PicMonkey

https://www.picmonkey.com
PicMonkey is a self-described photo editor that makes “your ideas come to life.” It offers photo editing, collage making, and graphic design. The site offers seven days of exclusive photo editing for free. A paid membership (called the “Royale membership”) opens additional tools such as photo filters, design templates, touch-up tools, fonts, overlays, free storage, and ads-free editing. There are a variety of payment plans available.

In the classroom, PicMonkey can be used in a variety of ways. Some ideas include the following:

Online Collages – Students create collages of their own pictures or stock photos. They can edit as necessary and add borders, frames, text, and stickers to incorporate a personal touch.
Vision Boards – Students create electronic vision boards that demonstrate their intentions for an upcoming project. PicMonkey would also work well for a vision board posted in an online welcome announcement or as an instructor introduction to class.
Collaborative work – Students, working in groups, all work on creating individual slides to be shared in a presentation within a particular theme. The final product will be cohesive and polished using the photo editor tools.
Memes – Students and instructors can create memes for discussion boards in order to better illustrate their points of view. Text can be added to personal pictures or stock photos, along with borders, frames, and special effects.

Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching