Here I thought I tried everything- Animoto videos, common craft (in plain english) videos, and all of the cloud based video editing tools (WeVideo, Stupeflix), and the screencast options (i.e. Screenr.com). To the delight of my eyes as I examine these resources for this week, it seems there is SO MUCH MORE out there to try! It amazes me how much the video editing world has skyrocketed over the past few years. Just three years ago, Windows Movie Maker was the best free option, and of course it didn't work on the student computers. Now, the possibilities are endless (or maybe I am just now figuring out how many options exist). Here are the top resources I am PUMPED about trying in my classroom (all taken from "Lights Camera Engagement" or Richard Byrne Presents":
- Choose Your Own Adventure- make your YouTube Videos Interactive (to find the interactive portion of the video below, fast forward to 2:00). The sky is the limit on these videos! Student can create their own stories and interact with their audience (I could see the integration of this video style in any content area)! What really strikes me, is this video was uploaded in 2008. Where was I in 2008? Clearly not discovering this amazing feature on YouTube...
- CREAZA- I'm having another "where have I been?" moment with this one. The options on this site are just awesome. It looks like there is a video editing tool, an audio editing tool, and an animation tool. Check out the video below on seasons created by the Creaza animation tool.
- Loopster.com - Seems like an awesome video editing tool, and it's now available in the Apple App store, so students with devices can use the tool alongside students with the netbooks. This is music to my ears! The app seems similar to animoto, but with more customizable features and allows for more video options (but lacks the fancy "themes" of Animoto)". Increasing student opportunities for creativity is always a plus!
Now, are there more advanced editing tools out there? Sure. Are there programs out there that can do more than some of these tools (i.e. iMovie, final cut pro)? Sure. Are there plenty of FREE options out there NOW that we can engage our students with, despite the fact we may not have the "newest and most efficient video editing options"? YES!! Can't wait to get my students started!
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Facultyfocus.com (which primarily focuses on higher education), reported "an astounding 96 percent of students said they use Facebook on a typical day and 84 percent use YouTube. Only 20 percent said they use blogs, 14 percent use Twitter, 12 percent use MySpace, and 10 percent use LinkedIn." Wow! Clearly, our students are interested in YouTube. I'm fairly confident that this statistic aligns closely with our middle school and high school students. They spend their after school hours looking up the most random videos they can find, and use YouTube listen to music. They even make YouTube videos at their "parties" and sleepovers. Why not carry this interest over into the classroom? Engaging our "YouTube Generation" students should be a the top of our technology tool to do list!
I love how pumped you are about these new possibilities for your classroom. There's no doubt that our students today are visual learners and the more interactive and visual you can make lessons, the more engaged I believe they will be. Even better, having students be the creators along with the consumers takes the learning that much further. Media is a part of students' every day life and I agree with your post that we should meet the students where there are and to provide instruction.
ReplyDeleteStudents definitely love watching videos as shown by their huge interest in YouTube! I think that videos can truly help out students in the classroom, as you had talked about. The part about students creating videos is what got me really excited because if they can create and explain a concept then they will have a deeper understanding of the material. I have done some experiments with this by having students create a whiteboard movie and then having them take a test. It never failed that the students that created the video for the material did much better than those who did not. These video editing softwares allow students to gain this deeper understanding.
DeleteI was very excited about the possibilities that these video editing software have to offer. The teachers that I co-teach with have been talking about different ways of helping students create projects that will help them gain a deeper understanding of the material. Those discussions have revolved around BYOD. One of the big things that we wanted to do was have students make videos and then post that to our Schoology page and have them as a resource for students. These different video editing tools allow these ideas to come alive. I am very excited to go and share these new tools with the teachers I work with. I believe, as Kara does, that video is a major part of our students lives and if we want to find new, exciting and deeper ways to reach our students then video is absolutely one of those way.
ReplyDeleteI agree I am very excited! I like the idea of posting the videos on Schoology. This would be a great way for me to organize the video and allow all the students to view one another videos. Thanks for the idea!
DeleteDefinitely think this could be a great tool for review especially for OAA prep! Also, as I know some other teachers already use videos in their classroom, there is a great value for students that are absent and miss material as well. Posting to Schoolofy is just one step more for the great convenience of having it at their fingertips and getting accessibility at home and/or on their devices as well! Something to have the eKids look into as well especially after some of them are establishing a great comfort level using a variety of these tools. While the students in your class create these videos they are engaged, participating and learning at the same time .... In addition can view these over and over again to review and study content in a more fun and interactive way...created by them....what more could we ask for!
DeleteUsing Youtube for OAA prep is a great idea and Chad Cornelius actually did that last year with his students. Most of you have probably seen it. They created a video that now has almost 4000 hits. It's pretty funny. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MEGDHbwhf0
DeleteI share your excitement when it comes to movie making in the classroom. Like you, I have not had much success with movie making in the classroom. I am looking forward to experimenting with some of the programs listed above in my classroom. I am especially looking forward to incorporating it in my OAA test prep. I would love to have students make videos that cover each of the topics that will be covered on the upcoming state test. Movie making and viewing is a very engaging activity for students and look forward to including it more in my instructional practices.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea with your test prep. I think the students will find a deeper understanding when they have to master the content in order to teach and show it to others. Then students can use the videos created by other students as resources for learning other content areas. Something you may also consider is having students learn the other content areas and then evaluate the other videos made. This is a good way for other students to show they know information in other content areas than the one they created the video for, and also provides valuable feedback to their peers.
DeleteCurious as to why you did not have success? I would love to know, it will help ascertain the best way to utilize this strategy. I would love to see the difference now with the new IOS and Android systems, students would look like they were shooting the remake to BlairWitch... they could really make a cool impression. But using videos to tutor, or review is a great idea.
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ReplyDeleteI too love your excitement! Our students are definitely into it, so instead of limiting their use, we should expose them to ways that they can still enjoy watching and creating videos by making it fun and educational. We need to embrace these types of tools and allow them to put a positive and fun twist on our students learning! Especially if we are trying to engage them and meet their visual needs.
Crayons to markers, the shoe box panoramic presentation, the late night run to staples to buy the TRI FOLD poster so your Harry Potter presentation can be finished for Monday... do these things sound familiar? They are simply antiquated means of presenting information. So why not create video, why not create animation, why not speak to the minds of this near sighted, couch-ridden, video game playing generation? Sorry for the sarcasm, but Kara is correct in her assessment of utilizing these wonderful tools to truly engage students. I have not tried it yet, now that I feel more comfortable, I will find a way to do it. Thank you Kara for putting my mind at ease.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that I thought about is how we could incorporate this into our integrated studies course. Ideas are plentiful!
DeleteI love the concept of allowing student to create but have always struggled with resources that are readily available on multiple platforms. I am anxious to dive into one of these resources and incorporate it into my classroom. I think any time students have the ability to think and create, learning is present.
ReplyDeleteKara had a lot of good points when it comes to using youtube and video editing apps to relate to and engage students. We know this is something that a lot of students are interested in and Kara pointed out the statistics to back it up. When we were working on our script for this weeks assignment, I came across another site that was a lot like animoto, but I think it has slightly more to offer. The site is called goanimate.com. I recommend checking it out and at the very minimum, add it as another tool to your digital toolbox.
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