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I’ve become an animator using xtranormal.com! This web application is a movie creation site that is very easy to learn and use. It offers high quality animations in a text-to-movie format that is as easy as their slogan- “If you can type, you can make movies.” There are many different backgrounds to choose from, as well as “actors,” including Lego-like characters. It is such a fun application- and the final output is pretty cool to watch, which makes the work gratifying. The hardest part was creating the script. Once I created that, I typed it in and the movie was made. Add animation actions, gestures, and camera views for final touches.
The power of this tool is in its ease of use, allowing the user to focus on the script. As a classroom tool, it is a creative way to integrate writing into any subject. This ca
n be used as a way to have students “write to learn” across the curriculum by having them create movies explaining any concept in any subject area. They can create dialogs and interviews, become President Obama or Albert Einstein as well as practice foreign language skills. J Picardo’s website, www.boxoftricks.net (2009), describes how he used this tool in his foreign language class. He projected an example for the students and they were instantly engaged. They took about a class and a half writing the script, with creating the movie as homework. The finished movies were emailed. This was a tremendous and engaging way to work on vocabulary, dialogue and sentence structure along with critical thinking in creating the movie.There are several drawbacks to consider. Some of the historical characters and places are only available if you download the free “State” product for pc’s. Mac users or those that do not want to download the program can use the online version, but it is somewhat limited in some choices. There is also one animation that is mild, but inappropriate as well as some of the character clothing. This must be considered when introducing it to students. (It is mild, but definitely something to be aware of.) This site is also for ages 13 and up, therefore student use would be at the high school level. For teachers of younger students, this is a fun way to create unique lesson introductions, to highlight certain topics, or to give instructions for an activity.
See my “1 Minute Message” for an example of the finished product.
Resources:
Picardo, J. (2009, Nov. 1). Xtranormal in the classroom. Web log posted to Technology and Education Box of Tricks: www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1381
Hello Laura,
ReplyDeleteI read your message, and you have convinced me to use this tool or at least explore it! I think students will be able to create their own animated movies in Spanish. I like this Web 2.0 tool because students can create movies and have fun at the same time. It will improve my students writing skills. I also appreciated the observation you made about the drawbacks to consider. I think that most of these tools have advantages and disadvantages, and as educators we need to be careful picking and choosing the most beneficial ones. It is very important to utilize Web 2.0 tools that are user friendly in order to limit students frustration.
Maritza
I'm so glad! I am so excited to get to use it too- please let us know how it goes for you. It is such a tremendous tool for language classes! And I can't wait to try it in science class too.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! It looks like you had a lot of fun exploring and creating your own movie! Great job! Thanks for explaining the tool so well. I would probably not be able to use this in my 2nd grade classroom, but I could use it for my instruction. As I was reading your blog I was thinking about how much my students love "Readers' Theatre." They love putting on plays and playing parts. They would definitely love this even more! I'm sure there are similar sites available more appropriate for younger children. Now I am eager to go searching! Thanks and once again, great job!
Laura,
ReplyDeleteThis site definitely sounds interesting and like something I should check out to create videos to teach my students with. It is unfortunate that the historical characters and places are limited. I’m a sure H.S. student and/or teachers could create some fantastic projects with this site. It sounds like it is definitely a site to look at though. Like Allison said, my students also love readers theater and your blog got me thinking that they could write their own play and maybe with guidance I could help them create a video or create it for them and show the finished products to the entire class as a final project. I will definitely be exploring this more. Thanks for all of your research and hard work! Great Job!!
Tracy