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My name is Kaitlin Seals. I am 25 years old. I am an adventure enthusiast. I teach 3rd grade at R.V. Kerr Elementary. I love being activity and social with society.

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A short tutorial video on how to do the basics of Animoto with students.

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Ep13: Tips for adding video clips in Animoto

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In the second video of my Animoto series, I show you how to add video clips to your project. Learn how to upload them, trim and mute clips, and add background music or sound. I give you my to 3 tips for adding video clips and show you the power of video to tell your story.

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Tips: How to add photos and clips to your Animoto Video. 

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Tips: How to add photos and clips to your Animoto Video. 

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How to add photos, video and text to Animoto videos

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How to add photos, videos, and text to Animotos. You'll also learn how to manipulate those images and preview or finalize the video.

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Animoto can be an essential tool for using inside a classroom. Animoto is very helpful for helping differentiate instruction among students and keeping them interactive throughout the course.

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While we often talk about how to create video in your classroom and discuss different ways to use it, we don't often talk about why you should give video a try. So here's a quick list of 5 reasons we think videos in the classroom are a good idea.

1. Independent, active learning. One of the best ways to make sure students understand something is to let them explain a concept on their own. By creating videos, students work independently to illustrate a topic in a way that can be understood by others. In other words, they learn by doing (which any John Dewey fans out there ought to appreciate), and because of that, they'll retain more. A student who has to explain math concepts with text and visuals in a video will most likely remember more than if she had simply written down a definition.

2. Differentiated instruction. Video lets students work at a level that's comfortable for them. Students whose skills are still developing can still create a video to feel proud of, while more advanced students focus on developing a video that's more involved visually or linguistically. Lessons that let students create videos also offer opportunities for English language learners and special needs students, who might have difficulty with written assignments, but who can express themselves visually and musically in a lesson that incorporates Animoto videos.

3. Real-world applications. Students work harder if they can see the purpose of learning a new skill. So though they may be illustrating a poem in your class, students will appreciate that they can apply their new video skills in other ways outside of school. Knowing they're learning a skill that'll help them build a video for a social media site or develop a desirable job skill to use when they graduate can motivate students focus on their assignment during class. You can even integrate a real-world purpose into your assignment, such as assigning a video portfolio that art students could use when applying to schools.

4. Student engagement. Because video lessons require creativity and have real-world applications and actively involve the student throughout the lesson, they tend to keep students engaged longer. The benefits? Engaged students participate more, disrupt class less, and hold on to what they've learned longer than students who aren't as involved in the lesson being taught.

5. Peer collaboration. Since video assignments are often developed as group projects, they can offer students a chance to help their peers and to learn to work collaboratively as they problem solve. In addition, technology assignments, like creating an Animoto video, help support equity, since tech-savvy students can help those who haven't had the same level of access.

For students, making a video seems like a fun lesson and an outlet for their creativity. But like the best lessons, video projects also engage higher-order thinking skills and help students develop - both as individuals capable of problem-solving and as members of a team who can work together to create something extraordinary.

Why do you have students create videos in your classroom? Let us know in the comments below, or reach out on or by tagging @Animoto.

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5 Reasons to Use Video in Your Classroom

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While we often talk about how to create video in your classroom and discuss different ways to use it, we don't often talk about why you should give video a try. So here's a quick list of 5 reasons we think videos in the classroom are a good idea.

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Teachers can use Animoto Videos in their classroom to bring lessons to life. Animoto turns something dull into something entertaining, that is what children need to experience to remember it long term.

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Our lesson plans are written and reviewed by educators using current research and the best instructional practices and are aligned to state and national standards. Choose from hundreds of topics and strategies.

Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.

Teacher Resources by Grade

Nearly one hundred years ago, John Dewey stated, "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." These words are particularly applicable to the utilization of technology in the classroom. If teachers fail to teach the new literacies, they are failing to prepare students for tomorrow, as well as missing valuable opportunities to engage student learning. According to Hagood, this practice consists of teaching "reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and designing in print and nonprint media using pop culture and digital technologies." Through technology, students collaborate, communicate and create to learn. According to Werner-Burke et al., for many students, technology in the classroom provides much needed motivation as well as preparation for the daily digitized world outside of the classroom.

Hagood, M. (2012). "Risks, Rewards, and Responsibilities of Using New Literacies in Middle Grades." Voices from the Middle, 19 (4), pp. 10-16.

Werner-Burke, N., Spohn, J., Spencer, J., Button, B., and Morral, M. "Bridging the Disconnect: A Layered Approach to Jump-Starting Engagement." Voices from the Middle, 19 (4), pp. 45-49.

Animoto is a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to produce videos that blend photos, video clips, text and music. Examine your existing curriculum to decide where the use of Animoto will support your learning objectives. For example, Animoto could be used for the following ideas:

At the start of the school year, students could use Animoto to introduce themselves or their classmates.

Students can illustrate their own poetry using digital images they find on Internet or ones they take.

Animoto can be used to present research information to the class.

Students could illustrate step-by-step instructions for procedure writing.

Send students on a scavenger hunt, supplied with digital cameras. Have students assemble their digital images into an Animoto video to display what they found.

Familiarize yourself with Animoto before introducing it to your students. The short video The New Animoto Video Creation Process provides basic instructions.

Apply for an educator account at the Animoto Education page, where you can also see examples of how other educators are using Animoto in their classrooms.

You will receive a confirmation email from Animoto that will include a code for your students. This renewable code is valid for six months.

Next, set up your student accounts by following the instructions found at How Do I Set up Accounts for My Students? found in the Animoto help section.

Create a step-by-step tutorial for your students or use one such as Animoto Instructions.

Create an Animoto video for the students to view on a previously taught topic in your curriculum, such as this video on the news events of 2000-2009. Show the students this video as a sample of what they will produce.

Model for students how to create an Animoto video. Discuss the selection of music to create a mood for the video as well as choosing photos and videos that clearly relate to the topic. Talk about the use of text to help the viewer follow the ideas expressed in the video. Provide students sufficient time to create their Animoto videos.

Develop a rubric for evaluating students' Animoto videos. Consider "choice of music," "organization of photos and videos," and "use of concise text" as categories. For an example, see the Haiku Rubric used to evaluate a student-written haiku presented in an Animoto video.

Provide support and guidance for students who may have difficulty finding appropriate music or photos for use in their videos.

Allow time for students to evaluate a partner's Animoto video before the entire class views the videos. Additionally, allow students to revise after this evaluation.

Allow time for students to share their Animoto videos with the class.

Establish a class wiki--at Wikispaces, for example--where you can link the students' Animoto videos so that all in the learning community can view the students' projects.

Digital Reflections: Expressing Understanding of Content Through Photography
Striking images can leave lasting impressions on viewers. In this lesson, students make text–self–world connections to a nature- or science-related topic as they collaboratively design a multimedia presentation.

Shared Experiences, Individual Impressions: Buddies Create PowerPoint Stories
Stories and snapshots of school-related experiences are the perfect sources of inspiration for students as they create PowerPoint presentations with the help of an older student.

It's My Life: Multimodal Autobiography Project
Students express themselves verbally, visually, and musically by creating multimodal autobiographies, exchanging ideas with other students and sharing important events in their lives through PowerPoint presentations.
Students as Creators: Exploring Multimedia
Students are introduced to the genre of multimedia presentations through a review and analysis of online presentations. They then apply what they have learned to create their own multimedia presentations.
Making Memories: An End-of-Year Digital Scrapbook
Students reflect on their school year, creating a digital scrapbook consisting of images and text to present to their school community.
Animate that Haiku!
Following the traditional form of the haiku, students publish their own haikus using Animoto, an online web tool to produce slideshows that blend text and music.
Learning Clubs: Motivating Middle School Readers and Writers
Students participate in learning clubs, select content area topics, and draw on texts—including websites, printed material, video, and music—to investigate their topics, and share their learning using similar media.
Exploring Consumerism Where Ads and Art Intersect
Students add up the effect of images and persuasive language to analyze the art and words in advertisements.

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Bringing Lessons to Life with Animoto - ReadWriteThink

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Our lesson plans are written and reviewed by educators using current research and the best instructional practices and are aligned to state and national standards. Choose from hundreds of topics and strategies. Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.