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Pearltrees lets you organize everything you're interested in

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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January 27, 2014
Some of the animation links catalogued here will give educators very basic tools and histories of animation while others have the animation already created and set in motion, it's just a matter of sharing it with students.

Educators need to decide which tool is best for them. If you want to create your own animation from scratch, then you want to go to sites such as Animwork. If you want to select from animation that's already set up for you then perhaps Explainia makes more sense.

1. Animation for Education
In this support system for educators, iCreate to Educate helps teachers and schools from primary through higher education become better learners by making animation more accessible throughout Europe. It offers some great resources and valuable animation software and resources. It also has a free stop-motion animation tool called SAM.

2. Animwork
A European partnership created this guide to help teachers learn more about using animation to teach. With some basics in place such as how to create a good story and what tools to use, Animwork puts everything into perspective for any teacher who wants to create his or her own animation.

3. GoAnimate for Schools
Easy and quick, GoAnimate for Schools is a one-stop shop for creating custom animation that's well-made and easy to use. Globally accessible to any educator, it's also secure and educators get a major discount. Schools can sign up about 200 students at a time.

4. GoAnimate
If the purpose of using the animation tool is solely for teaching and sharing educator-created animation, take another route to GoAnimate for business. This tool has a free sign-in where educators can use basic tools to create animation with whatever message they need to get across to their students.

5. Devolver
Quick animation with some bizarre characters and sleek backgrounds that help make a point or send students into the beginning or end of a lesson makes Devolver a great tool for the educator who moves fast. Students can also use it to email professors their interpretation of a theory or lesson.

6. Voki
Adding an interesting twist to communication and lecturing, Voki allows educators to create avatars that speak for them. Record or type in messages and send or embed the clips on a site. Voki even offers educator logins with free extras.

7. PowToon
A free business presentation tool, PowToon helps users create animated presentations with quality graphics. It even has a home dedicated to educators at any level. PowToon touts itself as being as easy to use as Powerpoint and educators seem to think it is.

8. Make It Share It
For those who prefer to draw, there's Make It Share It. Create your own drawings from stick figures to sketches to full cartoons and animate them all online. This might be an online tool to share with students who like to draw or to create a project.

9. Wideo
But, if drawing seems to just get in the way, go to Wideo. Some modern graphics with interesting selections and fonts give users the ability to make unique videos for business and education. Nicely done tutorials provide users with confidence and basic skills to begin quickly.

10. Mixeek
This free software allows users to design web animations based on Javascript, CSS3, and HTML5. One of the best parts of this tool is that users can make their animation interactive. Mixeek also makes it easier for beginners to start the whole process with simple tutorials.

11. Myths and Legends
Hailing from the United Kingdom, this site is best used as a tool for students to create their own myths and legends. For instance, students might want to turn a factual news story into a myth or legend using the Myths and Legends tools.

12. Zimmer Twins
Make a movie or watch a movie with animation tools set neatly in place at Zimmer Twins. Create scenes from scratch or choose from scenes that are already set up. Educators can take advantage of Zimmer Twins at School by creating accounts for up to 40 students including blogs for added communication.

13. Loogix
For simple movements and creative elements of photographs or short film, use Loogix. It's very basic and not as innovative or interactive but it gets the job done if the goal is to add a fun twist to images.

14. Blabberize
A hilariously fun site, Blabberize turns any image into a talking image complete with your recorded message. Now, whatever point any educator's trying to make is a lot more effective when a talking cat, dog, or lama says it.

15. Aniboom
If there's a need for something more tailored and none of the tools you've looked at so far meet your needs, try Aniboom. There you'll find access to actual animators. Just post your project then assign an artist to it. You can check on the progress during the process.

Another online animation tool has both a free limited version and a version that you can get a quote on for pricing. With a large variety of backgrounds and characters, using the premium version might be worth it. Creaza's selling points are the video editor, an audio editor, a cartoon editor and a mind map builder.

An app for ipads, iphones, and ipods, Doink offers really creative tools that allow users to customize artwork and to create a library of drawings and animations. With a composition editor, animation appears professional and adds more versatility than a lot of other programs out there.
Ready to Go Animation

The following links will help educators find animation that's already set in motion. It's tried and true so educators simply search for their subject or their purpose and grab videos to help their students grasp concepts or even learn difficult material that otherwise may have eluded them.

18. TED Ed
Here educators will find brilliant animation with unique twists on a basic concept add new dimensions to learning with TED Ed. The clips are usually short, approximately 5 minutes, but they squeeze important information into that time frame and do it rather effectively.

19. Brain Pop
Another site with quick clips, Brain Pop simplifies difficult lessons in all the basic subjects including engineering and technology. Like TED Ed, it adds material constantly so there's always more to choose from; however, there is a fee to access the material.

20. BBC History
Walk through the architectural planning of the Colosseum, watch the reconstruction of the Iron Age Chariot, and learn about the Battle of Somme in World War I among many other animated insights. It can all be found at the BBC Interactive Content Animations.

21. ABC
An Australian site full of insightful and entertaining documentaries, ABC also has cool animated videos about Greek gods, Naval officers, and science plus lots of interactive video and gaming.

22. Explania
From learning how to save the oceans to how to calculate your body mass index, the animations seem endless on Explania. Just register and gain access to creative animations that explain almost anything.

23. Google Apps
Google Apps for Education is filled with animated apps that shed light on otherwise out of reach concepts and difficult problems that sometimes even the best educator can't perfect into a lesson readable by all students. GeoGebra and Desmos have sketchpads and graphing calculators and that's just the beginning.

24. Enlightenment
RSA brings power to intellectual debates with animation. Use their videos as a springboard for further debate or to introduce 21st century topics to any subject that thrives on arguments.

25. Brainpickings
Full of informational animations that give the learner visuals that transfer difficult concepts into understandable snippets, Brainpickings narrows the gap between confusion and understanding.

26. Literature
Openculture compiled a list of animations relating to various literature such as Emily Dickinson's poetry and Shakespeare. Explain the wonders of Plato and Kafka as well as Hemingway with these short clips.

27. Electric Literature
Find folktales, comedies, minidramas, and more, all animated with fascinating graphics and sound on Electric Literature. Bring story telling to students with these videos that offer unique perspectives.

28. WatchKnowLearn.org
With tons of videos to choose from, some aren't animated but you can sift through them to find the animated ones. WatchKnowLearn.org is broken into subject areas and acts as a database for rated videos that teach students. The ratings have stars and a review, which is really helpful because it saves time when choosing which one to use.

29. Canada Film
At the site for the National Film Board of Canada, educators will discover free streaming documentaries and animated films. Short animated films about poets, poetry, music, and other themes add interest and are a great resource for any educator.

30. National Geographic
While housing all types of great resource videos, National Geographic also has valuable interactive animations for teaching about the world around us and the world itself. Click through the steps of Greenhouse Effect and learn exactly how it works.

31. BioInteractive
Sleek, professional, colorful, and detailed animations at BioInteractive help educators communicate their curriculum with students. Educators choose from topics such as anatomy, brain, cancer, cardiovascular, organism behavior, and a lot more.

32. The Archeology Channel
Using Google maps, The Archeology Channel has created an interactive map that gives educators a visual guide of its animated videos of historical figures and finds according to the country or region. For instance, if educators click on Italy, they'll find a video about Matilda of Canossa.

33. How Stuff Works
Full of videos, the animated ones make understanding any subject or process much easier at How Stuff Works. Under the category Culture, you might click on the animated video How Murphy's Law Works.

34. Cell Biology Animation
John Kyrk created intricate animations explaining cell biology. Beginning with amino acids and protein and delving into DNA structure, the animation available on his site provides learners with complete visuals into the workings of cell biology.

35. Plant & Soil Sciences eLibrary
Access well-made animations of flower structures, plant breeding, gel scoring, gene cloning, genetic mapping, herbicide metabolism and so on. Plant & Soil Sciences eLibrary allows educators to access and use animated videos for free after they login.

36. Exploratorium
Split into categories such as Astronomy or Cognitive Science/Psychology, educators can find animated videos depending on the subject within the subject inside Exploratorium.

37. iTunes U
Find any and everything at iTunes U, just search or select a category and move through animation after animation. Sign up as an educator and add something even more useful to the equation by creating your own unique lessons or even videos.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers open courses with some great animation available. Check out some of the courses available at MIT and send students that way if they need extra guidance or even if they need a good challenge.

39. PBS Online
Inside PBS.org, educators have access to animations of such topics as growth, well-being, and jobs in what it calls the new economy or the story of Theodore Roosevelt's building the Panama Canal.

40. YouTube
Another helpful place to find animations, YouTube delivers any and every animation on almost any topic or subject imaginable. However, educators might have to sift through some unprofessional videos while searching.

41. Science Stage
Not just focused on science, Science Stage is worth visiting for almost any subject except literature. Anyone who wants to learn more about a chosen field will find all the videos fascinating, not just the animations.

An animation of the Ã¢â‚¬Å"Island of StabilityÃ¢â‚¬Â for physics or animation of the growth spurts of a T. Rex give learners clear insight into the unseen worlds of learning on NOVA, a subsection of PBS.

43. NBC Learn
From sustainability of water to the science of the summer Olympics, NBC Learn makes education simple and understandable. The animations work alongside professional videos explaining various topics.

History actually partnered with Aniboom and created a contest where people use Aniboom to create a historical, animated video. On top of that, History online has awesome interactive games, maps, and timelines including Ellis Island: Then and Now and hilarious animation of Greek Gods.

45. LearnersTV
If educators need animated video of science subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics, then LearnersTV boasts animated videos detailing these subjects. It also catalogues video on such subjects as engineering and economics but those videos aren't animated.

46. Maps of War
At Maps of War, the history of religion, the Imperial history of the Middle East, democracy, terrorism, the World Wars, and more map out the past and sometimes the future, depending on how you look at it.

47. Khan Academy
Well-respected and known as the place to go for all learners, Khan Academy masters teaching and animation with videos that lead a student to the unanswered questions.

48. See Math
See Math animations explain simple and complex math with animations that make learning precise and understandable. Educators can sign up and show the videos to students or have students sign up and learn.

49. Math is Fun
Animated cubes, triangular prisms, hexakis icosahedrons, gyroelongated square bicupola, or hebesphenomegacorona among other three-dimensional animated shapes fill the web pages of Math is Fun, offering learners various ways to manipulate and view the movements.

50. Vimeo
If educators search Vime, they'll find some nicely done animation of shorts about anything from sci-fi to love stories as well as beautifully done animation of challenging and enlightening concepts to spark creativity and innovation with any learner who needs a boost of imagination.

Cross posted from our colleagues in Informed.

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40+ Resources for Teaching Using Animation and Comics

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January 27, 2014 Some of the animation links catalogued here will give educators very basic tools and histories of animation while others have the animation already created and set in motion, it's just a matter of sharing it with students. Educators need to decide which tool is best for them.

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What is animation?

Animation has a pretty nerdy definition, "Rapid display of images to create an illusion of movement is called animation". Too nerdy? Well its simple "I draw series of images showing a man walking with each picture having one specific position of his leg movement. If I show you these entire set of images one after other real quick, the man magically seems to move! This is the basic ideology behind animation.
Animations are interesting.

They have the power to gain the attention of a person for hours together without boring them. And sometimes animations are extremely helpful. They help us show and generate interest in something which we otherwise would not entertain.

On the other hand, learning is a pretty complicated process, well for me it's a nightmare when it comes to studies. Now when you analyse the process of learning, "Concentration" will stand out to be the a major criteria for a better learning, followed by "Understanding" and finally "Remembering". All these go hand in hand.

Have you ever wondered why we forget all the history we have studied in our social classes? But you can easily remember a scene in some animated movie which we have watched long time ago? It's all in the way we got the information fed into our brain. Interesting/Boring both of these factors rule our learning process as well as memory.

Traditional ways of giving a lecture using text books and blackboards don't really convey the complete gist of a lecture sometimes; and sometimes long lectures bore students and they get diverted easily letting him loose the first main criteria "Concentration". Now as I said before, the moment he loses his concentration, he doesn't understand the concept well and obviously can't remember the topics for a long time. Now what if I give the same lecture with an animation clip as a reference? Exactly! There is no point in loosing concentration. Because animations are interesting! They can be fun and informative at the same time. Animation today are not just confined to movies and video games; the areas of its application are boundless. And one of those areas is
Education.

One of the reasons animations are now found so widely is that many people believe that animations can help learners come to understand complex ideas more easily. The process of teaching and learning gets a whole new experience when animations are used during the process. Both the teacher and the student as well find it more comfortable to explain or understand a topic; and believe me, no class will be boring. Teachers can use animated video clips to explain concepts (like cell biology, chemical bonding, heat transfer, etc.). This process not only makes the concepts clear but also helps the students memorize them for a longer time. Remember, humans have a very good pictographic memory, the more you make use of this the better the information is stored.

There are many multimedia enterprises out there which make animation clips for education purposes and sell them. Some upload them for free online. Here are some of the websites which provide free explanations for concepts using animations.

Explania
LearnersTV

Now, student learning is not just cooped up to academics; one must sneak out of the academic fence and know things. Things which may be as simple as "why is earth round?" Are difficult to find in textbooks. Well the answer might be given in some corner of the book, but common! We don't waste our time turning around pages just to find one answer! Make use of the great internet my dear fellow students! Where you can read the answers or WATCH them.

For people like me who like watching rather than reading (reading is boring!) obviously YouTube is a boon! Here are some of my favourite YouTube channels, " minutephysics " ," Vsauce " , " Scishow " , " The Science channel ". These channels are amazingly cool, Do subscribe to them! And the reason why I am telling you this is that they all are educative channels which use animations to explain things (well mostly). They are the only reason why I still love physics. Yes that is the truth!

Check all the links above and give them a try, It'll surely make your learning process interesting. And for teachers, try explaining the concepts using animations next time, you'll see the difference. You can use these free online animation tools to bring out the concepts clearly for your students in a fun way.

Here's how you can learn through animation how technolgy is useful in education:

Now do you have an opinion? Want to share your experience? Know some better YouTube channels? I'd love to hear from you! Just comment below. Until then, happy learning!

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how animations can help retain knowledge

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how can teachers use animations for student learning

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youtube channels for animated video based learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is animation? Animation has a pretty nerdy definition, "Rapid display of images to create an illusion of movement is called animation". Too nerdy? Well its simple "I draw series of images showing a man walking with each picture having one specific position of his leg movement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A purple monster with wild curls spiraling out of control explains the economics of oil production in the Sudan to students in Los Angeles, Sydney, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Riyadh.

That is education and animation working together to teach students everywhere, everything they ever wanted to know. Educators need only utilize the tools available, most of them for free.

Some of the animation links catalogued here will give educators very basic tools and histories of animation while others have the animation already created and set in motion, it's just a matter of sharing it with students.

Educators need to decide which tool is best for them. If you want to create your own animation from scratch, then you want to go to sites such as Animwork. If you want to select from animation that's already set up for you then perhaps Explainia makes more sense.

One of the easiest ways to animate, however, isn't with your own camera and modeling clay, it's with your links to sites that hand you everything within their own forums.

Use the first part of this list for creating original animation or using animation tools to create lessons. Use the second part to select animated lessons that are already completed and set to share.
1. Animation for Education
In this support system for educators, iCreate to Educate helps teachers and schools from primary through higher education become better learners by making animation more accessible throughout Europe. It offers some great resources and valuable animation software and resources. It also has a free stop-motion animation tool called SAM.
2. Animwork
A European partnership created this guide to help teachers learn more about using animation to teach. With some basics in place such as how to create a good story and what tools to use, Animwork puts everything into perspective for any teacher who wants to create his or her own animation.
3. GoAnimate for Schools
Easy and quick, GoAnimate for Schools is a one-stop shop for creating custom animation that's well-made and easy to use. Globally accessible to any educator, it's also secure and educators get a major discount. Schools can sign up about 200 students at a time.
4. GoAnimate
If the purpose of using the animation tool is solely for teaching and sharing educator-created animation, take another route to GoAnimate for business. This tool has a free sign-in where educators can use basic tools to create animation with whatever message they need to get across to their students.
5. Devolver
Quick animation with some bizarre characters and sleek backgrounds that help make a point or send students into the beginning or end of a lesson makes Devolver a great tool for the educator who moves fast. Students can also use it to email professors their interpretation of a theory or lesson.
6. Voki
Adding an interesting twist to communication and lecturing, Voki allows educators to create avatars that speak for them. Record or type in messages and send or embed the clips on a site. Voki even offers educator logins with free extras.
7. PowToon
A free business presentation tool, PowToon helps users create animated presentations with quality graphics. It even has a home dedicated to educators at any level. PowToon touts itself as being as easy to use as Powerpoint and educators seem to think it is.
8. Make It Share It
For those who prefer to draw, there's Make It Share It. Create your own drawings from stick figures to sketches to full cartoons and animate them all online. This might be an online tool to share with students who like to draw or to create a project.
9. Wideo
But, if drawing seems to just get in the way, go to Wideo. Some modern graphics with interesting selections and fonts give users the ability to make unique videos for business and education. Nicely done tutorials provide users with confidence and basic skills to begin quickly.
10. Mixeek
This free software allows users to design web animations based on Javascript, CSS3, and HTML5. One of the best parts of this tool is that users can make their animation interactive. Mixeek also makes it easier for beginners to start the whole process with simple tutorials.
11. Myths and Legends
Hailing from the United Kingdom, this site is best used as a tool for students to create their own myths and legends. For instance, students might want to turn a factual news story into a myth or legend using the Myths and Legends tools.
12. Zimmer Twins
Make a movie or watch a movie with animation tools set neatly in place at Zimmer Twins. Create scenes from scratch or choose from scenes that are already set up. Educators can take advantage of Zimmer Twins at School by creating accounts for up to 40 students including blogs for added communication.
13. Loogix
For simple movements and creative elements of photographs or short film, use Loogix. It's very basic and not as innovative or interactive but it gets the job done if the goal is to add a fun twist to images.
14. Blabberize
A hilariously fun site, Blabberize turns any image into a talking image complete with your recorded message. Now, whatever point any educator's trying to make is a lot more effective when a talking cat, dog, or lama says it.
15. Aniboom
If there's a need for something more tailored and none of the tools you've looked at so far meet your needs, try Aniboom. There you'll find access to actual animators. Just post your project then assign an artist to it. You can check on the progress during the process.
16. Creaza
Another online animation tool has both a free limited version and a version that you can get a quote on for pricing. With a large variety of backgrounds and characters, using the premium version might be worth it. Creaza's selling points are the video editor, an audio editor, a cartoon editor and a mind map builder.
17. Doink
An app for ipads, iphones, and ipods, Doink offers really creative tools that allow users to customize artwork and to create a library of drawings and animations. With a composition editor, animation appears professional and adds more versatility than a lot of other programs out there.

Ready to Go Animation

The following links will help educators find animation that's already set in motion. It's tried and true so educators simply search for their subject or their purpose and grab videos to help their students grasp concepts or even learn difficult material that otherwise may have eluded them.
18. TED Ed
Here educators will find brilliant animation with unique twists on a basic concept add new dimensions to learning with TED Ed. The clips are usually short, approximately 5 minutes, but they squeeze important information into that time frame and do it rather effectively.
19. Brain Pop
Another site with quick clips, Brain Pop simplifies difficult lessons in all the basic subjects including engineering and technology. Like TED Ed, it adds material constantly so there's always more to choose from; however, there is a fee to access the material.
20. BBC History
Walk through the architectural planning of the Colosseum, watch the reconstruction of the Iron Age Chariot, and learn about the Battle of Somme in World War I among many other animated insights. It can all be found at the BBC Interactive Content Animations.
21. ABC
An Australian site full of insightful and entertaining documentaries, ABC also has cool animated videos about Greek gods, Naval officers, and science plus lots of interactive video and gaming.
22. Explania
From learning how to save the oceans to how to calculate your body mass index, the animations seem endless on Explania. Just register and gain access to creative animations that explain almost anything.
23. Google Apps
Google Apps for Education is filled with animated apps that shed light on otherwise out of reach concepts and difficult problems that sometimes even the best educator can't perfect into a lesson readable by all students. GeoGebra and Desmos have sketchpads and graphing calculators and that's just the beginning.
24. Enlightenment
RSA brings power to intellectual debates with animation. Use their videos as a springboard for further debate or to introduce 21st century topics to any subject that thrives on arguments.
25. Brainpickings
Full of informational animations that give the learner visuals that transfer difficult concepts into understandable snippets, Brainpickings narrows the gap between confusion and understanding.
26. Literature
Openculture compiled a list of animations relating to various literature such as Emily Dickinson's poetry and Shakespeare. Explain the wonders of Plato and Kafka as well as Hemingway with these short clips.
27. Electric Literature
Find folktales, comedies, minidramas, and more, all animated with fascinating graphics and sound on Electric Literature. Bring story telling to students with these videos that offer unique perspectives.
28. WatchKnowLearn.org
With tons of videos to choose from, some aren't animated but you can sift through them to find the animated ones. WatchKnowLearn.org is broken into subject areas and acts as a database for rated videos that teach students. The ratings have stars and a review, which is really helpful because it saves time when choosing which one to use.
29. Canada Film
At the site for the National Film Board of Canada, educators will discover free streaming documentaries and animated films. Short animated films about poets, poetry, music, and other themes add interest and are a great resource for any educator.
30. National Geographic
While housing all types of great resource videos, National Geographic also has valuable interactive animations for teaching about the world around us and the world itself. Click through the steps of Greenhouse Effect and learn exactly how it works.
31. BioInteractive
Sleek, professional, colorful, and detailed animations at BioInteractive help educators communicate their curriculum with students. Educators choose from topics such as anatomy, brain, cancer, cardiovascular, organism behavior, and a lot more.
32. The Archeology Channel
Using Google maps, The Archeology Channel has created an interactive map that gives educators a visual guide of its animated videos of historical figures and finds according to the country or region. For instance, if educators click on Italy, they'll find a video about Matilda of Canossa.
33. How Stuff Works
Full of videos, the animated ones make understanding any subject or process much easier at How Stuff Works. Under the category Culture, you might click on the animated video How Murphy's Law Works.
34. Cell Biology Animation
John Kyrk created intricate animations explaining cell biology. Beginning with amino acids and protein and delving into DNA structure, the animation available on his site provides learners with complete visuals into the workings of cell biology.
35. Plant & Soil Sciences eLibrary
Access well-made animations of flower structures, plant breeding, gel scoring, gene cloning, genetic mapping, herbicide metabolism and so on. Plant & Soil Sciences eLibrary allows educators to access and use animated videos for free after they login.
36. Exploratorium
Split into categories such as Astronomy or Cognitive Science/Psychology, educators can find animated videos depending on the subject within the subject inside Exploratorium.
37. iTunes U
Find any and everything at iTunes U, just search or select a category and move through animation after animation. Sign up as an educator and add something even more useful to the equation by creating your own unique lessons or even videos.
38. MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers open courses with some great animation available. Check out some of the courses available at MIT and send students that way if they need extra guidance or even if they need a good challenge.
39. PBS Online
Inside PBS.org, educators have access to animations of such topics as growth, well-being, and jobs in what it calls the new economy or the story of Theodore Roosevelt's building the Panama Canal.
40. YouTube
Another helpful place to find animations, YouTube delivers any and every animation on almost any topic or subject imaginable. However, educators might have to sift through some unprofessional videos while searching.
41. Science Stage
Not just focused on science, Science Stage is worth visiting for almost any subject except literature. Anyone who wants to learn more about a chosen field will find all the videos fascinating, not just the animations.
42. NOVA
An animation of the Ã¢â‚¬Å"Island of StabilityÃ¢â‚¬Â for physics or animation of the growth spurts of a T. Rex give learners clear insight into the unseen worlds of learning on NOVA, a subsection of PBS.
43. NBC Learn
From sustainability of water to the science of the summer Olympics, NBC Learn makes education simple and understandable. The animations work alongside professional videos explaining various topics.
44. History
History actually partnered with Aniboom and created a contest where people use Aniboom to create a historical, animated video. On top of that, History online has awesome interactive games, maps, and timelines including Ellis Island: Then and Now and hilarious animation of Greek Gods.
45. LearnersTV
If educators need animated video of science subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics, then LearnersTV boasts animated videos detailing these subjects. It also catalogues video on such subjects as engineering and economics but those videos aren't animated.
46. Maps of War
At Maps of War, the history of religion, the Imperial history of the Middle East, democracy, terrorism, the World Wars, and more map out the past and sometimes the future, depending on how you look at it.
47. Khan Academy
Well-respected and known as the place to go for all learners, Khan Academy masters teaching and animation with videos that lead a student to the unanswered questions.
48. See Math
See Math animations explain simple and complex math with animations that make learning precise and understandable. Educators can sign up and show the videos to students or have students sign up and learn.
49. Math is Fun
Animated cubes, triangular prisms, hexakis icosahedrons, gyroelongated square bicupola, or hebesphenomegacorona among other three-dimensional animated shapes fill the web pages of Math is Fun, offering learners various ways to manipulate and view the movements.
50. Vimeo
If educators search Vimeo, they'll find some nicely done animation of shorts about anything from sci-fi to love stories as well as beautifully done animation of challenging and enlightening concepts to spark creativity and innovation with any learner who needs a boost of imagination.

A former Publications Specialist at Florida International University where she also received a bachelor's degree in English, Lisa Chesser left the publishing field to pursue a career in education.

In her first three years of teaching Language Arts, she won an Excellence in Teaching Award for helping students achieve 50 percent learning gains. Because she's also a writer, an editor, and an artist by trade, students often take more interest in their learning environment because she teaches them the value of it in the workplace.

You can find her on Google+.

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50 Resources to Use Animation as a Teaching Tool - InformED

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A purple monster with wild curls spiraling out of control explains the economics of oil production in the Sudan to students in Los Angeles, Sydney, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Riyadh. That is education and animation working together to teach students everywhere, everything they ever wanted to know.

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We are always looking for new and better ways to educate the young. Research Suggests when children are having fun, they tend to learn better. It's even scientifically proven that retention of information is higher when it is communicated using both visual and verbal communication.I feel animation as a training medium offers exciting possibilities for meeting the needs of 21st century learners. The use of animation instruction can significantly enhance student learning if properly designed and implemented.

Current educational use of animation suggests two main roles in learning.

First purpose of animation in academics is to fulfil a cognitive function. In this role, animations are intended to support students' cognitive processes that ultimately result in them understanding the subject matter. Animation can be used to make very exciting and fun animations into which education and training can easily be incorporated. Instructors can also use animation to demonstrate things and concepts visually exactly how they want to since they have control of every aspect of the animation. It can be used to show how things come together and work together. In science for example, the computer animation might be used to show how our solar system works, and in math, a computer animation might show a student how one can algebraically manipulate specific equation. Other subjects such as English, foreign language, music, and art can also be thought by using animation.

Secondly, as an affective learning tool that attracts attention, engages the learner, and sustains motivation aspect. Such Affective Animation Training is not focussed on facilitating comprehension of any academic subject matter itself and often portrays activities that are interactive, creative, fun and motivational.

Young people are fascinated by animation and animated stories and they enjoy the opportunity to create their own. The creative potential of animation is enormous, and integrating animation activities into the school curriculum offers the possibility of tapping this potential to meet a range of educational objectives.

Benefits of Animation as an Affective Learning tool

Emphasises development of students' skills and understanding of creating and responding.

Enables students to apply Imagination & Rational Thinking.

Enables students to invent and explore multiple solutions to a problem.

Enables students to understand the value of reflection and critical judgment in creative work.

Facilitates positive peer interaction, including receiving and using feedback.

Encourages self-motivation to create and problem solve.

Uses artistic literacy as a natural enhancement to learning in other content areas.

Fosters positive attitudes toward Art & Animation.

Introduces career possibilities.

When selecting the tools for such affective learning it is important to understand that today's K-12 students are very different from even their recently graduated peers. These students have grown up with technology & live in a world where digital technology is part of the texture of their daily existence. They never saw the world without technology. Technology is their native language and they expect to use technology in school. These Kids need digital tools which support creative expression. It's critical that they are encouraged to use these tools to express themselves creatively. They need opportunities to learn how to make their own creative products by observing other learners creating and sharing. A step-by-step manual and lesson plan may not be needed at all. Time to observe, listen, and be mentored is what's essential. Today's Kids need opportunities to share and celebrate their creations with others.

What they need is an easy-to-use Tool/Program that inspires creativity and enables children to "show what they know."

Schools can train Students in Animation techniques and also incorporate animation in Teaching Cross Discipline subjects. Such Animation Training would promote creativity and motivate students.

Below I have mentioned few advantages of such training

Advantages for Primary Students

Ignite the creative potential of your students at a young age.

Perfect introductory tools to learn animation.

Can be used for presentations/ assignments in science,history,geography classes as well as in after school programs.

Contribute to increase focus and concentration in class while having fun

Advantages for Secondary Students

Strengthen your students talent and skill set

Strong tools to teach foundation of animation

Promote creativity and motivate students

Incorporate animation into different subjects to create more engaging presentations

Develop story telling skills

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We are always looking for new and better ways to educate the young. Research Suggests when children are having fun, they tend to learn better. It's even scientifically proven that retention of information is higher when it is communicated using both visual and verbal communication.I feel animation as a training medium offers exciting possibilities for meeting the needs of 21st century learners.

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With the spectacular popularity of the stop motion animation kits with students, animation is getting easier and easier to do in the classroom and at home. But while the process is getting easier and cheaper, some teachers are a little torn over the use of animation in the classroom - lots love it but sometimes people feel it can be a time-consuming waste of precious classroom hours, with students spending a long time perfecting something that they don't believe has huge educational value. In fact, there are fantastic concrete reasons to take advantage of the massive range of animation tools out there specifically for use in a teaching environment. Here are just some of them!

1. Communication Skills

The traditional pen and paper essay-writing format isn't for every student. Animation is a brilliant and innovative new way to encourage children to communicate stories, ideas and concepts in a creative and original way. It can be particularly useful as a tool to encourage the creativity of students who find spelling and grammar a challenge, because it liberates them from the anxiety of always worrying about technicalities and enables them just to concentrate on the story instead. Domo is a great animation tool to encourage students to get started, as it provides a clear, colourful cartoon environment but also introduces ready-formed characters children can relate too, with their own personalities and habits, which give a helpful springboard to possible plot ideas. Another brilliant storytelling tool is Myths and Legends, which allows students to create animations for popular historical stories and myths, with the extra added bonus that they can also record a narration soundtrack to play over the top, adding a whole new level of creativity and communication practice! Teachers have to sign up first to create an account for students to use.

2. Building Bridges

Thanks to the edtech explosion, creating animations is by no means a solitary pursuit. The process on many websites now also involves sharing your creations with your peer group, whether within the classroom or further afield by making students' movies visible to others using the same tool. The opportunities this provides for collaboration with students from all over the world should not be underestimated, and it carries the additional benefit that a language barrier can be immediately overcome through the medium of animation, so it is a fantastic starting point for building up ties and a sense of community across borders with your students. Kerpoof is a great animation site for this as it allows students to link back to the url of what they have created, and also has options for different types of animation, including a letter which can be specifically addressed - perhaps to an animated penfriend!

3. Self-expression

For many students, self-expression can be a huge challenge, and traditional methods of art such as drawing and painting, while hugely enjoyable for some, can feel difficult and worrying for those who don't necessarily have a huge amount of natural artistic talent. But the beauty of animation is that ready-made characters can be placed into pre-drawn environments, while students still retain the creative reins by choosing everything from plot to speech bubbles. Sites like the Zimmer Twins are an excellent example of this perfect balance between pre-prepared materials and lots of free creative choices. Better still, it has a special website designed specifically for use in schools, with class management tools built in for teachers.

4. Technical Skills

While there are a range of fantastically simple animation tools available for younger children, it can also be a great gateway for older students to learn much more difficult technical skills too. The Anim8or tool is the perfect example - it allows students to use algebraic and calculus functions to create 3D animations and also teaches them a range of useful computer skills. A guide is available to download so students don't have to be experts before they begin!

5. Presentation Skills

The other brilliant thing about animation is that it provides an exciting and dynamic platform to encourage students to give interesting, engaging class presentations. Gone are the days of students falling asleep in the back of the class while their classmates stood at the front of the room, reading from a sheet of paper! Animation is a great way to encourage students to put greater effort into their presentations, making slide shows, visual explanations of concepts and really visually connecting with their audience, a great skill for the future. The excellent Go Animate 4 Schools website is specifically designed for this kind of work, and provides a safe, secure environment specifically made for use in schools.

What are your favourite tools for having fun with animation in the classroom? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, jurvetson.

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5 Real Benefits of Using Animation in the Classroom

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With the spectacular popularity of the stop motion animation kits with students, animation is getting easier and easier to do in the classroom and at home.