I hope that you all had a blessed Christmas! What I learned this year is that even though I take a break from posting, spammers do NOT break for holidays and other bloggers tend to blog MORE when they have a break to do so. This means that #1 I have a lot of spam to sort through and #2 it has taken me a long time to get through my Google Reader! I am finally getting around to a post that I intended to do several days ago (actually 3 posts) all on the Aviary creative suite of tools. So, without further ado- here it is…
What it is: Aviary is a website on a mission to make creativity more accessible. They do this by making powerful image software available online (no download required) and with free versions of the online software. Aviary has four different offerings: Peacock, Phoenix, Toucan, and Raven. Because each tool does something different, I am going to break it down into four posts.
Peacock is a “visual laboratory”that lets students experiment with pixel based images in fun ways. Students can create pixel images applying filters (this will feel similar to other image editors such as Adobe). Students can also blend several pixel based images together to create images. These pixel images would make great backgrounds for other documents, web pages, or other Aviary tools. Students can also upload “resources” or pictures from their computers or other sources to manipulate in Peacock. Peacock easily integrates with the other Aviary tools switching images quickly between the applications. This makes the possibilities for creativity endless.
How to integrate Peacock into the classroom: Aviary Peacock is a neat way for students to explore and experiment with visual arts. The application really does feel like a laboratory. Students start out with one image of their choosing and can manipulate the image with different filters, blenders, etc. to come up with completely new images. It is interesting to experiment with the different ‘ingredients’ to see how an image can be transformed. Peacock can be used to create backgrounds for web pages, documents, or other Aviary creations. Peacock can also be used to help students understand cause and effect as they manipulate images.
Tips: Aviary Phoenix and Peacock are both in beta right now. Be sure to check out the Peacock overview video to get an idea of how Peacock works.
Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Aviary Peacock in your classroom.
