Animoto

This is my first attempt at using a Web 2.0 tool.  I decided to use Animoto because I have seen other teachers at Loyola Blakefield use it to make videos of all kinds of things.  Animoto is described on the website as “..the most beautiful way to share your photos & videos.  Easy as pie.”  It’s pretty simple to use and after you sign up there is a brief tutorial about how to use Animoto.  They also have a help section on the website that has additional resources and answers to common FAQ’s.  You can sign up for a free account, which allows you to create 30-second videos using a few of their themes and songs.  You can then add your own photos, videos, captions and text to create your video.  There are options to upgrade your account for a fee.  Some of the features of the paid accounts include unlimited video length, more song and theme choices, the ability to upgrade your video to HD and the ability to download your video and save it to your computer.  The free and paid versions allow you to share your videos online through many sites such as Facebook, Twitter, email, Blogger and many more.

For my example I stuck with the free account and used pictures of my daughter smiling.

Animoto would be a good way for students to show something about their life, where they live or maybe even a vacation they have taken to their classmates or even used in a telecollaborative project with a class in a different part of the country or world.

Seeing the State Farm commercial on Becky's blog about not believing everything you read or see on the internet made me think of this video we have passed around work and with my friends.  It was created by the BBC as an April Fool's joke in the 1950's.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog.  Please check back soon for details about different Web 2.0 tools.