Jul 18 2011
My Digital Story
I have chosen to create a digital story that relates directly to my Assessment & Evaluation Course in my Moodle – that is, the need for change. I have used a bit of hyperbole in that I am making a connection to VERY old teaching environments. I wanted to make a point that a change in assessment and evaluation practices is needed now – and going back in time more than necessary is how I chose to move us forward. I find that using videos (with music) is more engaging than a slideshow but there is the risk of missing key ideas since the use of text is very limited especially in Animoto (my choice of tool). This application is very easy to use, very intuitive and students would have no problem creating videos within this site. However, the challenge is in ensuring that the activity uses higher order thinking – just like the posters and title pages of old, it can be quite easy to just download a large number of photos, add a song and call it an assignment. Our challenge is to ensure that students use critical and creative thinking when presenting their stories in this fashion.
Here is my story:
Hi!
This is fantastic! You made an excellent job at doing this! The message is clear… it is really engaging! You are right saying that a video really take the people attention!
I love your Animoto! You say it is easy to use but I can see all the work you have put into it… the picture’s choice, the text, the music… all go together perfectly!
Bravo!
Johanne
Thank you Johanne! Animoto really is easy to use…take a look at Animoto.com and in minutes you can have a video started with many opportunities to edit it later!
Fantastic Brenda.
Right up, I was captivated by the theme from The Sting (yes?) and the punchy music really worked for your message. The content is serious, but you’ve presented it in a way that is light-hearted and captivating.
I found myself comparing Animoto to Prezi, and I can see how the format of Animoto is more “tidy” as the text always appears in the same position on the screen.
Really nice work, and you have given an excellent overview of traditional vs contemporary approaches to assessment.
Janette
Thanks Janette…yes, it is the theme from the Sting and is copyright-free and provided by Animoto, so another step that makes this application so user-friendly. I had a hard time choosing the style of the video since they offer so many choices! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great Job Brenda … did you “go pro”? I did a video with Animoto as well, but was stuck with the 30 sec. time frame.
I really liked the balance of the text and the photos. The text was concise, but to the point. You really chose your words carefully and for the greatest impact. I got a kick out of some of the photos you chose as well – must have been a fun and frustrating hunt.
gillian
Thanks Gillian…I didn’t pay a fee, but if you register as a teacher, you get a longer timeframe with no cost. Pix hunting was quite a chore!
Hi Brenda, I loved either the content of your story and the tool you decided to use. After watching your story I realize how strong Animoto is. Thanks for the tip of registering as a teacher. I did not know that and I discarded using this tool for this assignment because I had to pay a fee.
Cheers,
Angela.
Hi Brenda,
You are a pro! This is very well done and I hope you share it with colleagues. I think your painstaking hunt for pictures was worth the time! They perfectly and succinctly exemplify the evolution of education and where it needs to go. Excellent show!
Danielle
Your story was well crafted and unfolded beautifully. The one size fit all blue paper pants really drove the point home.
Great work
Hello Brenda
Great work. The music you selected was so appropriate for your story and I defiantly loved your choice of pictures. Another great tool to add to my list.