Technology Whirlwind

I have come to realize these past few weeks that summer classes are like a whirlwind.  There is so much information to learn in such a limited amount of time.  In this course I feel that I have already learned so many new technologies that I never would have considered using in my future classroom.  In fact, I've learned about so many technologies that it is hard to organize all of this new information.  Luckily I will be able to do some of that on this blog by sharing what I am learning with you.

Recently we were asked to create an infographic using a Web 2.0 tool.  An infographic is a visual representation of information, data, and knowledge.  The infographics we created all focused on tips for teachers that would help them effectively communicate with families.  At first the task of creating an infographic seemed daunting to me because I would not consider myself to be an expert in graphic design.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of Web 2.0 tools that are available to assist users in creating infographics.  After looking over these tools, I chose to use Piktochart to create my infographic.

Piktochart is a free Web 2.0 tool and allows user to modify templates that have been previously created.  The template options for the free version of Piktochart are limited, however I found that these template could be modified greatly to meet the needs of my infographic.  There is also a paid version of Piktochart that offers hundreds of templates and more options for creating excellent infographics.

These are the templates that are available on the free version of Piktochart.

Once the template is chosen, users of Piktochart can modify the template to add their own text, images, and data.  Piktochart offers a good selection of simple images for users to insert into their infographics, however users can also upload their own images.  The colors and layout of the templates can also be modified.  

This is what the edit screen of Piktochart looks like. 

I found Piktochart to be a little difficult to figure out at first, however after I played around with the different tools I was able to successfully modify the template I chose to fit the needs of my infographic.  While creating an infographic is time consuming, even when using a Web 2.0 tool like Piktochart, I feel that it could be useful when teachers wish to create informational posters and charts for their classroom.  For older students, an infographic may also be a great way for them to present information that they have gathered during an experiment or research project.  

Overall, I enjoyed the experience of creating an infographic and I am excited to use Piktochart again.  Here is my final product from my first attempt at creating an infographic using Piktochart.

What do you think?  Be honest.  

Have you used Piktochart before?  What did you think about this Web 2.0 tool?  Have you found any other helpful sights for creating infographics?