Cool Tools Review #5 - Loupe Collage

I have to admit, I had a lot of fun with this tool. Loupe Collage is a super user friendly photo collage website that allows users to upload pics from their device, social media accounts, or the web to then format into cool shapes. Users can choose from a fairly large number of preprogramed shapes, including many animal, holiday, and special event-themed ones, or they can draw their own shape. Additionally, they can do as I did and choose the text option, which will place their pics into the shape of whatever letters they type in the available box.

I typed HAIR and used all pics of hairstyles I've done on my daughter. If you hover over the images, you can see larger versions of them.

The site is free to use and easy to sign into using Google or Facebook (or a couple of other options). It's possible to create something without signing in, but I had to sign in if I wanted to use more than 25 images, and I did. There is also an option for creating cards and a game called Waldo where users have to click on one particular image within a collage within a certain amount of time before moving on.

I could see this being a useful tool for a project where students are asked to document their progress  with images or where they would like to add a fun element to a presentation. I was able to pick it up almost immediately without even using the tutorials because it was so intuitive, and I would imagine most older students would be able to do the same. It could be tricky to use in class for several reasons, however. First, it doesn't offer a range of stock or creative commons images that students can choose from, so they will have to be cautious about using copyrighted material unlawfully. Second, all collages are public, so if students use their own images to avoid copyright infringement, they still need to be good digital citizens when they decide what is safe to include. And third, the game is silly but addictive, so students could be easily sidetracked by it. I don't think any of those reasons are deal breakers, of course, but it is best to know what one is likely to be up against in order to be prepared.

Now go make something cool!