Animoto

Summary of the Tool

Animoto is a great tool to use to make videos quickly and easily. It is a cloud based video creation service which allows you to turn your photos, videos, and music clips into video slideshows. Each video allows for the inclusion of user-selected images and music.

There are free 30 second videos you may create, but to create longer videos, there is a subscription one would pay for a year.

http://animoto.com

Pedagogical Uses

Animoto provides a quick and efficient illustrated presentation. It also facilitates teaching and learning as a visual and auditory aid. Using Animoto in the classroom helps trigger the attention on concepts, highlights a special topic, and provides illustrations that can be recorded with automated voice. An example of using Animoto in the classroom is to create a pre-activity to focus on grammar. The presentations are very stimulating.

This video provides a great example of explaining the water cycle which would be great for an upper elementary class.

How to do it

Provided, is a video on how to use animoto to create videos.

Tutorial on Using Animoto

Limitations

One drawback with Animoto is they only allow free 30 second videos. If one wants to do a longer one, then they need to upgrade and pay a certain fee each year. It is a great tool for students to use for a simple, small video highlighting the important aspects of either a lesson to teach the class or to share something about themselves with the class. However, teachers do get unlimited videos when you sign up as an educator.

Conclusion

Using videos shares content in a powerful and engaging way. For students, a video encourages interaction with academic material by hand-picking images, video, music and text. One way a teacher can use Animoto is to introduce himself or herself. Instead of a simple speech, create a video with one's favorite music, perhaps pictures of their family, and pictures of favorite sports or hobbies. Secondly, it can be used well to start of finish a new unit. It can be used as a preview of what is to come in the next unit or reviewing what it is that was taught. Use the key concepts in the lesson to emphasize their importance.