In this post I would like to make a comparison of two online presentation tools: Photopeach and Educreations. I like both these tools but they have some similarities as well as some differences.
Both sites present images, so you need to have these ready. Another similarity is that once the presentation is ready, the slides change automatically so the viewer does not have to click on a next button to move to the next slide. All the viewer has to do is to click the play button and watch the presentation. Both tools allow sharing on various social networks and also provide an embed code for presentations to share on blogs and/or websites. That's all for similarities.
Now for the differences. First of all, Educreations can be used as a whiteboard on which the user can draw and write (writing requires a bit of practice). This option is quite useful when we need to draw our viewers' attention to a specific object on a picture. Drawing on the slides is not an option available on Photopeach.
Another difference is background music. Music file/video can be added to the presentation on Photopeach and it will automatically play throughout the presentation which makes watching it more relaxing. I personally like music very much so this is an important feature for me. Although it is not possible to add music files to a presentation on Educreations, the latter allows a voice-over recording, which makes it a bit more personal, especially if the viewers are not in the same physical space as the presenter. Recording a description of slides is not among the features of Photopeach. Here the description of slides is done in the form of writing.
I have created a presentation of Yerevan on both sites using exactly the same pictures. I think that the one on Educreations can be used on a website whereas the second one can be used in a lesson.
Yerevan on Photopeach
Yerevan on Educreations
All the differences mentioned do not mean that one tool is better than the other, they just mean that before choosing between these two tools we should think about what we want to do and what outcome we would like to achieve.
Dear Anna,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this post. You make an awesome reflection about both tools, and how we should focus on the goal we have as teachers to be able to select a tool.
I love both tools. We have used Photopeach to make trip journals. Students upload a selection of pictures and there's a lot of speaking on this stage as we discuss together about the most appropriate material to include. And then, there's writing. And it's a real challenge to find the right language to make the movie attractive and in a few words. As for Educreations, we use it when it comes to describing a specific moment we captured with images. Usually there's a funny, unusual, story to tell.
I think that the basic difference between these two tools is that we write short captions in Photopeach, and we record our own voice in Educreations.
Hugs friends
Hi my dear friend. :) Thank you for your comment. I also love both tools and find them both very useful in teaching. I would love to see what your students have created! :)
ReplyDelete