Ideas:
• Use the “Formatting Palette” to change the appearance. Does this affect the mood or presentation of the piece?
• Discuss letter-writing and typing formalities (i.e. double spaced, font size, formal/legal vs. casual pieces)
• Revising/editing tools/functions (Grammar/Spell-check)
• Typing written stories/class books, use columns to create newspapers
• Create and present info in various forms (menus, catalogues, newsletters, planners, posters etc.)
• Language Arts: look at advertisements. Focus on their use of adjectives/verbs, repetition of text etc. Discuss layout and have students create their own, highlighting the concept or use of grammar taught (similar activity can also be done using ComicLife, Pages or even KidPix for younger grades)
• Create your own advertisement from scratch (inserting a picture and putting text over it etc.)
• Use the various “scribble” lines to create a picture and fill in with colour
• Create research templates, charts, tables
How can you use text as design? How do visuals relate to text?
|
GoogleDocs
|
GoogleDocs is a free online word-processor (spreadsheets too). Useful if you are on a budget or if your school has dual platforms. It also allows you to share and collaborate documents with others as well. You may upload and save to your desktop and share changes in real time.
|
| NeoOffice |
NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office. Free but download required.
|
| Newspaper Clipping Generator |
Create your own clippings. Free and no registration or download required.
|
|
Scribd
 |
Document embedding and sharing. "You might not get a very clear idea as to what Scribd does when you visit their website, but put simply, Scribd is a social publishing platform. While the social aspect of it is primary, there are also features to Scribd that can be very beneficial even if you aren’t trying to socialize your documents on Scribd’s platform." (full review and explanation via AppStorm)
|
|
Pen.io
|
 |
|
Pages (part of the Mac's iWork suite)
|
|
ComicLife
|
• Need to purchase
Create a comic to tell a story using only pictures or one with text as well
• Use it only for text for a different form of presentation
• Have students draw pictures with bright colours on paper, photograph them and insert them into ComicLife
• Have students draw pictures in KidPix, Kidspiration, Inspiration and export them as JPEG files and insert them into ComicLife
• Use it for instructional writing or as mini-posters/ads
• Have students take their own pictures, save them and create a comic
• Present a comic you made and have students add text. Compare/Contrast the results.
• Create a comic with a lot of text, then strip it down to as little text as possible (i.e. focus on adjectives or persuasive writing in advertising or focus on verbs)
Work can be exported to iPhoto, QuickTime
|
You may also be interested in:
Language Resources and Sites
Presentation
You should also check out:
Issuu (online publishing)
File2.ws is a free website that converts any of your own files into a public online web page. Every converted file to a web page has a unique web address so you can share it with friends, or other people on the internet. This allows information to be shared quickly and efficiently to a large audience.
Wikis and Blogs
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.