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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What is Twitter and Why is it Becoming So Popular? Part 1

Greetings,

Hope you are having a great weekend. The big question of the week was, what is twitter and why is it becoming so popular?  Recently in the Dallas/Fort Worth area there were two Pre-Super Bowl 45 parties with Dallas Cowboy Wide Receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant for about 400 lucky fans. Remember these two events were free to the public!

These events included free food and refreshments while watching the NFC Football Championship game and a chance to win Super Bowl 45 tickets valued at $1,200 or more. If you were paying attention to their tweets or messages on their twitter page, they listed where and when these events took place. Listed below was Dez Bryant’s messages or tweets, telling fans the time and location of his event.

Twitter is a web site that allows you to communicate and connect with others in real time.  Twitter is also becoming a popular social networking site. When a person goes on the twitter home page, they can look for others who have twitter pages and read their tweets.  A tweet is a message that is limited by 140 characters and you can send  messages to almost anyone that has a twitter account. 

If you sign up for a free account, then you too can tweet on other people's twitter pages. You can also add your own videos and picture links to your twitter page. To learn more about twitter please click on the picture below and it will take you to a video that will go into greater detail on twitter.

I hope you enjoyed the blog on twitter.  One thing you want to remember is people tweet almost about anything.  No one is regulating or making sure that appropriate information is being posted.  You want to make sure you stay safe if you create a twitter account, and never tweet out any personal information about you or your school, your address or phone number.  For more information on twitter, please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter  We will see you next Week.  Take care.

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What is BrainPOP Español?

Greetings,

Today I will be blogging about the Spanish version of BrainPOP.  BrainPOP has become so popular, they now have a Spanish site.  That's right Spanish videos!  BrainPOP also has gone international with the following: BrainPOP UK,  BrainPOP Latinoamérica and BrainPOP Français. 

So if you are an international speaker, go ahead and click on the blue links above, and it will take you to their international sites.  They also feature free videos as well.  If you click the picture above, it will take you to their Spanish site.

Listed below is their help menu in Spanish.  You will see the various help topics that will assist you in working around the Spanish site.  Simply click the picture below and it will take you to their help site.

I hope you enjoyed all the BrainPOP tutorials.  The one thing I really enjoy about BrainPOP, is that they keep adding more videos to their sites.  I have a feeling they are working on a BrainPOP Jr in Spanish.  Well, we will just have to wait and see.  Take care and see you next week.

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What is BrainPOP ESL?

Good day,

Hope you are doing well.  Today I will be blogging about BrainPOP ESL.  For those of you who have not heard of BrainPOP ESL, it is a web based program for English Second Language (ESL) learners or English Language Leaners (ELL).  This program can also assist anyone who wants to improve their English language skills.  This program improves listening, speaking, reading and writing skills for second language learners.  The ESL curriculum instructions on the site can be used with the following:

1. Whole class teaching or discussion

2. Used in a computer lab setting

3. Small groups or center activities

4. Used on a one to one basis as an intervention

To learn more about brain pop, simply click on the picture below.

As you learned in the video, the lessons continue to scaffold the learning process by building on previous lessons.  This program assists students who have difficulty with their English skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.  BrainPOP ESL has two levels and four to six units of instructions, which are broken down into mini lessons.  The exciting part of the program is BranPOP continues to work on adding more content.  They are currently working on building a third level.

Brain POP ESL offers lesson overviews that outline important curriculum objectives.  BrainPOP ESL also provides different engaging activities, resources, quizzes and fun games.  You also can make the movie bigger on your screen and use the close caption feature for students who are learning how to read.  If you have questions about this program, they have answers.  Simply click below and you will be taken to the About Us Page.

BrainPOP has many additional activities to increase student learning such as the following:

1. Know More - This feature explains the lesson in greater detail.

2. Words, Words, Words - This feature is used for vocabulary enhancement with interactive flash cards.

3. Read It – This feature will teach your students alphabet letters to building words, sentences and increase reading comprehension.

4. Write It – This allows students to continue working with the alphabet to progress into writing paragraphs in a composition.

5. Hear It, Say It – This is an interactive language lab where an animated character will ask the student to repeat words.

6. Play It – This is an animated game, which allows students to review the lessons taught.

7. Warm Up – This is an activity that allows students to test what they have learned.

8. You Can Do It – This activity allows students to take a graded quiz, which they can review their results after they are done.

9. At A Glance – This allows you to pick a topic in an organized manner by level, unit or alphabetically. This feature is great for teachers who are looking for the perfect ESL lesson.

10. BrainPOP for Educators – This is where teachers submit ideas on how they are using the program in their classrooms.

11. Word Lists – This feature allows the user to view all important vocabulary words used in each lesson.

12. Help – This is a question and answer information page. If you do not see your question, then you can contact BrainPOP either by phone, email or through their mailing address.

If you have not tried any of the BrainPOP programs, click on the picture below and fill out the information to get a free trial.

Hope you enjoyed this blog article on BrainPOP ESL.  Next week, I will be sharing with you the final program in BrainPOP, BrainPOP Español.  See you next week.

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