Thing 8

This is my boy, Warholized. Created using http://bighugelabs.com  He has his eyes crossed and his tongue out, as any good 4th grade boy will do when posing for a photo. I'm a little disappointed in the image because it is not very clear just how goofy the lad truly is. Then I realized that I could edit the photo - the original was too dark.

Second attempt - with better results. Note the commitment he makes with both eyes, and the Jordanesque tongue placement. I couldn't be more proud.

What I learned from this exploration was that using these tools with a class would be a real challenge. The pop art image above was very easy to create, but further exploration into the other tools that are available left me frustrated. I know I could figure them out if I had more time and interest in a specific tool, but the point of the exercise was to explore and see what was available. I think it would take a great deal of preparation to ensure a smooth lesson if choosing to use any of these tools.

Another aspect of these tools was the number of ads present on what seemed like every page. I recognize that these "free" sites rely on this sort of advertising for revenue in order to keep them "free", but I was literally bombarded with sponsored pages and offers - it became a bit cumbersome, cluttered the pages, and made it difficult to navigate from one thing to the next. Again, preparation and careful instruction (if the district would allow you to use these tools) would be key here.

All of this being said, I found myself enjoying the work, and intrigued by the possibilities. I spent a good deal of time trying to put my daughter's face on Barbie's head - I wanted to surprise her when she woke up. The above example could easily be used in a unit on pop art. The tools that are available on the internet for manipulating and editing photos can and should be made available for use by students at home. It would be important to educate/remind the students about proper internet usage and copyright laws