What is Animoto? Part 1 of 4

Greetings,

I hope you are doing well this week.  Today I will be sharing with you a great web site where you can produce your own videos or slide shows by using pictures, videos and music for free.  The web site is called Animoto.  Simply click on the picture below, and it will take you to the web site.

Animoto is a web site that allows you to produce your own videos by using your own photos, video clips and music. Animoto will look at your photos, video clips and music, and put them into a mini video, like a 30 second movie trailer. Once the song or video is created, it will have its own unique design.

According to the Animoto web site, they state that no two videos are ever the same. This tutorial series will be a four part tutorial with pictures and details of the process to create your customizable video. This is how the tutorials will be broken down.

Week 1: Introduction to Animoto and Sample Civil Rights Video

Week 2: How to Sign up for a Free Account

Week 3: How to Create and Produce a Video

Week 4: How to Promote Your Video

Stay tuned for week 2 on how to sign up for a free account. I will see you next week.

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What is Windows Live Movie Maker?

Greetings,

Hope you are doing well.  Today I am blogging about Windows Live Movie Maker.  This is the movie editing program in Windows 7.  I am currently teaching our third grade students how to use the software.  Listed below are five video tutorials that will assist you to get started with Windows Live Movie Maker.  Here is an introductory video on how to get started with the program.

The next video will review how to import or bring in photos or videos into the program.

The next video will show you how to make an auto movie theme.

The next video will show you how to edit your video.

The last video will show you how to edit your audio.  One feature I noticed with the audio is with this version you can choose to lower or raise the volume to add background audio.

If the videos are not working above, you can click here to see them online.  Once you watch the first video scroll down to the Import photos and videos link on the left to get to the other four videos or click here.

Here are some work sample pictures, in which the third grade students created a short movie about themselves in the computer lab. 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed these free video tutorials on Windows Live Movie Maker.  I hope you enjoyed the work samples screen shots I took of the student's work samples.  We will see you next week with another exciting topic.  Take care!

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Teaching Podcasting and Vodcasting to Elementary Students!

Greetings,

Hope you had a great weekend. We survived the great snow storm of 2011. Now it is time to get back to work. I am blogging to give you an update on my podcasting and vodcasting class I am teaching at my elementary school. That’s right podcasting and vodcasting with students as early as first grade! This class is going on from 7:30 – 8:00AM Monday thru Friday.

At our school we have enrichment classes where the students who are doing extremely well have the opportunity to take advanced classes. Currently I am working with elementary students who are excited about recording their own voice in the computer and adding background music to create their own podcast. 

For more information on the blog article I published last year on audacity, please click here.  If you look below, here is a sample introduction podcast we created in the class.

Once the students have mastered the basic skills in audacity, I move on to teaching them how to create a vodcast using the new pocket digital flip cameras. (This objective is part of my 4 week course on Digital Video).  To learn how to use this camera you can visit the blog article I published last year: http://mrybarra.blogspot.com/2010/04/flip-digital-video-camera-in-classroom.html  Here are a few technology skills I teach the students:

1. How to hold the camera

2. How to operate the camera

3. How to record other students talking

4. How to position the student in the camera frame.

5. How to edit their video in Windows Live Movie Maker

6. How to add cinematic effects, transisitions, titles and credits

7. How to produce or publish the video using Windows Live Movie Maker

I am finding out that the students really enjoy learning these skills at an early age. The students are fascinated and excited about the class. I recently found out that the program audacity is also being taught at our high school level in the Video Technology class. I am excited for the students and I wish I had a class like this one when I was in elementary school. I will be sharing more details of this class in future blogs. Take care and we will see you next week.

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What is Twitter and Why is it Becoming So Popular? Part 2

Greetings,

Twitter focuses on the main question: What are you doing right now? Through twitter you can get to know people a little bit better. You can follow people and it will help you see people in a different way. You might know people for one thing and then when you follow them, you can find similar interests.  You can create a friendship and a connection through other people's interest.

When creating an account, it’s a good idea to create a name that will connect to people. Celebrities use names that connect to them, so people can recognize them right away. Some of the people that others follow are professional friends, old friends, groups of people, colleagues, dignitaries, celebrities and musicians. If you are a student under 18, make sure you get your parents' permission to create an account.

Listed below are resources on how educators can use twitter

1. 100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter

2. Nine Reasons to Twitter in Schools

3. Using Twitter the Smart Way

4. The top 10 people you should follow on Twitter

Listed below are the 5 Stages of Twitter Acceptance:
 

 
Remember, you can use twitter almost anywhere, especially if you have a smart phone that has text messaging and an internet connection. You can also twitter any time you want.  I hope you enjoyed these free resources on twitter.  Ok, I am in currently in the middles of stage 3 - 5 on twitter acceptance.  Here is my new twitter page: http://twitter.com/complabteacher  We will see you next week!

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