Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays: Project Kits

Are you a novice when it comes to the world of Graphic Design?  With Graphics Toolbox, Great Software Tools brings you a professional quality graphic design program and Projects Kits that help you get started in the world of Graphics Design!

In order, to help teachers and homeschool parents create valuable projects with their students, we are continuing to develop downloadable curriculum project kits that can benefit a variety of subjects and age levels.

The kits include the step-by-step instructions and all the files you need to create these dynamic and educational projects.

These ideas should be the starting point for you. Once you create these projects your own creative juices will begin flowing and you can apply your Graphics-Toolbox skills to enhance your existing curriculum programs. Have fun!

In addition, once you have completed these kits, you will have become very familiar with the tools that Graphics Toolbox offers, and will be able to use these kits as they were intended, as a starting point. Our desire is that these kits will spark ideas for future projects.

Colonial America - $29

This valuable project can be created as shown or it can be divided into more than one project. Within a classroom, students at different learning levels can work on the same project, but do 1, 2 or all 3 components, depending on their capabilities.

They will naturally choose different colors for the map and keys and therefore all their projects will look different and display their individual creativity. All students will feel proud of the final outcome.

Combining Graphics-Toolbox with this great hands-on visual-learning kit will color their interest for Social Studies and ensure they learn more about Colonial America in the process!

Once this project teaches you to work with maps, keys and time lines in Graphics-Toolbox, use your new skills to enhance other Social Studies curriculum material.

 

 

Exploring Favorite Artists - $39

The Exploring Famous Artist project kit can be used by teachers of all subjects. The approach here is to give the students the skills they need to report on their research in several valuable media forms. After using the files and templates we provide to learn the steps for this project, an English teacher could have her students follow the same steps for their research on authors or a character in a novel. For social studies it could be used for explorers or presidents. Music teachers could assign composers or influential musicians and so forth. Download the project and see how Graphics-Toolbox software and this kit can enhance your lesson plans and prepare students to present their knowledge in valued formats. Included are the files, templates and finished samples of a poster, PowerPoint presentation, tri-fold brochure and trading cards about Claude Monet. Download this kit and have fun learning!

 

This is My Book! - $29

This is My Book! was developed to encourage creativity and stimulate research on your favorite subject – You! It is a fun, informative project for children, but also a wonderful project for adults. Different ages can approach it with different levels of detail. The project is intended to inspire reflection on your life and you can choose to use all of the pages or only the ones that are meaningful to you. Consider creating one as a gift for someone special! We hope that it will be a starting point and that you will continue the book as far into the future as you would like. Life is a work in progress; we hope this book will be too!

The kit is available as a downloadable zipped file. The kit includes:

1. The complete book in 2 formats:

a. Each of the individual pages in PCX format, which can be opened in Graphics-Toolbox, where photos, graphics, borders and text can be added creatively.b. PDF form for users that want to print out the book then color and glue photos and images by hand.

2. Complete step-by-step instructions showing examples of completed pages.

 

If you have questions please contact me at jennifer@greatsoftwaretools.com

Please visit our website for more information, and to download your 30 day free trial of Graphics Toolbox! ( this is a full featured edition)

 

 

Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays: Photo Editing

We have all taken the photos that we wish were just a little better. That happened last week for me.

My kids went to camp, and we took our Annual picture in the front yard. We were running late, so we really did not have time for a 'do over' picture.  The kids looked fabulous, but just as I snapped, I noticed that our neighbors family walked behind the kids, and ultimately ended up in the shot.  Here is the photo below.....



 

Now the photo isn't horrible, I just wish we did not have background people. However, with Graphics Toolbox, I don't have to just live with that picture.... I can take those people out!

And that is exactly what I did!



 

With a few simple steps.. I was able to wash those background people right out of the picture!  By using the cloning tool, I was able to extend the bushes that are behind the walking people. As well as the street and curb.

While I was at it, I thought I would touch up the grass. I took a shadow on both the bottom right and left hand corners.  And along the left hand side, I also touched up a dead patch of grass ( near my daughters elbow). So now it looks like a lovely green lawn!

So after just a few moments, I now have the photo I wanted! showcasing, my wonderful children!

Our family has enjoyed using Graphics Toolbox for so many different types of projects. From educational, to crafting, to photo editing.. and much more! Keeping checking in here, for more projects, small and large..

Visit our website to see all the awesome hobby applications that are available!

Here you can see another one of our short videos showcasing some of the features you will have at your fingertips with Graphics Toolbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B55CPCcumVM&feature=player_embedded#at=20[/youtube]

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at jennifer@greatsoftwaretools.com

Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays - Money Math

Hello everyone! Welcome to another edition of Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays. Once again, my goal today, is to show you simple projects that you can create using Graphic Toolbox to educate your children.

This week's project is about money! You can use Graphics Toolbox to teach your child all about money. Many children learn better when they use manipulatives. You can use Graphics Toolbox in that capacity as well.

I created a simple sheet and called it "Know Your Money", using images of US Dollars and Coins.  You can see the sheet here...

 



 

Now from here you can take this into a couple of different directions.  In the first example, I simply typed in dollar amounts... shown here...

 



 

You can now have your student use the framing tool, and frame out the appropriate currency and place it under the amount listed.



 

In this following example I used photos of items in our home...



 

First, I imported them into Graphics Toolbox, then I had some fun and created a cute frame, and then I created a price tag for each item. In just a few steps I was able to create the tag with the string. Now, depending on the age and skill level of your child, you the parent can create the pictures. However, Graphics Toolbox is very user friendly, and after a little bit of practice, your child will be able to create the photos themselves.

Here is what a completed sheet would look like..



 

 

This gives them the manipulation skills they need to help make their learning concrete, while also using this simple money lesson to teach them technology skills for their future. As you can see from these illustrations, you can adapt the projects to meet the needs and abilities of  your students.

You can learn more about Graphics Toolbox by visiting this page. And by visiting their website.  You can also watch a video about it here....[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B55CPCcumVM&feature=related[/youtube]

 

Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays!

Today we are going to look at some fun things that can be done with Graphics Toolbox. From these projects I hope that you can see, that not only can Graphics Toolbox be used for education, but, also for family creative use!

This first project shows a photo of my daughter performing in a Fine Arts competition.



 

As you can see, not exactly an exciting or fun photo. What can we do to jazz it up a bit??



Now that is exciting! She is playing the piano in front of a massive crowd! How neat! How did we do this?

We used an irregular frame and pulled both my daughter and the piano out of the photo. We then laid it over a photo of a crowd that we found on google images.  We used the resizing tool to make both photos the correct size.

Once placed we framed out the photo by drawing a solid black frame, and then we chose the stitched line frame and matched the color of my daughters shirt for the stitched line. And Voila! A fun picture!

Here are the birthday cards I made for my kids last year!  They really enjoyed them, and I enjoyed making them!





 

In addition to these projects, we have created thank you notes... I have made them and the children have made them. I have used Graphics Toolbox to dress up the graphics that I use on my blog... I have created a homeschool schedule for a our homeschool, and mini posters that we post around our home.

 

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at Special Needs Projects, and general homeschool projects and blog projects and much, much more!

For more information on Graphics Toolbox, please visit Great Software Tools today!!!  You can also click here to view a video that will show you even more wonderful projects that can be achieved with Graphics Toolbox!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B55CPCcumVM&feature=related[/youtube]