The document outlines a presentation on visual tools for education, emphasizing the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles which promote accessibility for learners with differences. It introduces various free tools like Easel.ly for infographics, Jing for screenshot capture, and Pixlr for image editing, highlighting their features and applications. Additionally, the presentation discusses considerations for color and font choices to enhance accessibility in visual materials.

1. Tech Tool Thursday:
Quick and free visual tools
Presented by Amy Harris, Michelle Folkman, & Beth Filar Williams
October 31 2013

2. POLL
What do you think of when you hear
“visual” tools?
Please type thoughts in the chat box.

3. AGENDA
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UDL overview
Infographics (easel.ly)
Jing
Pixlr
Color & fonts & UDL
Questions

4. UDL
Universal Design for Learning is an instructional design philosophy with a
focus on accessibility for students with learning differences.
UDL has 3 main principles:
● Multiple means of representation
● Multiple means of expression
● Multiple means of engagement

5. Multiple Means of Representation
● Provide information in a variety of formats
● Online tutorials give students the opportunity to replay as needed (but
please caption them!)
● Illustrations and graphical representations (like infographics) can better
illustrate concepts than text

6. Multiple Means of Engagement
● Providing students with the option to work in a variety of media
● Focus on composition, not just writing
● Does the media or the message matter more?

7. POLL
Have you created an infographic?
A. Yes using photoshop or from “scratch”
B. Yes using a free online tool
C. Not yet!
D. I don’t even know what an infographic is?!

8. Infographics
A graphical method for visually representing information, data or
knowledge, with goal of showing complex information quickly & clearly.
More info & free tool options in our toolkit: http://bit.ly/1dtTCqK

9. easelly
http://vimeo.com/37781587
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Register/log in to wordpress to be able to create.
Set of templates called Vthemes.
Add objects, backgrounds, shapes, text or upload images.
Share: download as jpg; a weblink to image, or embed code.
Your visual can be set to private (default) or public.
http://www.easel.ly/

10. easelly
Let’s demo!

11. Jing
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FREE download - sits on your computer desktop
Must create account with Screencast.com
Use to capture what you see (a screenshot)
Allows basic markup on screenshot (text, arrows, highlight, colors)
Can also record video up to 5 min
Save on desktop OR on screencast.com (2 GB storage)
Share: email, weblink, embed, download
http://www.techsmith.com/jing-features.html

12. Jing
Let’s demo!

13. Pixlr
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Three applications: http://pixlr.com/
FREE cloud based, image
creator and editor tool.
Flash based
Mobile app (iOS or Android)
Screen-grabbing tool (for FF or
Chrome) Pixlr Grabber
Share via imm.io is (a one-click
easy image sharer)
● Pixlr Editor - most used, like photoshop-lite, “photo editor”
● Pixlr Express - for quick adjustments, effects, fun overlaps, “image express”
● Pixlr-o-matic - vintage image effects, connects to FB, more most fun

14. Pixlr
Let’s demo!

15. Color and fonts
Color Scheme Designer http://colorschemedesigner.com/
create sets of color
Google Fonts http://www.google.com/fonts
hundreds of open source fonts

16. Color Scheme Designer

17. Google Fonts

18. Google Fonts
Font Book (Mac)
Control Panel - Fonts
(Windows)

19. UDL & Font
Consider students with low vision, colorblindness, and other vision
difficulties when choosing colors for videos or presentations.
● White or light yellow text on a dark background is the most visible
● Also consider space between lines (should be 25-30% of the font size)
If lines are too close together, it is difficult to find the beginning of a new
line
For more information, visit
http://www.lighthouse.org/accessibility/design/accessible-printdesign/making-text-legible/

20. Questions?
By Tsahi Levent-Levi (CC by 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/86979666@N00/7623744452/