Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

At Arteater, you can create hand-drawn GIFs from your artwork by following three steps. First, print a template. Then, select templates from different ability levels, from beginner to advanced. Draw in each frame within the template, then take a photo and upload your work. After your image processes, download it as an animated GIF.

tag(s): animation (66), images (265)

EmojiFinder is a simple and fun website that helps you quickly find specific emojis by searching with keywords or browsing through categories Use EmojiFinder to add visual interest to lessons, activities, or digital communications. Students will enjoy the immediate choice of emojis for a single word. The website offers a selection of skin tones for generated emojis. This is the perfect tool to add fun to the classroom!

tag(s): artificial intelligence (186), character education (81), social and emotional learning (107), summarizing (22), Teacher Utilities (203)

Create games and animations with Wick Editor's open-source tools, available as beta downloads or browser editors. Visit the example page for tutorials, examples, and program references. Use filters on this page to find examples by difficulty level or type of animation project. The tutorial videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): animation (66), gamification (85), STEM (304)

Assemblr EDU provides tools for educators and students to learn with interactive 3D/augmented reality models and lessons. Free plans include access to 400 3D objects and limited access to topics and EDU Kits. EDU Kits include bundles and individual objects such as science models, inventions, and more. Choose the editor to create a model using images from the site's library or uploading an image from your device. Learn more about Assemblr EDU tools and abilities by watching tutorial videos found on their YouTube Channel, found here.

tag(s): augmented reality (9), DAT device agnostic tool (146)

Make an animated character with your voice and the easy-to-use tools provided by Adobe Express. Choose a character from those provided; options include robots, superheroes, cartoon characters, and more. Next, click the background link to select a background image from those available on the site, select a color, or upload an image from your device. The final customization option allows you to size the video by choosing from several options customized for use with social media. After making your selections, click record to create your audio recording of up to two minutes in length. After the animation processes, download the final product as an MP4 file or open it in Adobe Creative Cloud Express, reviewed here to add filters, text, and additional animations. Registration isn't required to create and download your animations.

tag(s): animation (66), artificial intelligence (186), images (265)

Unscreen quickly removes the background from your videos and inserts a new background if desired, all without requiring registration. Upload your video clip or search Unscreen's GIF library to begin. Once the background is removed, click the link under the image to change the background by selecting from the image library or uploading a photo from your device. When finished, download your video clip as a PNG, animated PNG, or single frame. Free accounts limit clip lengths to five seconds.

tag(s): editing (93), images (265), video (267)

Have you seen stop motion videos and wished you and your students knew how to make them? Wish no longer! Cloud Stop Motion provides all of the tools you need without downloading software, and you can use it on any browser. Choose start and allow access to your device's camera to enable the camera to take pictures of items to use in your videos. Follow the instructions to add images, video, text, and sound. When complete, export your video to your device as an MP4 video file or create a free class or school account with Cloud Stop Motion to save up to 2GB in video files. Class and school accounts also offer members the ability to create unlimited student accounts and student groups.

tag(s): digital storytelling (155), movies (55), video (267)

Create animated gifs using Brush Ninja's paint tools and online editor. Use the paintbrushes to draw and color each frame. The toolbox contains a variety of features, including pencils, text, shapes, and more. Use the control panel to adjust and play the animation. The timeline allows you to see the frames making up an animation, then drag and drop any frame to change the order. When finished, export your gif as an image for each frame, animated gif, or as an animated GIF adjusted for X (formerly Twitter). Clicking the Resources tab at the top you'll find Lesson Plans, Videos, Free Downloads (i.e. educational clipart), and more.

tag(s): animation (66), drawing (62)

Renderforest is a video and animation creation tool. Easily create introductions for YouTube videos, animations, and slideshows using the site's free templates. Free accounts allow you to create an unlimited number of 360p videos up to 3 minutes long, 500mb storage, and a limited number of music tracks. Follow the step by step instructions for adding backgrounds, images, and music or your recordings to create videos. After publishing the video use the provided links to share it on YouTube or social media sites or download to your computer.
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tag(s): animation (66), video (267)

Create and participate in a virtual world community with Sinespace's next-generation virtual world platform. Choose the explore link for an overview of some of the most recent and popular regions created by members of the site. Sign up using your email to access creation tools and choose your avatar. Use tools to personalize your avatar and build your virtual region including vehicles and home backgrounds. The free basic plan includes one region with ten concurrent users. At the time of this review, Sinespace works on PC that has Windows/Mac/Linux. Though they are working on Android and iOS versions.

tag(s): animation (66), coding (86), computers (109), digital storytelling (155), STEM (304)

Animaker is an easy to use animated video creation tool. Create an account to begin your video and choose a template to customize. Be sure to watch the tutorials before starting to learn all of the features included with Animaker such as auto lip-sync, extensive facial expressions, smart move, and more . When complete, download the video to your computer or directly to YouTube or Facebook. Free accounts allow you to upload your own files with a size limit of 2Gb and five exports per month. The tutorials reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): animation (66), creativity (87), movies (55), video (267)

Google CS First is a program to increase access and teach computer science to 4th-8th-grade students. All training and materials are free for anyone in the U.S. Materials offer lessons based on themes such as storytelling, sports, social media, friends, and fashion and design. In addition to lesson materials, Google CS provides online training information for teachers/club leaders. If you are participating in Hour of Code, be sure to see their many one hour offerings.

tag(s): animation (66), coding (86), computational thinking (40), critical thinking (135), digital storytelling (155), gamification (85), musical notation (35), problem solving (233), social media (50), sports (83), stories and storytelling (59)

Design, organize, animate, and publish creations using Animatron. Use Animatron's backgrounds and characters, or upload your own. Be sure to take advantage of the Tutorials and Tips, and the Knowledge Base for a full understanding of the many features available. Registration isn't required to create an Animatron project; however, you will need to register to save and share. Free accounts allow users to create up to five public projects with up to 2GB storage (50Gb/month). The Tutorials are in video format and reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video tutorials may not be viewable.

tag(s): animation (66), movies (55), multimedia (54), slides (43), video (267)

Sketchfab is a large online community for publishing and viewing 3D materials. Think of it as YouTube for 3D. Explore the site to find over half a million uploads of animations, models, and images. Use the keyword search to find specific content or browse through the different categories. Embed or share images using links provided with each image. If you create your own 3D content, free membership allows you to upload using several different file types. Use their online editor to adjust and fine-tune your creations.

tag(s): animation (66), architecture (84), planets (113), plants (147)

Create a dancing robot and learn code at the same time! Begin by choosing a robot dancer, and then click "Let's Dance!" Edit your robot's dance moves using the toolbars to change the head, arm, and hip movements. If you don't like the music, no problem, choose from four different music genres for your robot. Switch to Code Mode to view and change current settings. When finished, save and share your dance.

tag(s): coding (86), computational thinking (40), computers (109), critical thinking (135), engineering (137), STEM (304)

Kodable teaches coding to young children through programming logic, sequence, loops, functions, and debugging. Create one free class account for an unlimited number of students with twelve weeks of lessons. Find lessons with programming curriculum, explanations of key concepts, and Common Core alignment. You can play without an account; however, results are not saved.
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tag(s): coding (86), computational thinking (40), computers (109), DAT device agnostic tool (146), engineering (137), logic (161), problem solving (233), STEM (304)

Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed choose from several helpful videos to get started. To find the Hour of Code click Courses from the left menu and find several including Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides. Learn to code by dropping blocks of commands into sequence on the left side of the screen and seeing the results along the right. The lessons provide step by step instructions, missions, and other materials to learn to code. Teachers can create a class and add students to the class. Click on student view of each lesson to see the tools and student tasks. Follow the instructions along the right panel. Note the tools that are along the top including undo and redo! This tool also features a question bar along the top. Note: This free portion of the resource offers four Coding Courses, weekly STEM Projects, Hour of Code Activities, Project Templates, Coding Tools (Block & Text), Unlimited Student Accounts, Student Progress Metrics, and Professional Development. Sign up for a free account by selecting Teacher and using Google, your email, Apple, Microsoft.
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tag(s): animation (66), coding (86), computational thinking (40), computers (109), critical thinking (135), design (79), game based learning (206), gamification (85), problem solving (233), STEM (304)

Create animated GIF images FREE and EASY using GIFMaker. Animated GIFs are images that change from one image to another automatically. There is no registration required. Select and upload the images that you want to use (in PNG, GIF, or JPG format). Choose your animation speed and image size. You can even choose an image from your smartphone. Animations can be run backwards to create another different animation. Download the finished creation to your desktop.

tag(s): animation (66), images (265), photography (132)

Alice will have your students in wonderland as they use this innovative 3D programming environment targeted to middle and high school students. Be the director of a movie or the creator of a video game. 3D objects appear in an on-screen virtual world imagined by the creator and move around according to the directions you give by dragging and dropping tiles. The drag and drop technique provides a more engaging programming experience for first-time programmers. Alice provides exposure to object-oriented programming. Alice has practical value for students to learn how computers think. The instructions correspond to standard statements in a production oriented programming language, such as Java, C++, and C#. While using Alice, programmers can immediately see how their animation program runs and the behavior of the objects in their animation. Manipulate camera angles and lighting to make further enhancements. Alice is a revolutionary method to teach programming, especially to first-time learners. It allows students to understand programming concepts, a 21st-century skill.

tag(s): animation (66), coding (86), digital storytelling (155), problem solving (233), video (267)

Interested in making a professional quality animation? Blender is an open-source, downloadable 3D rendering program that is free! Blender offers an array of essential tools for animation in the following categories: Interface, Modeling, Rigging, Rendering, Animation, UV Unwrapping, Shading, Physics and Particles, Imaging and Compositing, and Real Time 3D/Game Creation. Since this tool is open source, many scripts for extra tools can be downloaded from the user forums. Even though this tool is time consuming to learn, many detailed tutorials are available on the Blender website. There is also help in the community forum. Download is available for Windows, Mac, or Linux. Be sure to check out the animations in the gallery for great ideas of what this tool can do. Although this site could be used by some younger students, an adult would need to supervise and assist.
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tag(s): animation (66)