Home Project Based Learning Kits About Us

Our Learning Team is composed of teachers and professionals that are life-long learners. We are very excited to provide you with these Project Based Learning Kits. We have internally discussed what we remember learning throughout our K-8 years and what stands out is never an essay about this or that. What we vividly remember are the special projects and presentations. We even still have some of the books we created stored away in memory boxes! Those personalized projects made us feel as if we were experts on those topics and we were excited to show them off to friends and family. Of course, they are made of construction paper, inscribed with pen and marker, but it is the hands-on learning that has made the biggest impression on us. It was what inspired us to be the hands-on learners and teachers that we are today.

Lynda Holler

President & Founder
Great Software Tools, LLC
Bachelor of Science, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Ohio University

“I believe that although everyone may not feel they are artistic, everyone is creative if they have the right tools and training. I worked for 25 years in the fashion industry and came to realize that average computer users didn’t know how to work with graphics. Then I noticed that the cut & paste projects that kids were doing in school these days looked about the same as when I was in school! I am dedicated to providing the Tools and Teaching that will engage students in learning and transform their projects into valuable learning opportunities that prepare them for 21st century careers.”


Kay Burke, Ph.D.

Kay Burke & Associates, Inc.
Author of 5 bestselling books on assessment published by Corwin Press and Solution Tree Press. International speaker, specializing in assessment.
Expert in Assessment of the Common Core Standards online course, Co-produced by Knowledge Delivery System (KDS), New York, and Solution Tree Publishing, Bloomington, IN

“These creative performance task units are designed to integrate technology throughout the teaching and learning process and engage students in rigorous and exciting standards-based assessment. Teachers can add these units to their curriculum repertoire and know that students will be excited to be involved with a projects-based approach to instruction.”


Maureen Del Guidice

Communications Manager
Great Software Tools, LLC
Lehman College - Bronx, NY

“I have been working with the creator of Graphics-Toolbox, Lynda Holler, for a number of years now.  I know a good thing when I see it and Graphics-Toolbox is one of the 21st century’s "Best Kept Secrets". It is filling a void in technology and it is only a matter of time before Graphics-Toolbox & the Project Based Learning Kits revolutionize education. I am so happy to be part of this ground breaking technology!”


Melissa Weiderhold

5th Grade Teacher, Being with Children Charter School, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
(formerly 3rd & 4th Grade Teacher, Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School)
Hofstra University Undergraduate Majors: Elementary Education and Psychology
In progress- Touro College Masters of Science in Literacy: Graduation date is Sept 2012

“These project kits are a great way to bring the rigor and the fun in learning together. I enjoy seeing how the students, who are so naturally acclimated to the computer, are able to express their unique creativity and knowledge in professional formats. It is truly amazing to be a part of team that will make a difference in the future of our students.”


Debra Elk

5th Grade Special Ed Teacher, Brewster Central School District
Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education Preschool to Grade 6, SUNY Cortland
Duel Masters in Special Education and Literacy Kindergarten to Grade 12, Manhattanville College

“I am excited to be a part of this project to make learning come to life.  As a special education teacher it is crucial to match the content being explored to my students’ capabilities.  It should be noted that when I received my degree, gifted students were part of the special education charge.  So when I say "all students’ capabilities" I mean from the most struggling learner to the learner who needs to be challenged and pushed to their potential.  These units are built with the rigorous Common Core Standards in mind, but at the same time allow students the freedom of choice in their exploration.  These units are flexible enough for teachers to fine tune them to meet the individual needs of any group.  It is the student's choice, teacher's flexibility, and the design to meet all learners where they are that excites me the most about these lessons.”


Justine Jacobson

Kindergarten Teacher, Mt. Vernon City School District
Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, Iona College
Master of Science, Educational Computing, Iona College

“Motivating students is always a challenge especially in today’s digital world. Integrating technology into the classroom is a sure motivator. We wish to offer educators, like myself, comprehensive units that meet the new Common Core Learning Standards though the use of easy to use, current technology. I am honored to be part of this innovative project.”


Christine Bailey

English Professor, Housatonic Community College
Bachelor of Arts, English, Connecticut State University
Master of Arts, English, Connecticut State University

“Being a part of this innovative educational project is very exciting. These educational kits will help to modernize the standard teaching curriculum to better prepare children and adolescents for their future. By incorporating the use of technology with traditional teaching methods, these kits offer a multi-faceted, creative and fun approach to education.”


Charlotte Cavanagh

2nd Grade Assistant Teacher, Brewster Central School District
Bachelor of Arts, Communications Arts, College of Mount. St. Vincent

“I am excited to be a part of this project because it is allowing me to use my writing skills integrated with my recent experiences working with elementary school children.  Young children are naturally curious and enthusiastic. They are like sponges and are capable of retaining a lot of information when it is presented to them in a fun and unique way. I believe that these kits provide that sense of fun and are unique, thus the children will learn as they utilize them!”


Sally Rosenberg

COO and Co-founder, Game Builders Academy
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts/Marketing, State University of New York at Albany
Master of Arts, Communications/Computer Graphics, New York Institute of Technology

“Our goal at Game Builders Academy has always been to get students excited about learning by integrating subjects students are naturally attracted to – such as Video Game Development, Robotics, 3D Computer Animation, and Fashion Design -- with the core academic requirements. These education kits take this same approach and incorporate the core curriculum standard requirements and integrate them into easy-to-use projects that children will want to complete! Students learn while having fun. What could be better?”

Sample Tutorial

Testimonials

  • Beth - Home school mom
    “We've been so thankful for this program and we continue to use it often. My son had to do a puppet show for Royal rangers and we used GT to make the background scenery. He is also very interested in magic tricks and we have used the program to make graphics to spruce up the homemade props.”
  • Chris - Veterinarian and home school mom
    “THANK YOU so much for creating your tutorial videos. After watching them, both my 13 year old daughter & I were excited to work with Graphics-Toolbox. She keeps saying the possibilities are endless and can't wait to keep learning more. I believe anyone interested in providing their kids and/or themselves an open doorway into the world of technology and computer graphics should check this out for themselves.”
  • Sean - Public Relations
    “As someone who uses photo editing software, I would say that this program does with ease some of the most complicated editing that professional photographers do. The potential is incredible!”
  • Maria - Telecommunications Consultant and Mother
    "Graphics-Toolbox is a wonderful tool for all types of projects. It has helped my son with enhancing the quality of his school projects. I use it for work related reports as well as personal projects, such as creating invitations, cards and scrap booking. This tool is versatile, easy to learn and enjoyable for all ages. It creates professional looking documents that will impress your clients or friends."
  • Sara - Home school mom
    “Really – honestly, it’s a very simple program to use. With minimal understanding of how graphics work, you can do some pretty fancy shmancy stuff. If you wanna raise your game a few notches, this is the way to go about it. The tutorials available for GT are phenomenal. Not only will you learn how to manipulate images, but you’ll pick up some technical knowledge as well.”
  • Cheryl - Nurse
    “I absolutely love this program. It's easy to use and the finished products are very professional looking. I can't believe I actually made them myself! As a pediatric nurse, I don’t have artistic training, but I’ve already used Graphic Toolbox to retouch some old photos and to create my own announcements and invitations.”
  • Grace - age 11 Student
    “Graphics-Toolbox is awesome! I love all of the things you can do like: scrapbooking, school projects, card making and all of the ribbons and bows. It is the best program!”
  • Sheri - Home school mom
    “What I can tell you is that so many doors of possibilities beg to be opened with the use of the Graphics-Toolbox program. I plan to continue to further explore this, so that I can create more personal lapbook components, history visuals, and especially to make creative workbox materials to use in our daily homeschool adventures.”
  • Sandy - Optician
    “I am having so much fun using GT. I can't keep away from my computer. I have been very involved in scrapbooking for years, and Graphic Toolbox has added a whole new dimension for me. I feel like a have found a hidden treasure.”
  • John - age 11 Student
    “I like using this tool for my school book reports. It is easy to learn and use and it really helps me get a good grade. I like that you can bring in pictures from the Internet as well as your own pictures to make your report look very neat and well written. I am looking forward to using it for all my reports as well as other school projects.”
  • Beka - Home school mom
    “Graphics-Toolbox has a plethora of neat functions. One of my favorites is the Color Library: There are limitless color possibilities, and colors are grouped, so you can rest assured that any colors on a particular sheet will "go" with one another. No more guess work for the color deficient!”
  • Wendy - Home school mom
    If you are a scrapbooker or blogger, you will love Graphics-Toolbox! If you are in business and need to make flyers or brochures, you will love Graphics-Toolbox! If you are a mom who wants to make invitations or cards, you will love Graphics Toolbox. If you are a student who would like to make funny or mixed-up photos of your friends, visual aids for classes, or even illustrations for book reports or term papers, you will love Graphics Toolbox…
  • Ali - College Teacher
    "As a first year teacher, having Graphics-Toolbox has really transformed my fashion trend analysis project. The students are using GT as a career-enhancing opportunity to help them sell their ideas. Graphics-Toolbox gives them the hands-on experience they find in a professional setting and they are capitalizing on it to aid in their development toward internships and job opportunities!"
  • Jessie - Senior Flight Attendent
    “Graphics-Toolbox has allowed me to edit all my pictures to make my ‘Facebook’ profile look a lot more fun. The tools are straight to the point and can be picked up in no time at all, even with no graphics skills. It’s Great !!
  • Rich - Engineer
    “My wife got me looking at Graphic Toolbox. I'm self-employed and GT has allowed me to develop my own marketing and presentation materials. By doing my own graphics, I save money and get exactly what I need to represent my company.”
  • Barbra - QVC Scrapbook Designer
    “I love my new Graphic Toolbox! I am an avid scrap booker, who's tired of always having the wrong color in my current embellishment stash......so I tweak it in GT and there I go...perfect coloring every time with the unlimited color choices. Also, I love importing the digital kits ......my pages rock now!”
  • Tim - age 7 Student
    “I love the way I can move pictures around, change the colors and type in cool ways in Graphics-Toolbox. I like to draw mustaches on people sometimes too. It’s awesome!”
  • Anne - Teacher and Mother
    “Graphics-Toolbox is a phenomenal program that lets me use cutting edge graphics both in and outside the classroom. Its uses are endless and it surpasses any computer educational program that I have seen. It is also great for personal use such as designing my own letterhead and scrapbook pages, and creating posters for my fundraising causes.”
  • Derrick - Retired Executive/ Amateur Photographer
    "I am a very good photographer and I use Graphics-Toolbox to remove the background when recovering old portraits. It is the easiest way to go because the tools are fast and give me the effects that I want."
  • Colin - age 10 Student
    “I love Graphics-Toolbox, because it makes school projects fun. I also love the grades I’ve been getting since I started using it!”