Good free program for slide shows with music and or narration

Hi Fellow Teachers,

You are going to see a lot of new topics posted by me in the next few weeks. Thats because I just discovered this sight and it's an answere to my prayers. I teach Ninth Grade Technology at a Charter school in Los Angeles, CA. I'm the only technology teacher. I do not have any textbooks, standards or fixed cirriculum.

Although my charter school group has several other schools, we are never given professional development time to collaborate. We are also quite spread out geographically so difficult to meet.

In short I'm on a deserted island, and I feel like I have been rescued with this site. It's incredible. Thanks for all the people that created it, run it, and members.

SO MY NEWEST QUESTION--CAN SOMEONE RECCOMEND A GOOD FREE SITE TO CREATE SLIDESHOWS FROM .JPGS, THAT CAN ALSO ADD SOUND AND EFFECTS???

ALSO LOOKING FOR EASY TO LEARN ANIMATION AND/OR COMIC STRIP CARTOON SITE??

We dont have flash or any other fancy software, just ms office 2003!! And I'm anxious to introduce several new programs. However since I will have to learn them myself quickly I don't want them to be too complicated.

Thank you,

Eric Silvern

esilvern@animo.org

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Permalink Reply by Steve Dickie on February 6, 2010 at 1:44pm

I'm sure there are others, but I've used these with my students.

Free site:
http://animoto.com/education
It doesn't give you a lot of control, but you can easily create some great looking slideshows.
Here's one I created:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GCWGXRwmD0

Free Program:
Windows PhotoStory. Free if you own Windows. You can add music, do voice overs, zoom in/pan across pictures. It's pretty easy to use.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photost...
Here's one created by one of my students:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGurLRojlP8

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Permalink Reply by Eric E. Silvern on February 9, 2010 at 2:53pm

I liked animoto a lot, but you can only make clip for 30 seconds for free, otherwise you have to pay. Other suggestions for slideshow sites where I can have music, narration, effects?

Any animation programs easy to learn that could make a comic strip or short animation, with text boxes?
I'd like to start having my ninth grade students do political and social commentary using cartoons and animation?

Thanks
Eric

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Permalink Reply by Steve Dickie on February 9, 2010 at 6:06pm

WIth Animoto for Education you can make longer slide shows for free. Unless they changed it when I wasn't looking.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Cunningham on February 6, 2010 at 1:49pm

Animoto.com, xtranormal.com (web-based but also free download of program) toondoo.com... not what u asked for but look at aviary.com too

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Permalink Reply by Eric E. Silvern on February 9, 2010 at 2:54pm

I liked animoto a lot. But have to pay for more than 30 seconds. Have any other suggestions for a free site where I can do the same things but produce a mult slide two to three minute video/strip?
Thanks,
Eric

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Permalink Reply by Andrea Hildreth on February 6, 2010 at 4:44pm

I have had great success with sliderocket www.sliderocket.com

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Permalink Reply by Eric E. Silvern on February 9, 2010 at 1:44pm

I just checked out site and you have to pay. And only the highest cost allows voice recording. Do they have an educator free option?
E

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Huisking on February 6, 2010 at 5:06pm

Hi Eric,

I have used goanimate, stykz and squeak. Squeak is an eToy... there are beta version lessons available online as well. If your students are too advanced for Squeak then I highly recommend Alice.org.

Let me know how if you have any questions and good luck!
Cindy

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Permalink Reply by Jamie on February 6, 2010 at 6:11pm

Try www.faculte.com

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Permalink Reply by Eric Holshoe on February 7, 2010 at 2:13am

Many great answers so far. Here are a few more... Empressr and Prezi. I also teach in So. CA. Check out my Teachers resource page for some other ideas.

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Permalink Reply by Faith Shabat on February 9, 2010 at 5:50pm

Eric Holshoe,
Thank you for sharing your Teachers' Resource page. I also checked out your classroom links. We're on the same page. Check out my pages. This is the page of the Web 2.0 Resources I've been collecting: http://sites.google.com/site/faithsfiles/ and this is my website for my classroom links. Which Web 2.0 tools have you used with your classes?
Faith