Maryrita (Rita) Dunlavey

LBSC 642 Reflection # 3               

Nov. 27, 2013                                      

Camera Shy

I really enjoyed the presentation by Heather and Chelsea on Chapter Nine’s visualization tools, especially the discussion about visual and verbal learners.  In our discussion and readings, I concluded that I am a verbal learner, but, I learn better and understand more deeply when that learning is reinforced with a visual presentation.  I have no artistic ability so I also took note that I should be embracing these technology tools to help me overcome my artistic deficits in my life and work.  Noting this, I decided to explore and learn a little more about some visualization tools.

I have been intimidated by technology tools, but especially tools that require me to record voice and pictures, so I have conscientiously avoided using them as much as possible.  So, I decided to confront my fears and try out an older tool that I have heard great things about—Animoto, and a newer tool—Videolicious, that we learned about in class. 

Animoto has been on my radar screen for a number of years.  I first heard about it at a professional development meeting on Web 2.0 tools in 2009.  I was inspired by the presenter and shared it with my school’s teachers but we were never able to collaborate on a project with it, mostly due to technological and time restraints.  Videolicious is a new tool that we learned about recently in our class review of Chapter nine’s visualization tools.  In class, our group’s video failed to load and disappeared in the “black hole” and unfortunately, we did not have enough time to re-record it.  Again, I was inexperienced and camera shy, and a colleague did the video recording.  I vowed to tackle this tool on my own without the pressure of the “classroom” environment. 

Animoto was developed in 2005 as a web application.  In 2009, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) included it in its new list, Best Websites for Teaching and Learning, which they established to award sites that “foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration” (AASL, web, 2013).  AASL identified their standards that the site supports:

·         2.1.4-- Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and und understanding in ways that others can view, use and assess.

·         3.3.4-- Create products that apply to authentic, real-world context

·         4.1.8-- Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning

In 2011, Animoto released their iphone and ipad app.  Richard Byrnes in his “Free Technology 4 Teachers” blog, recommended this app as a good one to introduce to reluctant teachers.  Once they try Animoto, and learn how easy it is to use, they then might be more inclined to try other apps in their classrooms.  Animoto provides an introductory program for use in Education.  It gives teachers and librarians a six-month free trial subscription for use with up to 50 students.  The only stipulation is that students may not include any personally identifiable information with their accounts.  Teachers have commented that it is a very easy tool to use and learn.  It grabs the attention of students and provides an alternative to more commonly used presentation tools.  In support of our Chapter 7 discussion, Chris Roche, an educator posted on the Educator’s PLN, “When using Animoto, compelling video shorts grab students’ attention, create curiosity, and use visuals to stimulate thinking about prior learning.  Animoto will definitely help to bring your lessons to life.” (edupln.ning.com, 2011).

I decided to try Animoto and I downloaded the basic free web based tool on my computer.  The free or lite version is limited to a 30 second video, with limited background themes and music choices, and includes the “Animoto” logo on your video.  Here’s the link to their tutorial:   Animoto Tutorial

 I already had some photos and music on my computer so I just selected the mind map pictures I had from my presentation, chose a background theme (which includes the preselected music), added a title and description, saved, and uploaded it to Animoto.  Once uploaded, it can be shared via YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or emailed.   I’m actually amazed at how easy it was to use; I was able to make a video without any screaming at my computer or pulling out my hair! Here is my mind map video: Mind map video. Since I had such a positive experience with my first try, I proceeded to make a family video to share for the Thanksgiving holiday (but I won’t share that here)!

Obviously, with an upgraded account, this would be a great tool for digital storytelling, creating book trailers, book reviews, or even just to highlight new books on a library website.  Even with the limited options on the lite account, students would have a fun learning experience with this tool.  Animoto gives them the chance to personalize an assignment with their own photos and music—adding an element of creativity to what could otherwise be mundane assignments.  As stated in our textbook, “producing videos requires learners to be active, constructive, intentional, and cooperative—to solve numerous decision-making problems while solving design problems associated with production” (Howland, p. 223, 2013).  Producing videos is now much easier than ever since digital cameras are just about ubiquitous today.  As mentioned in our textbook, making videos can improve students’ self-confidence, create feelings of self-satisfaction, allow students to receive feedback about how others perceive them, and fosters cooperative learning (Howland, p. 223, 203).  For this student (me), I felt immensely successful—I had tried something that I had convinced myself was very difficult, and it had worked!

As mentioned earlier, since our group’s class video failed a few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to try the Videolicious app again that Heather presented to us.  Feeling successful and confident after my experience with Animoto, I gave it a try.  Videolicious was a lot harder for me to learn.  It truly creates a video in that the narration of the story—the voice recording, not just text as with Animoto—is included in the app, so you must be able to organize another element in your production.  I found this a lot harder to do, especially because I was doing this by myself--I had to hold the iphone steady (without making myself look worse than normal), talk, and select pictures, all at the same time.  It took me many tries before I was able to get it right and unlike my experience with Animoto, I did say naughty words and stomped my feet!  Though it took me a lot longer to learn how to navigate this app, I must admit it has a more authentic video feel to it than the Animoto video.  Without the audio narration piece, Animoto resembles a slide show, albeit one that has a video feel to it.  It is is a more sophistical video editing tool than Animoto.  AASL included this iphone/ipad app on its brand new Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2013 list as an app “of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the AASL’s Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner” (AASL, web, 2013).

Videolicious is not a web based app; it is only for the iphone and ipad, which could be a problem in a school setting, depending upon the technology used in your school.  It is geared for businesses but it does offer free accounts for personal users.  This account allows the user to make a one minute video with ten shots per video and storage for up to 20 videos.  The business accounts have three different levels with different prices and features.  It does not offer special pricing for educational users.  However, as Heather discussed in her presentation, it is being used in the classroom to enhance learning and make it more meaningful.  The following tutorial explains how to get started with Videolicious and how to use it in a classroom setting.  In addition, I have included my video production—“How to Access Resource Lists for the Digital Pen Pal Project”: 

I think both tools—Animoto and Videolicious, can be used in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning.  As compared to the production process described in the book, these newer tools have made the learning curve in producing and editing videos much more user friendly—they have retained the fun but removed the frustration factor, and thus made the learning more inclusive to many more types of learners.  No matter what tool is used in making the video, the learning experience lies with the modeling provided by the video, both in the physical performance and the mental processes used in the task.  Howland believes that “video feedback is perhaps the most constructivist use of video…video feedback is one of the deepest, most incisive learning experiences possible…video feedback can also be used to provide insights into the self” (Howland, p. 228-9, 2013). 

Using Animoto and Videolicious, either on your browser or as an iOS app, depending upon the depth of the lesson plan, aligns with the standards of many professional organizations—ISTE/Students, AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learner, and Partnership for 2st Century Skills, Framework for 21^st Century Learning.

ISTE/Students:

1.a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

1.b. Create orginal works as a means of personal or group expression.

2.a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

2.b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

3.a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry.

3.b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

3.c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

4.a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

4.b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learners:

1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.

1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.

1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.

1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.

1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.

2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.

2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.

2.2.4 Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.

2.4.3. Recognize new knowledge and understanding.

3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.

3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

3.4.2 Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.

4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.

4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.

4.3.4 Practice safe and ethical behaviors in personal electronic communication and interaction.

4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest.

                Partnership for 21^st Century Skills:

Information Literacy--

Access information efficiently and effectively.

Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand.

Media Literacy—

Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools, characteristics and conventions.

ICT ( Information, Communications & Technology) Literacy—

Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS, etc), communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, and create information to successfully function in a knowledge economy.

In conclusion, I would start with Animoto to practice and develop my skills and increase my comfort level using these visualization tools.  As my confidence increases, then I would move on to lessons using the Videolicious app.  This is what I would choose for myself, but in reality, the students probably would be just as comfortable with Videolicious as they would with Animoto.  They will probably prefer Videolicious, since it does produce a more professional looking video.  In most cases, the Videolicious tool would be used by students working in a group setting, where they can share ideas and switch roles as they produce their video.  However, whichever tool is used will depend on the individual lesson plan and the individual school environment.  Either way, they are both good tools which can provide a fun and meaningful learning experience.