Animoto

Animoto is an excellent resource for creating videos without having to purchase expensive video editing software. Although it does have some limitations, it could be very useful in the classroom, particularly in classes of younger students or students who do not have lots of experience with video editing.

About Animoto

Animoto allows users to create video projects that are a happy medium between a slide show and a full-fledged home movie. It is relatively simple to use and easy to stylize - it comes with a number of preset themes to choose from, so students can customize the look and feel of their video. After choosing a theme, students can select pictures and video clips to add to their project, where each one is a separate "frame" or slide. It is also possible to add text as captions or notes to the frames, or even as a frame on its own. The project can be personalized further with the addition of music, giving a great degree of freedom in terms of what students are capable of doing with this resource. Students can adjust the pace of the transitions between the frames, and even add a "call to action," where they can add a link to a website. It can also be accessed through a mobile app where you can add pictures or videos directly to a project, increasing accessibility. Animoto even has a beginner's guide for people who have not used the program before, so all students should be able to create their own brief presentation.

In my classroom, I could have my students use Animoto presentations to share research with the class. For instance, if I was teaching a lesson on the solar system, I might have students group up to research a planet and show what they learned with their classmates. Animoto provides a simple, engaging, and customizable way for students to create a quality video project.