Artificial Intelligence in the ELT Classroom

Animoto

By Karina Pinto

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this section is to provide relevant information about Animoto, a multimedia tool that allows users to create engaging videos and slideshows (Animoto, 2025).

First, I will present findings about the main features of Animoto and share comments from users about the tool. Next, I will provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to start using the site. After that, I will include a sample lesson plan that incorporates an activity using Animoto, as well as an activity that integrates Writesonic, another AI tool, for content generation.

Finally, I will present a detailed analysis of how some of the lesson plan activities align with SAMR, DigCompEdu, and TPACK theoretical frameworks, showing how these frameworks support the chosen lesson plan.

LERNING WEBSITE VIEWS

According to TeachersFirst (2025), Animoto is a web-based animation tool that enables users to create visually engaging videos or slideshows by combining images, video clips, music, and text. Its intuitive interface and ready-to-use templates allow students aged 13 and older to produce short, high-quality videos, even without access to specialized software. In educational settings, teachers can use Animoto to guide students in creating digital projects such as commercials, science fair previews, or promotional videos for literary characters, organisms, or cultural sites. Finished projects can be easily shared through interactive whiteboards, projectors, or online links.

Tomaszewski (2012) also describes Animoto as a simple and automated video creation platform that allows both teachers and students to produce professional-looking videos with minimal technical skills. In the classroom, it can enhance instruction by helping students combine text, visuals, and sound to express ideas creatively. This multimodal approach supports diverse learning styles, fosters digital literacy, and increases engagement.

Similarly, Coskun and Marlowe (2015) highlight Animoto as a free Web 2.0 tool particularly suited to English language teaching. Their study shows that teachers view it positively for promoting communication, collaboration, and creativity. While some express concerns about its classroom application, most agree that it helps make lessons more student-centered and interactive.

Overall, across different studies, Animoto emerges as a user-friendly, creative, and accessible platform that encourages multimodal learning, supports student engagement, and enriches technology-enhanced teaching practices.

PROS AND CONS

So, based on the data provided by the sources mentioned above, the main benefits and drawbacks of the AI-powered tool Animoto can be summarized as follows:

Benefits:

User-friendly interface that allows quick video creation with minimal technical skills.
Enhances creativity and engagement through multimodal learning (text, images, music, and video).
Supports communication, collaboration, and digital literacy in student projects.
Provides ready-made templates that make it accessible to beginners and teachers alike.

Drawbacks:

Limited customization and creative control in the free version.
Requires stable internet access since it is entirely web-based.
Free plan includes watermarks and restricted export options.
Some templates and designs are outdated or not easily adaptable to all subjects.
Age restrictions (13+) and potential privacy concerns when sharing videos online.

HOW TO USE IT

STEP 1

Go to Animoto and click Sign up. You can register with an email and password or with supported single-sign-on options.

If you are a teacher, consider applying for the Education/Schools option and register with your school email (this can unlock educator features).

STEP 2

After signing in, choose Create and choose a temple category (e.g., Educational Presentation, Promo, Slideshow)

STEP 3

Click Add (or +) to upload images and video clips from your computer or import from cloud storage.

STEP 4

Add title slides, captions, or short text blocks using the Text tool.

STEP 5

Click Change Song (or Music) to select a track from Animoto’s licensed music library or upload your own audio file.The platform automatically matches the pacing of the music to the video length.

STEP 6

After you previewed and polished your video, click Produce / Publish. You will also be able to share it.

LESSON PLAN AT HAND😉

Group of Students

Level: B1 (Intermediate)

Group: 21 secondary students

Context: Private Secondary School, C.A.B.A.

Time Allotted: 80 minutes (2 lessons)

Final Product: A 30-second promotional video using Animoto that encourages responsible clothes consumption and highlights the environmental impact of fashion.

Goal

By the and of this lesson, the students will be able:

To use vocabulary related to clothing and environmental issues in context.
To raise awareness about responsible fashion choices.
To learn to use AI tools ethically to generate and refine content.
To create a short, persuasive video advertisement using Animoto.

Warm up

The students will be shown two contrasting images. One will be about a woman overbuying cloths and the other one an image with a sustainable clothing brand.

Instructions:

What do you see?
What words describe the clothes the woman in picture 1 is wearing? (Elicit vocabulary: colorful, expensive, cotton, etc.)
Do you think clothes can affect the planet? How?
Briefly review key vocabulary: colors, materials, shapes, production, and environmental impact (e.g., cotton, polyester, handmade, recycled, organic).

Activity 1

The students will first complete a table with the categories fit, style, pattern, and material, using the words provided: baggy, casual, checked, cotton, denim, elegant, etc.

Then, they will use adjectives from the previous exercise to complete short descriptions that match the clothes worn by three celebrities shown in different pictures.

After each task, the class will check the answers together, clarifying meanings and discussing which adjectives best describe each celebrity’s outfit.

Instructions:

Look at the table with the categories fit, style, pattern, and material. Use the words provided to complete it: baggy, casual, checked, cotton, denim, elegant.
Then, look at the three pictures of celebrities. Complete the short descriptions using adjectives from the previous exercise. Make sure each description matches what the celebrity is wearing.
Compare your answers with a partner. Then, check them together as a class. Discuss which adjectives best describe each outfit and why.

Activity 2

The students will be asked to plan a creative, eco-friendly clothing brand.

Instructions:

Divide students into small groups (3–4 members).
Provide a planning worksheet with prompts:

Brand name: ___________

Slogan: ___________

Type of clothes: ___________

Materials used: ___________

Environmental message: ___________

Encourage students to include sustainability in their brand’s identity (e.g., “We use recycled fabrics,” “Our clothes are made locally”).

Activity 3

After completing their brand plan, students will use Writesonic. An Ai tool that will help them to get support for their advertisement script. (The teacher monitor and help the students when necessary)

Instructions:

Go to writesonic and type a short prompt such as:

“Suggest a short eco-friendly advertisement script (around 30 seconds) for a sustainable clothing brand that uses recycled materials. Include a creative slogan and a call to action.”

Discuss the AI-generated script in your group.

What ideas are useful or inspiring?

What parts don’t fit your brand’s identity?

How can you rewrite it in your own words?

Use your group’s creativity and vocabulary from previous lessons to write your final 30-second script.

Activity 4

Students will be asked to write and advertisement scrip of 30 seconds (The teacher monitor and help the students when necessary).

Instructions:

Use ideas from the AI-generated script Writesonic and adapt them using your own vocabulary and creativity.

The script must include:

A description of the brand and its clothes.
An eco-friendly message or the problem the brand helps solve.
A call to action line inviting viewers to buy or support the brand.

Activity 5

The students will work in groups of 4–5 to produce a 30–45 second video for their eco-friendly clothing brand using Animoto. The teacher will project the page on the board for the students to follow the instructions on their computers or tablets and leave it open in case they need additional support.

Instructions:

Go to www.animoto.com and sighn up
Choose a template (e.g., Marketing Video, Presentation)
Upload images or video clips related to the brand you created
Add short texts or slogans
Choose music that fits the mood (upbeat, natural, etc.)
Preview and edit your video to ensure the text, images, and music work well together and clearly communicate your eco-friendly message.

Activity 6

The students will present their 30–45 second Animoto videos to the class in their groups.

Instructions:

Each group presents their video to the class.
While watching, peers take notes using the checklist.
After the presentation, the audience shares one positive comment and one suggestion for improvement.
The presenting group can ask questions or clarify their choices if needed.
The teacher monitors and provides additional feedback on language, pronunciation, and presentation skills.

Connecting DigCompEdu

In Activity number 3, the students engage with the AI tool Writesonic to create advertisement scripts for sustainable brands, combining creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy. From the perspective of the DigCompEdu framework (Redecker, 2017; Bekiaridis, 2024), the task supports several key areas of digital competence for learners:

Professional Engagement – students collaborate in groups and discuss AI outputs, reflecting responsible and reflective engagement with digital tools.
Digital Resources – students select, evaluate, and adapt AI-generated scripts to fit their brand identity, demonstrating critical creation and modification of digital content.
Teaching and Learning – the activity uses Writesonic as a scaffold for writing and creativity, with the teacher providing support and guidance to enhance learning.
Assessment – students’ discussion and evaluation of AI outputs act as informal formative assessment, helping them reflect on branding, creativity, and language use.
Empowering Learners – students make autonomous decisions about which AI suggestions to keep, adapt, or discard, fostering ownership and decision-making.
Facilitating Learners’ Digital Competence – interacting with AI develops students’ digital literacy, including critical thinking, evaluating digital outputs, and integrating technology meaningfully.

Source: European Comission 2020

More about Theoretical Framework:

The European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) provides a comprehensive model for defining and developing educators’ digital competence across all educational levels (Redecker, 2017; European Commission Joint Research Centre, n.d.). It outlines six key areas: Professional Engagement, Digital Resources, Teaching & Learning, Assessment, Empowering Learners, and Facilitating Learners’ Digital Competence. The framework emphasises not only technical proficiency but also pedagogical, ethical, and inclusive dimensions of digital technology use in education (Redecker, 2017). Progression levels from “Newcomer” to “Pioneer” allow educators to reflect on their professional growth and plan development in a structured way (European Commission Joint Research Centre, n.d.).

The AI Supplement to DigCompEdu (Bekiaridis & Attwell, 2024) extends this framework by integrating AI-specific competences into the same six key areas. It highlights the need for educators to develop skills in data literacy, computational thinking, ethical and responsible use of AI, and curriculum/pedagogical design leveraging AI. This supplement underscores how AI tools can transform teaching and learning, supporting critical engagement with digital content, promoting ethical considerations, and encouraging reflective, student-centered pedagogy (Bekiaridis & Attwell, 2024).

By combining DigCompEdu and its AI supplement, educators and learners are guided to use digital and AI tools not merely for technical execution but as instruments to foster creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy in meaningful learning contexts (Redecker, 2017; Bekiaridis & Attwell, 2024). This theoretical foundation justifies the integration of AI-based tools like Writesonic into classroom activities, ensuring pedagogically informed and ethically responsible use of emerging technologies.

Connecting Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

Another Theoretical framework that can be connected to activity number 3 is Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (Wedlock, 2017) adapts the classic Bloom’s Taxonomy to a digital learning context, linking cognitive skills to tasks using technology. In your Writesonic activity:

Analyze

Students read and examine the AI-generated advertisement scripts.
They identify which ideas are useful or inspiring and which do not match their brand identity.

This step develops critical thinking, encouraging students to break down information and evaluate its components.

Evaluate

Students make judgments about the AI outputs: which elements best reflect their sustainability message and marketing goals.

This step encourages decision-making and reasoning, as students justify why some ideas work and others do not.

Create

Students write their final 30-second advertisement script, combining AI suggestions, peer input, and their own ideas.

This fosters creativity, originality, and synthesis, producing a tangible product that applies their learning in a meaningful way.

Overall, the activity encourages higher-order thinking: students move beyond simply reading or repeating information; they critically analyze, evaluate, and create, all in a digital environment. This aligns perfectly with Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy, which links cognitive skills with meaningful digital tool use.

Source: EdTech Class. (2021, June 23).

More about this Theoretical Framework

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (Wedlock, 2017) is an adaptation of the original Bloom’s Taxonomy that integrates digital tools into cognitive skill development. The taxonomy organizes learning objectives into six cognitive levels—Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create—emphasizing how technology can support higher-order thinking. In the context of digital learning, students use digital tools not only to access information but also to critically process, assess, and produce content (Wedlock, 2017).

The taxonomy highlights three key higher-order cognitive processes particularly relevant to technology-enhanced learning activities:

Analyze: breaking information into parts and understanding relationships or patterns;
Evaluate: judging the value or effectiveness of information, ideas, or processes;
Create: generating new ideas or products by combining information in novel ways.

Applying Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy to classroom activities, such as using AI-generated advertisement scripts, allows students to engage deeply with content, make informed decisions, and produce original work in a structured, pedagogically sound manner (Wedlock, 2017). The framework also provides guidance for educators to design digital learning experiences that actively promote critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, ensuring that technology use contributes meaningfully to learning outcomes (Wedlock, 2017).

CONNECTING SAMR

In Activity 5, students create a 30–45 second video for their eco-friendly clothing brand using Animoto. This task can be analyzed through the SAMR model, which categorizes technology use in learning into four levels: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.

Substitution: The technology (Animoto) acts as a direct replacement for creating a physical poster or slideshow. Students could theoretically make a video without technology, but using Animoto makes the process faster and more visually dynamic.

Augmentation: Animoto adds functional improvement over traditional methods. For example, students can quickly upload images, add music, and edit text in a way that is easier and more flexible than using paper or basic slideshow software. This enhances the quality of their final product.

Modification: The activity allows for task redesign. Students collaborate in groups, integrating multimedia elements (images, text, music) to convey a persuasive eco-friendly message. Technology transforms the activity from a simple poster or spoken presentation into an interactive digital product.

Redefinition: The video project enables students to create something that would not be possible without technology. They can share the video online, receive peer feedback, and reflect on the combination of visual, textual, and auditory elements to enhance the brand’s message. This represents a completely new learning experience compared to traditional methods.

All in all, using Animoto moves the activity beyond just substituting technology for paper. Students not only produce a digital artifact but also engage in creative collaboration, multimedia integration, and real-world communication, which aligns with the higher levels of SAMR (Modification and Redefinition).

Source: EdTech Class. (2021, June 23).

More about this Framework

The SAMR model is a widely used framework for integrating technology into teaching and learning. It helps educators analyze how digital tools can transform educational tasks, moving from simple substitution to creating entirely new learning experiences. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition, representing a continuum of technology use in the classroom.

Substitution: At this level, technology replaces traditional tools without changing the task’s core function. For example, students could create a video using Animoto instead of producing a physical poster. The task remains similar, but digital tools can make it faster or more visually appealing.

Augmentation: Here, technology enhances the task with added functionality. Animoto allows students to combine images, text, and music efficiently, making the video more polished and engaging than a traditional presentation. This functional improvement can help students communicate ideas more effectively and reflect on design choices.

Modification: Technology enables significant task redesign. Students collaborate in groups to produce multimedia content that integrates different modes of communication—visual, textual, and auditory. The activity encourages higher-order thinking skills, such as evaluating the effectiveness of images and slogans, editing sequences for clarity, and creating a coherent brand message. Technology transforms the project from a simple presentation into an interactive learning experience that supports critical thinking and creativity.

Redefinition: At this stage, technology allows students to do things that were previously impossible. With Animoto, students can share their videos online, receive peer feedback, and engage in authentic digital communication. This level of integration fosters collaboration, creativity, and real-world application, aligning classroom tasks with professional digital practices and global communication standards.

By applying the SAMR model, teachers can intentionally design activities that move beyond mere digital replacement, aiming to transform learning experiences. The framework emphasizes that technology integration should not be an add-on but a tool to deepen learning, promote engagement, and develop 21st-century skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and digital literacy.