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I have attempted to organise the following web tools according to a number of categories. Please note that rankings such as usefulness and ease of use are subjective. If you do not agree with what I have written please let me know! Click on the hyperlinks in the list below to jump directly to that section.
Web 2.0 tools - writing tools
Written Presentations
Whiteboard/Text sharing
Book Makers
Story Makers
Cartoon/Comic Makers
Text + Image Tools
Other Writing Tools
Whiteboard/Text sharing
Book Makers
Story Makers
Cartoon/Comic Makers
Text + Image Tools
Other Writing Tools
Written Presentations |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
With Voki you can type in the text of your talk and your character will read it out for you. The digitised speech is available in both male and female voices in a range of languages. |
Free for basic + paid plans |
All |
5 |
Easy |
Animoto turns photos into professional-quality videos, complete with music and text. Students can choose photos, video clips, music, and video style and then easily share their creations. There are also mobile versions of Animoto. |
Free |
All |
4 |
Easy |
Recite This is an easy to use poster creator. Insert some text, and generate posters with a range of fonts and backgrounds that you can print off and display or share electronically. |
Free |
Secondary students |
3 |
Easy |
Piktochart is an infographic maker with a user friendly interface and simple editor. The basic (free) plan gives you access to 7 themes and Infographics are branded. You will need to upgrade to a pro plan for educators to remove the Piktochart branding and gain access to a wider variety of themes that can be customized. You need to have an educational email account to sign up for the pro plan. Check out this collection of short video tutorials to help you learn more about Piktochart. |
Free (7 themes) or $39+ per annum |
Teachers and students |
4 |
Whiteboard/Text sharing |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
AWW (A Web Whiteboard) is an online whiteboard app that lets you use your computer, tablet or smartphone to draw, type, collaborate and share pages with the world. AWW for teachers will soon give teachers the ability to store, reuse boards and duplicate them. |
Free |
Teachers& students |
5 |
Easy |
Scribblar is a multi-user whiteboard with live audio, image sharing, text-chat & more ...You can be up and running in minutes and invite others to your rooms. |
14 day free trial & paid plans |
Teachers and students |
3 |
Easy |
Book Makers |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
Flipsnack converts standard PDFs into a flipping book that can be shared by email, embedded in a website etc. Books can also be viewed on an iPad without the need for Flash. You can make story books using Word, save them as PDFs and then convert them and bring your stories to life! Check out the other tools in the snack range - podsnack, slidesnack etc. |
Free (limited use) & annual plans |
Teachers and students |
5 |
Easy |
Story Makers |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
|
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
Storybird is the name given to short, visual stories that you or your students can make to share. For now stories written in a foreign language are not public, but you can access the ones you have made from your account or from a link. Check out some finished French, German, Italian and Spanish stories that teachers have written for students here and an Indonesian story here. If you want to vary the artists whose work you use in your Storybird (rather than using a collection from just one artist) follow the lead of this author.
Free
Teachers, upper primary and junior secondary students
5
Easy
Storyjumper is another story making site that enables you to use a range of backgrounds, clip art and your own photos. The help pages have support for teachers and the create link has a useful step by step guide to writing your first story. See some French & Spanish Storyjumper books here and here.
Free
Primary students
5
Easy
Inkle Writer provides students with a platform on which they can write "choose your own adventure" style stories. Using this online tool, students write each paragraph as an independent piece that they can connect to other pieces of their story. While intended for students of English, they can overwrite the prompts with the equivalent in the target language. They can take the story into many directions then piece all the parts together from the menu of paragraphs.
Free
Secondary students
3
Medium
Free
Teachers, upper primary and junior secondary students
5
Easy
Storyjumper is another story making site that enables you to use a range of backgrounds, clip art and your own photos. The help pages have support for teachers and the create link has a useful step by step guide to writing your first story. See some French & Spanish Storyjumper books here and here.
Free
Primary students
5
Easy
Inkle Writer provides students with a platform on which they can write "choose your own adventure" style stories. Using this online tool, students write each paragraph as an independent piece that they can connect to other pieces of their story. While intended for students of English, they can overwrite the prompts with the equivalent in the target language. They can take the story into many directions then piece all the parts together from the menu of paragraphs.
Free
Secondary students
3
Medium
Cartoon/Comic Makers |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
|
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
ToonDoo is an online cartoon strip creator. There are two versions - one free with a limited number of features or the educational version which charges per number of students/length of registration. With the free version it is possible to create an effective cartoon in the target language in a matter of minutes. Check out these Japanese examples: one on greetings and this one.
Information about creating cartoons in different languages is available at this link.
Free (basic) and paid subscription
Primary, junior secondary
5
Medium
Storyboard That consists of storyboard frames that your students can use to plan a story from beginning to end. A large library of artwork allows students to focus on the story instead of on drawing. Teachers can make up to 3 Storyboards per week for free but if using this tool with multiple students it might be better to set up an educational account (sliding fee scale starting at $35.95 per year) which gives students unlimited access and premium features. Educational accounts are also private and secure. Check out this free ebook which is a guide to using Storyboard That.
Free (basic) and paid subscription
All students
4
Easy
The backgrounds and characters of Comic Master would have tremendous appeal to boys. They can select from a variety of layouts, backgrounds, characters, effects, and fonts. Students can create free accounts on Comic Master to save their works and edit them whenever they like. Comic Master gives students the option to create and print multiple page stories.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
4
Easy
Languages online developed by the Victorian Education Department, has a downloadable cartoon story maker (PC only) with examples provided for Chinese, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and EALD.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
3
Easy
The Witty Comics site provides a simple platform that students can use to create two character dialogues. To use this tool students just need to select the pre-drawn background scenes and the pre-drawn characters they want to feature in their comic.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
Artisan Cam is more than just a comic creator, it is a comprehensive collection of online art activities. On Artisan Cam students can select the Super Action Comic Maker from the drop down menu of activities to build a six frame comic. The Super Action Comic Maker has a drag and drop interface which students use to select a background and character for their comics.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
3
Easy
The Marvel Kids site invites students to create their own super hero comic strips and comic books. Marvel Kids provides users with templates for comic strips and comic books. Users select the backgrounds, characters, and special effects from the provided menus. Arranging each scene and re-size the characters is an easy drag and drop process. After creating their scenes, users can add dialogue boxes to their comics. Completed comic strips and comic books can be downloaded and printed.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
4
Easy
Make Beliefs Comix provides students with a variety of templates, characters, and prompts for building their own black and white comic strips. This tool provides students with pre-drawn characters and dialogue boxes which they can insert into each box of their comic strip. The editing options allow users the flexibility to alter the size of each character and dialogue bubble, bring elements forward within each box, and alter the sequence of each box in the comic strip. Make Beliefs Comix also suggests 21 things to do with comic strips in the classroom via this link. Make Beliefs Comix has just released an iPad version of this tool.
Free
All students
3
Easy
The Comic Creator: Read, write, think site enables you to generate and then print your own black and white comic. You can choose the number of frames and select from a range of characters, props and settings.
Free
All students
3
Easy
Pixton is a drag-and-drop cartoon creation tool which allows anyone, regardless of artistic ability, to create comics. Users can join the Pixton community to share their creations with others. In addition to the free individual accounts, Pixton offers Pixton for Schools (not free) which allows teachers to create private rooms in which only their students can create and share comics. To learn more about Pixton, watch this short video.
Free (individual) and paid class plans
Secondary students
4
Easy
Strip Generator allows users to easily create a black and white comic strip. Simply select the number of frames you want and drag characters and objects into those frames. The menus for characters and objects are fairly extensive. Once you've selected a character or object you can adjust the size to fit your scene. Adding text is then a matter of selecting a speech bubble and typing text. When you're happy with your comic strip you can save it online, print it, or embed it into your blog.
Free
Secondary students
4
Easy
Write Comics doesn't require any registration to use. Simply click to select a background from the menu, choose some characters, and add some speech bubbles. You can continue adding frames until you've completed your story. Editing is not possible so if you make a mistake you'll need to start again!
Free
Secondary students
2
Easy
Chogger offers a good selection of editing tools. It allows you to draw images from scratch or use your existing images. You can even connect your webcam to Chogger to capture pictures for use in your comic strips. You can add effects such as fading and outlining to your images. Comic strips created in Chogger can have multiple frames and you are able to customize the look of each frame.
Free
All students
4
Easy
Here are some great strategies for using comics in the classroom:
Tap Into The World Of Comics #2:Comic Version from S. Hendy
And here are some links to even more comic makers!
Online Comic Creators from S. Hendy
The following links may be useful to you as well:
20 Ways to Use Comics in Your Classroom
More than 100 Editorial Cartoon Lesson Plans
Pictures and Cartoons from PRI's The World
Information about creating cartoons in different languages is available at this link.
Free (basic) and paid subscription
Primary, junior secondary
5
Medium
Storyboard That consists of storyboard frames that your students can use to plan a story from beginning to end. A large library of artwork allows students to focus on the story instead of on drawing. Teachers can make up to 3 Storyboards per week for free but if using this tool with multiple students it might be better to set up an educational account (sliding fee scale starting at $35.95 per year) which gives students unlimited access and premium features. Educational accounts are also private and secure. Check out this free ebook which is a guide to using Storyboard That.
Free (basic) and paid subscription
All students
4
Easy
The backgrounds and characters of Comic Master would have tremendous appeal to boys. They can select from a variety of layouts, backgrounds, characters, effects, and fonts. Students can create free accounts on Comic Master to save their works and edit them whenever they like. Comic Master gives students the option to create and print multiple page stories.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
4
Easy
Languages online developed by the Victorian Education Department, has a downloadable cartoon story maker (PC only) with examples provided for Chinese, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and EALD.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
3
Easy
The Witty Comics site provides a simple platform that students can use to create two character dialogues. To use this tool students just need to select the pre-drawn background scenes and the pre-drawn characters they want to feature in their comic.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
Artisan Cam is more than just a comic creator, it is a comprehensive collection of online art activities. On Artisan Cam students can select the Super Action Comic Maker from the drop down menu of activities to build a six frame comic. The Super Action Comic Maker has a drag and drop interface which students use to select a background and character for their comics.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
3
Easy
The Marvel Kids site invites students to create their own super hero comic strips and comic books. Marvel Kids provides users with templates for comic strips and comic books. Users select the backgrounds, characters, and special effects from the provided menus. Arranging each scene and re-size the characters is an easy drag and drop process. After creating their scenes, users can add dialogue boxes to their comics. Completed comic strips and comic books can be downloaded and printed.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
4
Easy
Make Beliefs Comix provides students with a variety of templates, characters, and prompts for building their own black and white comic strips. This tool provides students with pre-drawn characters and dialogue boxes which they can insert into each box of their comic strip. The editing options allow users the flexibility to alter the size of each character and dialogue bubble, bring elements forward within each box, and alter the sequence of each box in the comic strip. Make Beliefs Comix also suggests 21 things to do with comic strips in the classroom via this link. Make Beliefs Comix has just released an iPad version of this tool.
Free
All students
3
Easy
The Comic Creator: Read, write, think site enables you to generate and then print your own black and white comic. You can choose the number of frames and select from a range of characters, props and settings.
Free
All students
3
Easy
Pixton is a drag-and-drop cartoon creation tool which allows anyone, regardless of artistic ability, to create comics. Users can join the Pixton community to share their creations with others. In addition to the free individual accounts, Pixton offers Pixton for Schools (not free) which allows teachers to create private rooms in which only their students can create and share comics. To learn more about Pixton, watch this short video.
Free (individual) and paid class plans
Secondary students
4
Easy
Strip Generator allows users to easily create a black and white comic strip. Simply select the number of frames you want and drag characters and objects into those frames. The menus for characters and objects are fairly extensive. Once you've selected a character or object you can adjust the size to fit your scene. Adding text is then a matter of selecting a speech bubble and typing text. When you're happy with your comic strip you can save it online, print it, or embed it into your blog.
Free
Secondary students
4
Easy
Write Comics doesn't require any registration to use. Simply click to select a background from the menu, choose some characters, and add some speech bubbles. You can continue adding frames until you've completed your story. Editing is not possible so if you make a mistake you'll need to start again!
Free
Secondary students
2
Easy
Chogger offers a good selection of editing tools. It allows you to draw images from scratch or use your existing images. You can even connect your webcam to Chogger to capture pictures for use in your comic strips. You can add effects such as fading and outlining to your images. Comic strips created in Chogger can have multiple frames and you are able to customize the look of each frame.
Free
All students
4
Easy
Here are some great strategies for using comics in the classroom:
Tap Into The World Of Comics #2:Comic Version from S. Hendy
And here are some links to even more comic makers!
Online Comic Creators from S. Hendy
The following links may be useful to you as well:
20 Ways to Use Comics in Your Classroom
More than 100 Editorial Cartoon Lesson Plans
Pictures and Cartoons from PRI's The World
Text + Image Tools |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
|
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
PowToon enables users to create animated videos and presentations. PowToon claims it is as easy as PowerPoint to use. There is a free education version with a limited number of features but is adequate for occasional use. There is online support to take users through the steps of developing their first PowToon.
Free & paid subscriptions with extra features
Teachers and students
5
Easy
Wideo is an online tool that allows you to create animated videos. You drag and drop elements into place in the Wideo editor then set the sequence of animations. Each element can be re-used multiple times and you can adjust the timing of the animation of each image. Wideo's stock elements include text, cartoons, and drawings. You can also upload your own images to use in your videos. The learn tab on the website gives you access to a range of “how to …” videos and useful tools such as a storyboard template. Check out these possible uses for Wideo in the classroom.
Free (currently in Beta mode)
Teachers and students
5
Easy
BeFunky enables you to add text and speech balloons to a single photo or to multiple photos to create a collage or cartoon. You are able to edit your photos such as adding a cartoon effect. This tool doesn't require any registration to use but you will need to register if you want to share your creation with the BeFunky community.
Free
All students
4
Free & paid subscriptions with extra features
Teachers and students
5
Easy
Wideo is an online tool that allows you to create animated videos. You drag and drop elements into place in the Wideo editor then set the sequence of animations. Each element can be re-used multiple times and you can adjust the timing of the animation of each image. Wideo's stock elements include text, cartoons, and drawings. You can also upload your own images to use in your videos. The learn tab on the website gives you access to a range of “how to …” videos and useful tools such as a storyboard template. Check out these possible uses for Wideo in the classroom.
Free (currently in Beta mode)
Teachers and students
5
Easy
BeFunky enables you to add text and speech balloons to a single photo or to multiple photos to create a collage or cartoon. You are able to edit your photos such as adding a cartoon effect. This tool doesn't require any registration to use but you will need to register if you want to share your creation with the BeFunky community.
Free
All students
4
Other Writing Tools |
Cost |
Age |
Rating (1-5) |
Ease of use |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
|
Value |
Value |
Value |
Value |
Easy |
Twitter is a useful tool for second language learners as "tweets" between users are short (limited to 140 characters). Click here for a wiki page about using Twitter in the classroom and here for an article about its use in languages education.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
Ki Yoyo, a Chinese-born man who lives in Japan, has created the website Lang-8 to help people learn languages from native speakers. People who register for the site can post written texts and have other users, who are native speakers, review it for proper grammar and word usage. This site supports about 80 languages and has users from 190 countries.
Free
Secondary students
Easy
With Newspaper clipping generator you can write your own newspaper article in the target language. Once you've generated the clipping you can download it as a jpeg file to insert in a document.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
Penzu is an online diary/personal journal you can access from any computer with an internet connection or mobile device. Students can keep their journal entries totally private or share them by email.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
A UK teacher of French describes the use of Google maps in a YouTube video.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
3
Easy
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
Ki Yoyo, a Chinese-born man who lives in Japan, has created the website Lang-8 to help people learn languages from native speakers. People who register for the site can post written texts and have other users, who are native speakers, review it for proper grammar and word usage. This site supports about 80 languages and has users from 190 countries.
Free
Secondary students
Easy
With Newspaper clipping generator you can write your own newspaper article in the target language. Once you've generated the clipping you can download it as a jpeg file to insert in a document.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
Penzu is an online diary/personal journal you can access from any computer with an internet connection or mobile device. Students can keep their journal entries totally private or share them by email.
Free
Secondary students
3
Easy
A UK teacher of French describes the use of Google maps in a YouTube video.
Free
Upper primary, junior secondary
3
Easy
