BP3_2010308_DiscoveryWeb2.0Tools

I said this in my last post and I'll briefly mention it again to add context to this post. I am not presently teaching (although I am working on my teaching certificate), but my goal after Full Sail is to teach video technology or some type of media design class. Like many teachers, and as an idealistic soon-to-be teacher, I am always looking for ways to add a little extra spark to learning. I'm looking for tools and methods to make students want to learn, to look forward to tomorrow's class. Because my goal is to teach media, I want to use as much media and technology as much as possible in the class in ways that make the material relevant and exciting, but also reveal the potential of media and technology.

So while researching web 2.o tools, I locked on to Animoto. It's a tool that automatically creates slideshows based on media uploaded by the user. What makes Animoto stand out is how sleek, professional and dramatic its slideshows are. Because it takes the heavy lifting and complicated mess out of designing these video slideshows, Animoto is a perfect tool for education. Teachers don’t have to know much about technology to create an exciting video. I've known about this program for a while, but it hasn't been until now that I'm realizing it's full potential as a tool for education.

My main focus for Animoto is using it to create the anticipatory set, or hook, for each lesson. With upbeat music and stylish animation, Animoto can be used to create exciting videos to introduce lessons and assignments. Feeling more like an MTV music video, an Animoto slideshow is a great way to perk a student’s interest. While excited, they are more likely to remember what they saw in the video. If the video/slideshow contains the correct information and it perks the student’s interest, I’m assuming they would enter the lesson with a better understanding of what is going on and what to expect. In fact, if a fun Animoto slideshow/video is created to also summarize lessons, it might be the perfect method to get students to remember what the learned in class. It would also be a great way to introduce or summarize a potentially confusing or uninteresting subject. These videos could be posted on YouTube for the student’s access whenever they need them.

References

Animoto. (2010). Retrieved March, 7 2010 from http://animoto.com/

Animoto for education. (2010). Retrieved March, 8 2010 from http://animoto.com/education/case_studies

hlkljgk. (Photographer). (2007). new view. Retrieved March, 08 2010 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlkljgk/2073362767/