GIPHY Cam

Editor's Note: GIPHY Cam is no longer available.

GIPHY Cam is an app for Android and iOS that allows super fast and fun GIF creation for students and teachers. If teachers are just looking for an easy, free, and mobile option to get students very quickly generating playful GIFs, then GIPHY Cam is a great choice; just make sure you don't expect a lot of detailed editing options. Users can grab images or video live (using the phone's camera in either video or burst photo mode) or just pull from existing media in the phone's library. After grabbing the footage, users can choose to apply a video filter and add stickers or custom text. Some of the stickers are animated and can even track faces and apply the effects over a person's eyes or mouth. 

The filters, stickers, and animations scream silliness, so GIPHY Cam is best used to add levity to lessons or presentations, or as a way for students to comment playfully on a class discussion board or feed. For instance, ask students every week to check in on your class's website with a GIF that communicates how the week went. Students could also create a library of GIFs teachers could use in their class materials (emails, class website, presentations), or even their Quizizz formative assessments.