Mashups: Befunky

The Tool

There are many tools available for creating mashups out of images both online and in an app form. I created this cartoon of a photo for an assignment using Befunky and a photo I took at the Singapore zoo. This type of tool allows students to be creative and design something that is specific to their needs.

Theorizing Smartphones

Review

Befunky is simple to use and does not require registration. Photos upload easily from a variety of locations and there are options for style, speech bubbles, text, goodies, frames, and much more. Each category has some tools that are free and some that require an upgrade (payment). 

Befunky welcome screen

I wasn't able to complete my picture using the site because the goodies available didn't provide a picture of a smartphone which was integral to the meaning of my cartoon. For that I had to save the photo to my desktop, and then create my own phone image by using preview on my mac. The downside to using this site is that you can't save your work as you go. You save the finished product onto your computer or share it through various options such as Facebook.  This means that if you don't have time to finish it in one sitting, you lose your work. I did experiment with downloading it to my computer and then uploading the partially finished work for a later completion, but found that the previous changes I made were permanent and I was unable to change what I had done.

Educational Issues

While I used my own photo for this project, it is common to use someone else's image for a mashup. Copyright is an issue that must be addressed with students. Many students think that because they can easily download images that it is okay to use them and if we are honest as teachers, we often grab images without attribution when creating lessons on the fly. As teachers we need to set the example, as well as explicitly teach students how to choose and cite information correctly. Common Sense Media offers free K-12 curriculum related to the use of technology and covers this issue of copyright at each grade level. 

Resources for Creative Commons Media

Links to creative commons searches
Links to free use media
Four Creative Commons Photo Sites