Alternatives to Picassa for Web Albums

Earlier today a colleague asked why she couldn't make her Picassa albums public outside our school domain, as she wanted to embed a slideshow in a Google Site. The answer: Picassa has moved to Google+ and therefore sharing is controlled through that portal. If your school doesn't have Google+ enabled, your hands are rather tied on this one. 

Albums are a great way to showcase learners' work or share learning moments with a wider audience so it's well worth finding one that meets your needs.

In a quest to find an alternative, I discovered two services that are a bit different but perhaps even better? Judge for yourself:

Dropmocks is a service that could not be simpler. Simply drag files from your computer onto the screen and they will be uploaded. No registration; no time wasted. Click on an image to bring it into focus while the rest sit behind blurred out. Embed in a Google Site using the iframe gadget. Here's an example below.

Wallwisher is no newcomer, but how about combining different media for a notice board display rather than a traditional slideshow? Combine artwork and video to enhance your pictures and visitors can leave comments (if you set the permissions appropriately). And even better - it's a collaborative tool so all your learners can contribute. 
To embed in Google Sites, simply copy and paste the embed code as usual. It will display best on a site that is 800 px wide, or visitors will have to scroll around to see all content. Example here: