Mix It Up With Animoto

Tech: Animoto is a fun video making site that I've experimented with for the past year. I was excited last month when I discovered they now have free accounts for educators! This free unlimited account offers full length videos and student accounts.

You can view some examples of how it can be used in education in this link to case studies.

Here's an Animoto that I created with pictures from one of my adventures in Peru.



Admittedly, it took me longer to figure out how to make my first video than it took my nine year old on her first try. It really is as simple as uploading pictures and/or short videos, adding Animoto's music, and adding text. Animoto also has a selection of pictures and videos that can be used.

Met Ed (applications):  Here are some possible uses for Animoto:

•  Partners complete a scavenger hunt and take pictures related to a theme or content area. (Theme example: pictures of fall) They then turn these pictures into Animoto videos, embed them on the class website, and give mini presentations.
• Students create "book trailers" by highlighting the plot of a book.
• Students take pictures of the steps in a scientific experiment and turn them into an Animoto video.
• Students give presentations about their videos and/or write about them.
• Etc…

The videos can be posted to facebook, you tube, or twitter. They can also be emailed, downloaded or embedded in a blog or website as I have done here.

As a side note, yes, there's an app for that! I just put it on my iphone, watched my videos, and made one from pictures on my iphone. This term, I have a student who brings an ipad to class daily. I predict we will be seeing more of this, and I'll be on the look-out for ways of incorporating these into instruction.

Happy video making!