A Gentle Stream - Animoto

As ready as it was possible to be, I began my exploration into the intimidating terrain.  I wasnt' sure if I would be experiencing a fierce river or a gentle flowing stream.  I had my necessary supply of duct tape.  I used it immediately...to help me keep my wits about me - I taped them in!



Killfile's flickr photostream

Animoto was the first leg in my exploration of the Web 2.0 wilderness.  It is a "Web-based video creation tool that allows users to upload digital photos, add background music, and /or text on images, to create an animated video" (Berger & Trexler, p. 139).  I just dove in – I signed up for an account, uploaded some pictures, chose some music from their copyright free bank of songs, and created my first video from slides.  Being as this was the free version of Animoto, I was limited to a 30 second presentation.  This is fine for experimenting with the tool, but is really only a taste test to get your mouth watering. 

I also viewed the Learn More in 60 Sec video on the homepage of Animoto.  It was in this video I learned about adding text and spotlighting pictures.  It was a helpful video to demonstrate the basic features of Animoto plus some of the upgrade options.  More templates for the video and greeting templates are available under the All Access and Pro plans (fee accounts).

What are the benefits of this tool to me personally?  Here are a couple I can imagine at this point:

• Fun way to share photos and videos
• Another tool for digital storytelling
• It can bring the learning occurring at school into our home
• A portfolio for my children’s learning each year
• Easy to share on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and via email
• I can embed my video into my blog

As indicated, I could have upgraded to an All Access account for a fee.  This would have allowed me to created unlimited full length videos.  Or, I could have purchased one full length unlimited video for $3.  The other option was to set up an educators account, but you have to apply for it, and the approval process takes time.  In addition, you need to have a URL address to link the education account to – perhaps to verify it is fact being used for educational purposes.  It has been two weeks, and I am still waiting to hear if I am approved. 

In the meantime, I have been checking out the Animoto for Education case studies site to explore the way other educators are using Animoto in their classroom.  As indicated by Berger & Trexler, it is a great tool to use with project-based activities (p. 139).  It ranges from Anti-bullying presentations to year end science fairs to Discovery Education Science Podcasts.  It showcases the mash-up of a variety of Web 2.0 tools.  For instance, the End of Year Science Project required students to use PowerPoint slides (the visuals) and Audacity (the audio), which were then uploaded to Animoto to create the video presentation.  Discovery Education Podcast enhances a podcast with images which contribute additional information resulting in a more informative presentation.  In the Capturing Watersheds Experience Animoto, Holly Muffet provides a link to an incredibly detailed lesson plan to demonstrate how she integrated an Animoto creation into her watershed project.  As a side note, this link is to Learn It, Teach It, which has other lesson plans available and basic technology skills video tutorials.  Maria H. Andersen, a college professor who created the Funky Function Notation Animoto to liven up a functions lesson, explains how she used SnagIt to transfer her PowerPoint slides to Animoto.  As she describes, the creation of an Animoto presentation is simple.

To maximize the experience with Animoto, you can also opt into a subscription via Twitter to learn about new features and partnerships of Animoto.  So I signed up.  Animoto is like the gentle stream running through the wilderness - a pleasant and refreshing experience.  (Although in my example, you will only get 30 seconds to experience this!)

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

The duct tape can be saved for another day because Animoto is just as easy to use.  The Web 2.0 wilderness is a shade less intimidating after this experience.  I continued to paddle onto my Prezi exploration.

References

Berger, P. & Trexler, S. (2010).  Choosing web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching in a digital world. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.