EEND 677Y Artifact #1

     In module 4, our focus was on the use of video in the classroom and how book trailers can engage students.  Being that I am a PE teacher, I didn't know that book trailers were a thing and how engaging they are for students.  I have always enjoyed the use of video in my classroom but it has always been short clips that I might show of different highlights of a sport or skill that we are learning about. Recently, I started playing around with Gifs and creating my own for class.  They have become a really nice way for students to look back on during the lesson.  For this module's assignment, we were asked to create a book trailer or a video that was introducing something new coming up.  I decided to try out a new website and tech tool called Animoto.  This is a site that allows you to upload your own pictures or video and allows you to choose from a variety of different themed video trailers.  In addition to the themes, it also allows you to choose from a selection of music depending on the theme of your video.  There are multiple membership levels that offer different features but I opted for the free version for this assignment.  What I like about it was how easy and intuitive it was to use.  I have always used iMovie to create my videos for class and have always felt that it is very time consuming to try and make a video.  However, with Animoto, it was extremely simple to use and offered more themes than I thought for the free version.  For the assignment, I uploaded a bunch of pictures and video clips from last school year's Endurance Challenge.  This is an event that I do with just my 5th graders and is often described as the Amazing Race, meets Survivor, meets 5th grade.  It is a fun event for the students that pushes them beyond their comfort zone.  Each year I make a highlight video to share with the classes after the event.  I always use iMovie and it is very time consuming.  After using Animoto for this assignment, it has me re-thinking how I will create videos in the future.  I will use this Endurance Challenge teaser video to show this year's classes to get them excited for their event coming up.  I can now see myself creating short teaser videos for some future units or events that we may be doing.  Unfortunately I can't post my final video on my blog due to student privacy but I encourage you to check out the website for your next project!  www.animoto.com