Week 5: Windows Movie Maker

What did we learn in class? Today in class I learned how to narrate my story on Windows Movie Maker, and I learned how to do more things on Movie Maker. Stephanie has the microphone, so we will be narrating our story later on this week, but I did learn how to add audio into the story. I am the one in my group who has experience with Movie Maker, so I was off in my own little corner as everyone emailed me the pictures. Today I began to put things together, but I will be able to visualize the entire story more once we have the narration complete. I'm just really glad that our POD finally agreed on an objective to do our story board on, because if we had stuck with the transportation idea, we would not be cooperating the way we do. Also, recycling is a topic that can be made fun, and that's why we created our little critter out of an aluminum can!
How will I be able to use these tools in the classroom? The students will be able to narrate the stories they make on their computer using the knowledge I gained in class today. It will be wonderful for the students to be able to use their imaginations and turn their knowledge into a story with pictures and music and their own voices. I think students get excited when they hear their own voices on the computer or played back to them. I know I always did! I remember observing in the classroom one time, and the teacher was making a class video of their artwork to put on the class website so their parents could see all of their artwork (this was third grade). The teacher took one student at a time and had them record their voices into iMovie. A lot of the students got so excited they spoke too loud, but the teacher showed them where on the volume bar their voices should be so it didn't turn into static. I would love to be able to show my students how to make a story.
How will the use of these tools in the classroom affect how the students learn? The students will be able to be creative and give their stories a personal touch. I just think it is so dull for a teacher to hand out worksheets all day and study textbooks. When students are learning hands-on, going to the library to do their own research, visualizing the material and turning that vision into reality, they are doing much more than taking in information; they are actually processing it. I think that today, a lot of teachers who have been using the same curriculum and lesson plans for the past 20 years are falling into a rut where they don't get creative often enough. 20 years ago, the lesson plans most likely would not suggest using tools like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, but thank goodness for us UVU students! Here we come with our technology tools and desire to get creative!
Video Reflection: I'm going to say a little about both videos. The "Did You Know" one wasn't very exciting. Honestly, I think most of those statistics were made up, and it wasn't something that I would even consider showing to my students. I don't think it got a very strong message across, but the music was very peaceful. I really liked "A Vision of Students Today" video. I felt that they pegged students perfectly. It is important for teachers to recognize how much college students take on each day, and that it's very frustrating (and time consuming) to get a professor in college who thinks their class is the only class that matters (or their students are taking). Because they feel this way (for whatever reason), they load on the work, causing the students to be stressed out even more than necessary. I've always felt very strongly about teachers needing to put themselves in their students' shoes. It's terrible to get teachers who have a "no exceptions" policy, because the truth is, there are exceptions to homework being late or students not being in class. Things go on in students' lives that many teachers feel they are too superior to even acknowledge, but a good teacher is one who can put themselves in their students' shoes.