PicCollage & PicKids… What’s the Difference?

By Ann Kozma

Teachers often ask me, “What’s the difference between Pic Collage and Pic Kids… and why does it matter?” As a Teacher on Special Assignment, my job is to support teachers with the innovative and instructional use of technology.  The more I know about the features embedded within apps,  the more I can help teachers know how to effectively and meaningfully integrate technology (and amazing apps like Pic Collage) into their classrooms.  If you have used either Pic Collage or Pic Collage Kids, you know that many of the app features are exactly the same. Recently, Pic Collage has released a major update, so you’ll notice that this version launches a bit differently than Pic Kids.  Despite the minor difference in appearance, please know that the tools and many features within these two apps are exactly the same.  Many of the differences between Pic Collage and Pic Kids have to do with the social features and sharing options. Depending on the age of your students, this is important information.  Let’s take a closer look at the differences between Pic Collage and Pic Kids.

APP RATINGS

Did you know that apps have ratings just like movies do?  Those ratings are there for a reason. For students who are 12+ years old, using Pic Collage is a great choice because of the in-app sharing options. With just a few taps, students can share their work directly to Google Drive, SeeSaw, and various other apps.  Consider these sharing options when choosing which app is better suited for your classroom needs. Please note, in the iTunes store, Pic Collage is rated 12+ for the following reasons: infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence, and infrequent/mild realistic violence. Pic Kids is rated 4+ which means there is no objectionable content within the app.

SHARING OPTIONS

Our students are learning in a hyper-connected, digital world.  As educators, we are aware of the great responsibility we have when it comes to helping our scholars learn and apply digital citizenship skills in class and beyond.  One of the reasons I love using Pic Kids in the classroom is because of the safe photo editing features available in the app. The fact that there are NO accounts needed and NO social sharing features for students to access means that Pic Kids is a great tool for students and an app that teachers can comfortably let students use independently.

CUSTOM SETTINGS

Depending on your needs or school policies, you can customize your settings within Pic Collage and Pic Kids. Simply toggle the on/off switch in settings to enable or disable social features and the ability for students to access photos on the Web.

ADS…NO ADS

One other thing to note is that you will not see ads in the Pic Kids app. For a small fee, you can disable and the watermark in the Pic Collage app.

STICKER PACKS

Utilizing the sticker packs in Pic Collage is one way that students can add creative elements to their work.  All sticker packs are free in the PicKids app while there are sticker packs available for purchase in the Pic Collage app.

Knowing about all of the differences in Pic Collage and Pic Kids can help you make a choice when deciding which app to use in your classroom.  Please let us know how we can help you if you are just starting to use Pic Collage or Pic Kids in your classroom.

Here’s to learning and creating with Pic Collage!

Ann Kozma is a Tech Integration TOSA in Fullerton, CA. She is passionate about education technology and enjoys helping others learn how to integrate tech to transform teaching and learning. Ann is an Apple Distinguished Educator, PicCollage Ambassador, and Leading Edge Certified as a Professional Learning Leader. She has 13+ years teaching experience and has spent the past 7 years teaching in and supporting a 1:1 iPad initiative. Ann occasionally blogs at techtravelteach.com. Connect with her on Twitter @annkozma723, she loves to share ideas and best practices with educators around the world.