For this week's blog I thought I'd try a program that I've never used before. Windows Movie Maker is on a lot of the computers at school, but I've never had students use it. Now that I have my own digital camera and take pictures of all the students' projects, I thought I'd try out the WMM. Just to get a feel for the options, I applied a different effect and transition for each photo. My daughter showed me how to add music and get it to fade out at the end. But I have to find a public domain song to use. The program felt a lot like PowerPoint which is great for me, because I use PowerPoint a lot.
I tried to upload the video onto this blog for almost an hour and a half!
Turning to plan B, I created a YouTube (which offers the option of limiting access to the videos) account in an attempt to upload the video there and include a link here. As it turned out, I did not "publish" the Windows Movie Maker sample to my computer. That's what YouTube clarified for me. I went back into the file, published it, and then uploaded the WMV file on YouTube.
I'm SO EXCITED! The WMV file uploaded here with no problem. It worked! This little post, from start to finish (making the movie and all), took almost three hours! Before I imported the photos, some of them had to be worked on in Paint to remove students' names. I avoid putting names up on the web.
Time consuming? Yes. But now I have a YouTube account and know how to create (and properly save) a Windows Movie Maker file. :)
Great post! I think this also helps us see that in order to use technology correctly we need to play around with it first and not experiment while utilizing it for the first time. I'm glad you have overcome any fears of video usage and perhaps become a pro at it!
ReplyDeleteChristine,
ReplyDeleteLoved your post! I have also had experiences that have been frustrating with technology. This shows us how technology is in the real world, not always quick and easy. I love that despite the frustration you had with not being able to upload the video easier that you were honestly excited when technology did come through for you. I find that sometimes when technology is the most frustrating, it can be the most rewarding when you finally are able to accomplish the task that you set out to do. I also liked how you were able to make connections between WMM and PowerPoint. Sometimes this can make things a lot easier and can make you feel a lot more comfortable with technology that is new to you. I'm glad you were able to get everything to work and hope you continue to try new forms of digital tools!
Hey Christine,
ReplyDeleteI think it is awesome that you are trying out new programs you've never used! That's the hardest part...not being a "master" of some new technology that you use with your students. I think that is why many teachers shy away from incorporating technology in their lessons. I like that you took the initiative to make a YouTube account to post your video in a more timely fashion. I tried to upload a PowerPoint as a movie onto my blog this week and it wouldn't fully play...I didn't think to make a YouTube to do it...Thanks for the idea!
I think your students will really enjoy using WMM. I agree with Jenny when I say that students like to have a final product. A score on a written test often just gets thrown in the trash...but, when students have something neat as a product of the unit...they hold onto those because they are proud. Keep trying out new technologies...you won't regret it! :)
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ReplyDeleteHey Christine,
ReplyDeleteInspirational post! I'm behind on my creative computer skills like making a movie or editing a photo, so I really should task myself with creating a project like this one. Learning a new program by creating something is definitely the way to go, I dislike tutorials with a fiery passion.
I think that being able to skillfully put together a great image or short movie is actually really important for any teacher. Plus, you make a good point about how a creative final product helps information "stick" with students. Kudos on your work and for a nice post.
Cheers,
Tom
Note: previous comment removed because I made some dumb typos!
I loved the video and the projects look great too. You did a nice job on this, did you show it to your students? If you did what was their reaction? Since you've used WMM I wonder what your perspective is on the animoto site that Dr. Boling introduced us too. I would be interested to know if the animoto site is any easier since you said you put a lot of time into making this video.
ReplyDeleteHi Christen,
ReplyDeleteI did not show this sample to students. Some of the effects I experimented with do not do justice to their models. The goal was for me to see what the effects and transitions look like. I did take what I learned and asked my 8th graders to create a movie with pictures I took of their atomic models. It turned out fantastic! I can't post it because some of the students' names are on their projects. I'm going to try Animoto for my next blog. :)