As the school year ending is drawing closer and closer, it's time once again to think of how to celebrate your students' accomplishments. Digital tools are just one of many options.
Animoto is an excellent tool for making quick video celebrations. If you're a teacher, be sure to use the Free Animoto Educator account when signing up, so you can make longer videos than the 30- second ones that come with a regular free account. Use this link if you need to create your educator account.
Here are some examples of Animotos. I created the first three for courses I teach. The last four feature young children and celebrate camp and field trip experiences. You can view
these videos full-screen, using that option (see
full-screen icon, lower right corner of each video).
As one of my courses comes to a close, I like to create a recap to show at our last class. I have used Animoto in combination with a slide program to create these videos, which showcase the topics students selected for their research study proposals.
Ending a Course
This one is from an 8-week course taught in fall 2013. Interestingly, one of the students in the course also chose Animoto as a way to present her own final project.
Educational Research, Multiple Intelligences Class, Our Topics
Educational Research
I just finished teaching the same course in an 8-week format and created this one. Although Animoto allows for creating text right within the program, I prefer to use a slide program and (1) insert in each slide an image with accompanying text, (2) screen capture the slides as images, and (3) upload a full set of images into Animoto, which then creates the video mix.
Educational Research, Multiple Intelligences, Our Topics
International Dot Day: Cross-Class Trading Cards
This additional one was created based on a joint cross-class project done between elementary school students in Maryland and graduate students at
University of Saint Joseph. The video was created to celebrate the conclusion to a project we did with trading cards in celebration of
International Dot Day. We actually exchanged our cards through regular US mail, and I did a Skype with the Maryland students to connect in person. You can read more about the Skype and the trading card project
at this blog post.
Skype for Dot Day
International Dot Day Trading Card Project
Summer Camp
Each summer my niece is a counselor at summer camp for small children who sign up to attend on a weekly basis. At the end of each week, on Fridays, a performance is held at which the children sing, dance, or do another kind of performance. A video recapping some of the events told through photos is also shown, and Animoto works perfectly for this. Here are some examples.
Summer Camp, 2012
Summer Fun at Hopmeadow
Summer Camp, 2013
Field Trips
I also like these two videos that teachers in the Integrating Technology and Literacy course created to celebrate school field trips, having parental consent to show the children. Although these were not necessarily made at the end of the year, they illustrate ways to use Animoto to celebrate special school events.
Auer Farm
My Animoto Video
Flander's Nature Center
My Animoto Video
You can also upload Animoto videos to other sites such as Facebook and YouTube, which is another way to share with parents and others.
As the month of May draws closer an end, what are some ideas you have for using Animoto or similar programs to reflect on the year? What videos could you make to celebrate students' accomplishments or events that transpired during the year?
