice the dotted outline, the circles in the corners and circle in the center at the bottom, this element can be resized and rotated.

At the top of the element the icons represent the choice to bring forward, copy, delete, crop and transparent.  To the side of the element the number represents the page and again, you can copy the page.  Beneath this page you can also add another page.

Above this you can name your design, share it on Twitter, Facebook, preview it, undo it, send it or go home.  I previewed my creation before sending it.  It's really neat how the card is presented to viewers.  When you click on send you select Facebook contacts, Gmail contacts or enter in email addresses.

If you choose Download your card as an image or PDF, you are given a URL link, or your design is converted into a png or pdf file automatically, depending on what you choose.  Here is the link to my design so you can see how a card is delivered. (I emailed it to myself so you could view it like this.) The image alone is shown below.

As I clicked through each of the design choices the layout templates continued to change.  The amount of choices is mind-boggling; so many opportunities for making beautiful graphics.  I decided to make a couple of one page presentations to give you an idea of the templates.

If you decide to search for images from their gallery rather than loading your own, they are grouped in categories of:

• Christmas
• Lines
• Banners
• Grids
• Text Holders
• Speech Bubbles
• Shapes
• Frames
• Icons
• Arrows
• Infographics
• Technology
• Dress Ups
• Web Wireframes
• Food
• Animals
• Hand Drawn and
• Travel.

If you wanted to create a presentation for your Mock Caldecott unit, you could use a compare template like this.  Notice that each text box can be moved backward or forward, copied, deleted, have the box color changed or made more transparent.  The font style can be altered, the size changed as well as the color.  It can be made bold or placed in italics, listed or moved to the left, center or right.

For my second single page presentation I decided to focus on memorable moments from 2013.  This was the year I premiered two book trailers, Warning: Do Not Open This Book by Adam Lehrhaupt with illustrations by Matthew Forsythe and Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by K. G. Campbell, during the school year we Skyped with Ame Dyckman discussing Boy + Bot, Tom Angleberger and his Origami Yoda books and Lynda Mullaly Hunt spoke with us about One for the Murphys after our entire fifth grade read the book.

At my home in July and August a small book group met.  One of our titles was Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff.  We had an amazing Skype visit with Liesl Shurtliff.  To our great joy we had two successful Mock Caldecott units with the students in Katherine Sokolowski's classes for 2013 and 2014.  One of the most exciting few days though, were spent in Chicago at the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition.  

I have to say last week when my invitation activation arrived for Canva; it was all I could do not to spend the whole weekend trying out all the options.  This is a graphic design web application I can comfortably give high recommendations. I think you and your students will really enjoy using it.

On Deck---Haiku Deck On The Web

Hot News!!: Haiku Deck to release a beta version. Will allow people without iPads to benefit from the app. Sign up: http://t.co/jEjWbsozbB
— Heather Moorefield (@actinginthelib) October 7, 2013

I was beyond excited when this tweet entered my feed.  Haiku Deck is a free presentation application with over 35 million images for use and six free themes.  Based upon the Terms this should be used by those over 18 years old.  I hurried over to the Haiku Deck website.  You can sign up at three separate places; click on the tab at the top of the page or another link mid-page and at the bottom.

Selecting either of those will open up another window.  You are asked to submit a request for an invitation. You enter in your name and email address to be added to a list.

Initially I received an email letting me know my request had not been forgotten but their engineers were making sure everything worked with reliability.  At that time I could reply if I wanted to experiment.  I decided to wait.  Last Thursday another email arrived telling me my invitation was ready.  I choose the link supplied in the message.  

I discovered I could register with my email and a password or log in through Facebook or Twitter.  After selecting Create my account you can immediately choose Get Started at the next window or wait for the help page to open.  I decided to try each of the elements displayed on the next screen shown in the second image.

After adding words (top left-hand corner) I moved to picking a background.  (Please note you can alter your text simply by clicking on the line you wish to change.) You can choose to use an image by searching the site or uploading one from nine possible sources (see second image below), one of three chart types (not quite ready for web use yet) or go with one of nine solid colors.  

Background chosen you move to the layout of your slides in the deck.  There are fourteen styles. The final icon on the left-hand tool bar allows you to add notes to each slide.

Moving to the top from left to right, you can go to the page listing all your decks (personal gallery), send feedback to the site administrators, and every time you share a deck you get one free invite which, when given to someone else, will speed up the process for them to use the application.  When you click on the question mark the help slide becomes an overlay on your current project, jogging your memory as to the features.  The arrow icon allows you to view your presentation.  

Selecting Share opens a window asking you to give the slide deck a title, choose a privacy setting (public, private, restricted), include a description and pick a category.  When you click Publish a new window opens.  It gives you the opportunity to preview the deck or share it via three social networks or email, embed it or export it as a Powerpoint.  You can also Unpublish, Edit Settings or Cancel. Not only do they offer an HTML code but a WordPress code and Haiku Deck URL link. 

Going back to your personal gallery page you can access Featured Decks, Popular Decks, the Haiku Deck Blog, Reviews of this application and Our Story which gives a background of the development of Haiku Deck.  Here is a link I discovered when exploring the site which offers tutorials on the use of Haiku Deck.  

Also at your gallery page when you mouse over any of your decks you have more choices.  You are able to edit, delete or play your deck.  With a mouse click you can share it via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn or email. 

Haiku Deck on the web is simple to use with smart-looking results.  I can understand why the iPad app has been so popular.  Thanks to the Haiku Deck team for making it accessible online.

Multi-Media Moments

It's the middle of the year and Larry Ferlazzo, educator and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... has posted a list of his The Best Web 2.0 Applications for Education In 2013-So Far.  Of the thirty-two entries there are a variety, applications for a geography game and generating your own, using maps to document a trip, website creation, making presentations, writing, flashcards, video conferencing, royalty-free images, drawing, word processing, quiz making, designing quotations, adding speech bubbles to images and video annotation.  I selected a multi-media presentation tool called buncee to try.

Buncee was originally designed out of a desire by the Daniella Maria Arturi Foundation to have an online application to send a creative, interactive and personal message of thanks.  It's their goal to have buncee be the next generation of digital communication and content sharing.  Uploaded photographs and online images, text, drawings, video, and audio can be included in a buncee.

On the home page of buncee you can access (by clicking on tabs across the top) the About section (About, How To, buncee gallery, Mobile Apps, Follow buncee, In The News, Media Resources, buncee Team, Privacy, Terms and Contact Us), Categories (28 headings), Find Us (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn and their blog), a search box and a link to the Daniella Maria Arturi Foundation.  Many examples from assorted categories are shown; lots of ideas in which to use this service.  I decided to jump right in by clicking on the yellow Create your own button.

A new smaller screen appears allowing you to log in with a variety of social networks, your buncee account or sign up.  To sign up you need to give your first and last name, a user name, email address, password, birth date and gender.  You need to have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.  Users do need to be 13 years of age.  A welcome email appears in your inbox immediately.

Along the top of the home page on the right your picture and first name now appears.  You can edit your profile (change picture, password, keep profile information public or private) keep track of interactions and logout.  It's now time to create.








Your buncee digital canvas is an easy-to-use workspace.
You can design one or more slides.  For each add a title.  For your background you can choose from the buncee possibilities, upload your own or simply select a plain color.

Images can be uploaded with a link attached.  When adding text an animation gives you hints on the screen while on the right are your choices.  Being able to add a link to your text is a plus.  To add a link you must highlight the text for that option to appear.


At any time if you wish to edit any item simply click on it.  You can edit, delete or rotate.  I would recommend periodically clicking the Save Draft button.  More slides can also be added from your digital canvas.

Messages and quotes are buncee generated in different fonts.  If you so desire you can insert a drawing or add themed stickers.  This has definite appeal if you are designing a specific message. (Education stickers have been included.)

To add other multi-media elements type in your keywords.  Click on the available icons, YouTube, SoundCloud, Flickr, Google and Instagram.  Thumbnails will appear in the results.  You can select any of them or type in a URL link. Click insert.  For ease in searching be sure to add tags.







When your buncee is completed click on the Next Step button.  You are taken to a window where you can place your buncee in a category, change the setting to public or private, and whether you want to allow comments or not.  Once completed, click Post. (You might want to click the Preview button in the upper right-hand corner first.)


At this final window you have many options.  If your buncee is an invitation you have the potential for RSVP.  You can enter in a list of email addresses and write a message.  Your buncee can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and embedded using HTML code.  And you can still go back to Create!

Here is the buncee I created after hearing the Kate Greenaway Medal announcement this morning.  




Within seconds of my posting I had a viewer comment.  On the left of your buncee are still more choices.  The ability to save the buncee slide on your computer and convert as a PDF file is a huge bonus.

Without a doubt I am glad Larry Ferlazzo included buncee on his new list.  This application is perfect for the educational setting.  It could be used to do visual booktalking, reader responses, mini-research, sending announcements and assignments to students.  The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.  This is definitely going in my virtual toolbox. 

With The Greatest of Ease...

Good visuals grab your attention. Concise, precise information about a subject which interests you will hold it.  The combination of the two presented in infographics is unbeatable.

This past fall I tried a web 2.0 infographic app called Piktochart reviewed here with great results.  Another which has captured my attention based on posts by Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers, and Larry Ferlazzo of Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... (making his The Best Web 2.0 Applications for Education in 2012 list) and in viewing two infographics here and here created by Travis Jonker on his blog, 100 Scope Notes, is Easel.ly.  Easel.ly is still in beta and free of charge.

To register you are asked for a username, email address, password, first and last name. (Even without any terms of service and privacy policy visible, this would require users to be at least 13 years old, unless parental/guardian permission has been secured.) To begin click on the blank canvas in the left with the words start fresh in the center. (Or select from one of the templates to the right and below.)

I decided to replicate the information included in my Piktochart infographic, comparing ease of use and final visual appeal.  The new window in Easel.ly offers users the option of dragging vhemes (visual + themes) and objects to their art board as well as modifying any text with a double click.  Along the top of the tool bar you can add:

• Vhemes
• Objects
• backgrounds
• shapes
• text and
• upload (take files from your computer).

You can zoom in and out on a specific area of your infographic as well as add a grid for sizing and lining up items.  Thankfully there is an undo arrow.  Starting with Vhemes I had fifteen from which to choose.

When deciding which one to use you can mouse over and click making it pop up in the center; enlarge it by clicking on the symbol in the upper right-hand corner and delete it by clicking on the x in the lower right-hand corner.  To move it to your art board select and drag.  Each item on the vheme can be altered by a mouse click on it.

Under the Objects button are the following categories:  people, animals, banners, food, icons, landmarks, maps, music, nature, people and transportation.  There are 24 backgrounds which with a drag can change the entire infographic.  If you choose shapes, there is a selection of 34.  Picking text gives you the choice of title, header or body.

You can completely delete any text on the vheme, adding your own, by selecting it with a click.  A tool bar appears which features: delete, lock an item, bold, italic, underline, shadow, bring forward, send back, bring to the front, send to the back, opacity, color, font (19 styles) and size.  As stated before a double click allows you to change the wording.

Similar tool bars appear when other items are chosen on the vheme.  You can choose to alter or delete them.  When adding items (or altering existing items) please note they can be rotated to fit a design, sized and dragged to a desired position.

I highly recommend registering and logging in before starting an Easel.ly infographic.  I had a moment of panic upon completion of mine when it asked me to log in before I could save.  When I logged in, it opened a new window instead of going back to the created infographic.

When your infographic is saved you are asked to go back to the home page to view/share your creation.  By choosing view/share your options are: download or view in browser with a URL web link or HTML embed code.  At this point you can decide whether to make your visual private or public.

The hardest part of using Easel.ly for me was getting the scale right because I was trying to get the same amount of information into a smaller overall space, at least according to the art board on my screen.  Truthfully, you could not have an easier app to use (a few less options on the toolbar than Piktochart but more items for addition to your infographic).  I think the results are equally, if not more, appealing.  I give Easel.ly a prime spot in my virtual toolbox.

Here are the two infographics for comparison.  First is the Pikochart followed by the Easel.ly.