I added a new tool to my ever growing technology toolbox this week: video creation.  I have used some video projects with my students in the past using Photostory, but what was difficult about that program was it had to be narrated by the students which didn’t always work the way it should.  I am looking forward to trying out projects with these new tools.

The one I ended up using for my video was Animoto.  This is a very easy tool to use to create videos.  You can add your own pictures or videos, or use the ones they have on the site.  Music can be added along with text.  After some trial and error, I found how to spotlight certain pictures (making them have more time) and how to only use a portion of a video clip.  There did seem to be some limit within the template I chose as far as picture rotation.  I think it depends on the template you use how many effects you can add.  I can see using this technique with my students for many ideas.  Before reading a book or looking at a particular literary period, we always review the history of the time.  Having students make a video like this one would be fantastic.  They could work in groups and each focus on a different issue.  I am thinking of the novel Of Mice and Men.  I could have one group looking at the Great Depression, another at migrant workers, another at discrimination, and so on. 

Overall, I was pleased with the final video.  I wanted to produce something school related, but my mind was blank.  We just got back from a vacation and were looking through photos, so I decided to do one for our upcoming wedding anniversary.  Here is the link:

https://animoto.com/play/GLyR1ZhD0yArmVzeVOhLLQ

Another great video creation tool is Powtoon.  I played around with this program some, and it wasn’t as user friendly as Animoto.  However, many of my classmates created some awesome videos with this program, so I am going to give it a second look.  I would like to add a video to my website, so I am going to delve back into this site.  I can see a lot of fun projects in class using this tool.  My juniors always read The Crucible, and I can see them creating a more cartoon version of the play.  Miller’s play has a lot of added conflict from the historical events, so this could make for an interesting video!

Wideo seems to be another good tool to use.  They have some good templates where you could create a basic video quite easily.  For the more advanced person, there are a lot of extras you can play with to personalize your video.  I created a quick video using the homework video template.  Students could easily use this in the classroom as a writing assignment or as a review of a book they are reading.  

Lots of good choices this week! It seemed a bit scary at first, but now that I have some completed videos under my belt I see how useful all of these tools can be.  Happy creating!