Animated gifs are a great way to demonstrate a new tool or provide additional instructions. Many animated gifs can be seen on Twitter or in messaging programs. I like to think of them as stop-motion videos–quick, split-second images quickly appearing. An animated gif can also be a quick “slideshow” of images that can be placed in Google Slides or on a website.
Getting Started
Determine the best tool to utilize to create a gif. Some options include:
- EZ Gif Maker
- Gif Maker.org
- Gif Creator Pro (Mac App Store – not free)–This is one I use regularly and love it!
Once you determine your tool, gather your images. I typically use screenshots and annotate on the screenshot with arrows or text. Some like to drop images into Keynote or PowerPoint and add the annotations. Then, export the slides as JPGS to upload to the gif creator. Below are some options to create gifs:
Tips
Set the size and time of the loop. Depending on the tool, you can set the time in milliseconds and adjust the size when you upload.
Save all images in one folder for the project. When uploading, it will help determine which files are needed.
Next Steps
Once created, the animated gif is ready for display on Google Slides or a web page. Twitter also takes animated gifs as well.
Google Slides:
When creating a Google Slide with instructions, embed a gif by uploading the file as an image. It automatically begins the animation. See the example below from an iMovie slide about inserting voice narration.
Website:
Upload the file as an image file. Display the file in the same way you would any image file. It will appear on the web page with animation. See the example below for embedding into this blog post:
Twitter:
Send out tweets with information about using databases or other tools. Include a description and animated gif in the tweet.
What other animated gif tools do you use? How do you use the tools with students?
Author: Becca Munson
Becca Munson, Librarian, is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 23 years of experience in education. She is currently a school librarian at Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, KS. Becca continues to find ways to positively impact student learning with literacy initiatives, technology integration, and building rapport with students and staff. Follow her on Twitter to view the library in action @bvwlibrary and @beccamunson .
Categories: Blog Topics, Technology
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