Nikki Gets Fit:
My Digital Story:
Having been given the task of creating a digital story for our ETEC 565a course, we were first directed to visit the site http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/ and explore the 50+ ways of digitally telling a story. Once we had a story in mind, we were to use one of the tools and go through the experience of creating it. The idea was not to have a polished publication. It was the chance for us to explore the tools in authentic ways, much like we would expect our own students to use these same or similar story making/story telling technologies.
After perusing most of the 50+ tools, I decided to try Animoto. I had yet to use this particular program, which had been recommended to me numerous times from a variety of teachers, so now seemed like a good time to try it out. Using the SECTIONS model, (Bates & Poole, 2003) and the four lenses discussed in Anderson (2008), I felt that for what I wanted, Animoto would be a good tool to meet my particular needs.
What I wanted: Because I already know many of the students who will be coming into my class this fall, I didn’t want to create an ‘about me’ production. The students have also met my dog Nikki (Pomeranian) and loved to hear tales of her antics. I decided to create a presentation on how Nikki has become more fit this year, and in the process, so have I. This idea would blend in nicely with our school’s new direction to implement a stronger health and fitness curriculum. Hopefully, using Animoto would also demonstrate to students how easy it is to create polished, professional looking pieces of work.
What I discovered: Animoto is a free, video creation tool (much like a Powerpoint presentation). There is also an upgrade to the professional version option for those who are interested. Animoto allows the user to either use a preloaded set of music, pictures and video, or you can upload your own. Upon creating my free Animoto account, I was immediately offered a variety of background templates to choose from with which to create my project. The program then gives a number of options with regards to music, text, pictures and videos, or as I mentioned, you can upload your own. The editing capabilities are easy to use and somewhat intuitive, so using this with my intermediate students would not be difficult at all. Despite taking me a bit of time to create my story, I found the process to be fun, easy and quite engaging. I also liked that once I had ‘published’ my project, I was able to go back and retrieve a copy of it in order for me to do additional editing. Once the editing of the second copy was completed, the program allowed me to republish the revised edition. Once published, Animoto offers the option to either link or embed the finished version.
What I found challenging: Although the program was straightforward and easy to use, I did find choosing appropriate music to be somewhat of a challenge. This is mostly due to what I had envisioned as accompaniment plus the fact that I need to be cognizant of content due to the age group I was targeting. This was no fault of the particular tool, as I would most likely have had a similar issue with any program. Instrumental music in this case, might have been a better choice. I also found out that although you could change the speed of the music, I saw no way to change the transitions, their speeds, or the text fonts. That said, everything still looked professional in my opinion, and actually made the program simpler and more straightforward to use.
My opinion: With so MANY other options available to me, I will be sure to try out some of those storytelling tools in the future as well, but based on what I have seen from peer work, plus my own experiences with Animoto, I believe I chose the right tool for the job. I found the task rewarding and working with this particular tool a positive experience. I will most definitely use Animoto in the future.
My Digital Story “Nikki Gets Fit”, can also be accessed via the hyperlink.
References:
Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a Theory of Online Learning. In: T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University.
Bates, A. W., & Poole, G. (2003). Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (pp. 75 – 105) Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley.
All photos are the personal property of Eileen Monks
Music:
The Black-Eyed Peas (2005). Pump It [Kidz Bop Kids, 2011]. On Monkey Business [CD]. Toronto, Ontario: Interscope Records.
Another good method of building a digital story is to describe it in a single picture, namely, one that conveys your message with a unique design. A logo serves as a visual shortcut to your story, capturing its essence and values in a single design. There are several factors that contribute to making a logo truly stand out. Simplicity is one key element. The most iconic logos are often simple, but they communicate a lot with very little. To dive deeper into creating a memorable logo, check out this guide: https://www.articlesreader.com/create-memorable-logo-your-brand/. It walks you through steps to ensure your logo captures attention and leaves a lasting impression, especially in an era where consumers are bombarded with visual content.