Technology is an enormous part of our students’ world. With the rate at which technology is changing and growing, many jobs our students will have do not even exist yet. It is important that we expose our students to various technology tools to enhance instruction and student learning. I absolutely love integrating technology into instruction. It is something I naturally have a passion for. I do also believe that it is important to find a balance. While it is essential to expose students to various technology tools, it is also vital not to make this our only learning avenue. I recently started a new serious called Web 2.0 Tools Wisdom. In my first post I shared my Top 5 “ride or die” web 2.0 tools. Now I want to take a closer look at each of these tools.
Let’s start with Animoto. Animoto is a fantastic presentation tool that is very easy to use. After students research a topic, find images, and find short video clips, Animoto allows them to combine all of these components into a short video trailer. Children are more likely to remember what they learn if they apply it. Animoto allows them to do this! I have seen students explain a math concept, share a science concept, and create a book trailer with Animoto.
Here is an example of an Animoto video a student I worked with created.
Animoto has a free educator account that you can use with your students. Once you set up your free educator account Animoto sends you a code that allows you to create for free!
Want to learn more Animoto has a variety of tutorials on how to get started. You can utilize these tutorials to help introduce this great tool to your students. Sean and I have also created an Animoto tutorial on TpT for both teachers and students! It has handouts along with video tutorials.
What are your ideas for using Animoto in your classroom?