Digital Media Literacy Tools for Presentations

One of the Common Core anchor standards affecting use of student-created media in projects, reports & presentations states that "....students will be able to make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations."  Currently, there are some web tools that have free versions for students to accomplish this mandate. These are but a few of what is available on the Web.

• Animoto : Students provide photos and video clips and Animoto provides background music and transitions to create dynamic videos. There's also an iPhone app version.
• Go Animate :  Create cartoons using pre-packaged backgrounds and characters. Key in dialogue and use your character's voice. You receive additional choices and flexibility when you purchase a subscription.
• Jing : Techsmith provides the free version of Jing to capture Web images and record audio for five minutes.
• Photopeach : Create online slideshows by uploading images, choosing music or adding narration and text.
• Smilebox : Students can upload pictures and video to create an online slideshow which can be edited with text, music and other effects. A subscription allows one to add music from outside sources such as iTunes libraries, compact disc recordings or other online music collections.
• Slideshare : Upload PowerPoint presentations, word and excel documents, photos and videos to create dynamic slideshows that can be embedded into blogs, wikis, facebook and twitter. Students can share privately or publicly, get analytics about your visitors and create public or private Zipcasts of slideshare projects by adding music and/or narration. Free version or professional, paid subscription.