Throughout the last project, I created a movie addressing character education. Using the Movie Maker software is a great way to get students engaged and it allows them an opportunity to publish their work and share their ideas!
Here is the video that I created (with the help of my students):
Windows MovieMaker can be used to create mini-movies about various subjects (especially historical figures and procedures for how to complete math problems). I could also have Windows MovieMaker available in my class as a tool for students to use for performance evaluations of content areas of PBL for a variety of different units.
Some of the challenges for completing this project included student involvement/participation and finding appropriate visuals to use within the movie. Many of my students still have not returned permission slips, so some could not participate in the audio recording aspect of the activity. Also, due to my student’s lack of previous exposure to audacity, the use of the software required my assistance and was not completed independently. Next time, I need to make sure to model a lot before allowing them to try and use the tool by themselves. Finally, I had a bit of difficulty searching for pictures that matched the narration of the movie. I knew what I wanted in my head, but it was a little time consuming to find the picture that was most appropriate for the message.
I have had previous practice using this tool though my video production class I took last spring. I know how to do a lot with Windows MovieMaker and I feel like it is a fairly easy tool to teach young students. In my past experience, I have found that it is best to teach them one step at a time. For example, the first time they create a movie they might just have pictures with no video or sound. Then as they get more and more practice, I begin to model how to perform other tasks on Windows MovieMaker. As a learner, I have found that it is very important to create a storyboard and gather all of your visuals and audio clips before you begin the creation of your movie. The storyboard is the brainstorming part of the activity and it should be completed before starting the actual movie.
Although there are some challenges, they are far outweighed by the advantages of this tool. The possibilities for students are endless, especially after they begin feeling comfortable using the tool! I would recommend this software to any teacher, and the best part is...it is already installed on every windows desktop! Free! It doesn't get better than that!!!
I think that its great that you had your students using Audacity themselves, even if they needed your assistance. I had the students simply talk to me while I recorded them on my laptop. They tend to shy away or be silly when they are recording themselves, so having them simply have a conversation with me that is recorded tends to be more authentic. I would love for them to learn to use the software independently though, even if I have to wait until they mature a little more :)
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