Video blogging

For BWP Summer Institute Project

My particular research interest is using emerging technologies in the secondary English classroom. The term "emerging" is relative, but in rural South Georgia, where I teach, the use of blogs (and visual media) as well as audio podcasts as part of learning is not the norm. I wish it were. That way my students could spend more of their time being creative rather than learning how to use new technology tools. I do remember when my students did not know how to use PowerPoint or MS Word! So I trust that a time will come when this digital generation will begin incorporating new technologies into their educational lives.

This particular video was created using Animoto, an online video creator. Students can use this tool to create a 30 second video using their own photos and choice of music. Ideally, a student would create a video for his/her blog, choosing which photos to include (usually no more than 15) and incorporating a written component. Hyperlinks would be optional but would give readers more choices.

As a side note, I viewed the preview video for Google Wave that will come out later this year. It has the capability for users to create collaborative documents within Wave and embed those within blogs and other apps. How cool would it be for a student to create a video and post a blog and have peers collaborate and write about the clip or create a fictional account of a trip they never took, or carry on a conversation where they ask questions of the filmmaker about the film and receive immediate feedback? Google also has a translator that will allow your ELL students to type in their own language and have it immediately translated into English. Cool.