Piktochart
What is Piktochart?
Piktochart is a web based service that helps teachers and students create infographics. Infographics are visual representations of information. The pictures, charts, and graphs along with minimal text all for better visualization of information and are perfect for an overview of topics. Piktocharts allow for QR codes and hyperlinks to be embedded on the chart giving people the option to access additional information if wanted or needed. Piktochart has several publishing options: printed, embedded on webpages, shared through social media, ebook, or emailed. The newest version of Piktochart also allows the reader to create social media graphics, presentations, reports, flyers, and posters. You must sign up to use the free version, but there are packages available for education purposes that allow for more collaboration and sharing.
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Example from the Piktochart education blog
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How Do I Create a Piktochart?
Piktocharts are easy to create if you are familiar with other graphic design software like Microsoft Publisher. Begin at
https://piktochart.com/ and create your free account. From the dashboard, choose the type of presentation that you would like to create.
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Screenshot of the products
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You then can choose a preloaded template or use a blank presentation. From there you can select the design features you would like to add to your infographic. You can upload pictures from your computer to use as well.
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Screenshot of design features
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The design features are easy to use and manipulate. I found that I learned this program by using it. The more I played around with the features, the easier it became. If there was not a graphic in the program, it was easy to upload and use free clip art. The program also has several different graphic organizers like timelines and comparisons that can be manipulated to fit your content.
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| Screenshot of organizers from Piktochart |
How Do I Use Piktocharts in the Classroom?
Anchor charts can be created by the teachers as a way to present information to students. Piktocharts are great for graphic organizers, guided notes, or anchor charts as a way to diseminate information to students. Students can create Piktocharts too. Students can showcase information and concepts learned digitally. The infographics can be used as culminating projects or in a flipped classroom to show what was learned. Each content class can use Piktocharts in different ways. See the blog post under teacher resources below for some more concrete ideas for all content areas.
Resources for Teachers
Resources for Students
- Piktochart blog for students
- Piktochart student tutorial
- Tutorial for Piktochart (YouTube Video--does not have all the updated features, but does a good job explaining how to use the basic features)
Wrapping Up
Students respond to visual information. Piktocharts helps student see the most important information first. The page isn't cluttered which allows for more emphasis on the most important concepts. When students create their own Piktocharts, they are analyzing many pieces of information to find the most important concepts that need to be shown. This synthesis and analysis of information shows that students truly have internalized the concepts being taught.
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| Example of an infographic created with Piktochart |
This is a phenomenal tool to use right now during eLearning! What a unique way to allow students to demonstrate their notes on content. What if we allowed them to create an infographic for each standard or indicator as a way of taking notes? Then they could keep it for future reference and probably do even better on tests, since having designed it, they may have pictures in their mind. I think it would jive with visual learners really well. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea for test study guides. I think students would like to create these as opposed to traditional notes or research papers. Anything that keeps them engaged is a plus in my book!
ReplyDeleteGreat tool and I can definitely see how embedding QR codes and hyperlinks could extend learning beyond the set lesson (creating opportunities for personalized learning experiences like mentioned in this week's webinar).
ReplyDeletePiktochart also connects with the real world as we see more and more infographics being shared on social media. Students could put this tool in their box of tricks to share information on any topic they choose at any time on any platform (enabled by the variety of choices Piktochart offers for sharing).
Thanks for putting Piktochart on my radar!
-Tiffany Taylor Brewer
This is an awesome tool! With so many students being virtual, this would be a great way to introduce or sum up a unit and students would have those links and QR codes right at their fingertips. I like Aly's idea of letting students create a Piktochart as they move through a unit. I also like your step-by-step on how to get started and all of the links you provided for teachers and students. Excellent!
ReplyDelete-Lindsey Arant
Hi Stacey,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning about Piktochart in this week’s module and learning even more about the program through your blog. I liked that you included a list of links for teacher and student resources. Specifically, the link on easelly regarding the importance and impact of infographics. I consider myself to be a visual learner, but I was unaware of just how much visual learning impacts all learners. I learned from referencing easelly that “90% of information to the brain is visual” and additional evidence supporting the impact of visuals on instruction and comprehension. I like how Piktochart’s use of graphics catch the reader’s attention and makes visual connections to topics while keeping it simple on point. With the ability to include QR codes and hyperlinks it can connect the reader to more in-depth information.
I would like to try to use Piktochart in two ways. First, I would like to use it to help create a guide for those using our school’s library services. The second is that I though it would be a fun program to use with my book club. Students could make a Piktochart covering the main characters and events within a novel. For example, I just finished reading Refugee by Alan Gratz. This novel has three storylines of refugees in different countries in different time periods enduring persecution and harsh circumstances. It at times can be a bit confusing for students to remember who was traveling from where to where with whom and why. I think it would be fun to split my students up into groups that could make a Piktochart for each main protagonist.
Thanks for the info.
Kelly
Hi Stacey!
ReplyDeleteI love this resource! And I really love Aly's idea to use it as a tool for creating study guides for the students. I can also think of other ways that students could use this collaboratively. I really enjoy graphic resources, but I am not especially talented when it comes to creating them. The pre-fab templates are a plus for me. Thank you for sharing it and for posting all the great ideas along with it. I have it bookmarked for use in my library. :)
~Sabrina
Hi Stacey,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information on Piktochart. I will be passing this resource on to my students.It is a great way for students to express their creativity and the student website is very easy to follow.