Animoto

ANIMOTO

Animoto is an online, cloud-based video creation platform. It can be used to create videos, not only from video content, but also from photos.
The key is that you don’t need to worry about formats of various files as Animoto does all the conversion work for you.
Animoto comes in the form of an app. It can be used online, via a web browser, but the app is very well made way to interact. It can be used with smartphone, Android or iPhone.
Used by millions Animoto is a platform that easily guides the user through the process, making it a welcome tool even for beginners.
While Animoto was designed for and is aimed at commercial users, it has become very popular as a tool for use in schools, especially since remote learning has made videos more valuable as a teaching resource.
The site also has royalty-free music available on the site, as well as a library of images and video clips that can be used.
Titles and additional text can be added. Selected images can be highlighted by using the spotlight feature. Videos can be emailed and embedded on wikis, blogs and other web sites. Thirty-second videos are free; a fee is charged for longer videos.
This feature gives K-12 teachers unlimited access to all of the site’s resources for free. Teachers can establish group accounts to monitor student’s work.
After registering for an educator’s account, teachers receive a classroom code and suggestions for setting up student accounts.
The site has addressed security concerns by making videos created using the educational accounts private.
They can only be seen by the users unless they are emailed to parents or embedded on a web site or linked to from another site.

Video creator

Pedagogical background
Creativity, effective communication skills and critical thinking skills come into play when students use this Web 2.0 tool to design and create videos. Creative juices flow when students suddenly become video producers.
The production of student learning videos is one method to stimulate the construction of knowledge. Students have to search information and to understand their topic very good to produce a video.
The site’s text blocks have a limited number of characters so students must write concisely and succinctly.
The video creation could be combined with flipped classroom. The students produce a video instead of making a presentation for their classmates.
In this scenario the students often only produce the videos while the teacher facilitate the setting of the learning process and video production.
The video production process causes students to critically look at their choices of images, text and music to make decisions as to the best choices and arrangements. Critically evaluating each video, editing and revising as needed, and remixing videos develop important 21st century learning skills.

Assessment
It is better if, after the video creation, it is followed by a Self assessment, peer assessment or teacher assessment to stimulate reflection or critical thinking.

Use cases/examples of usage: (tutorial)

Strenght: It is a easy-to-use video maker that allows for the creation and sharing of videos online.
Teachers and students create videos without the need for extensive technological skills.

Weakness: You can create online only 30’’ videos and (in the free profile) with the animoto brand.

People opinion about the tool: Animoto Reviews: 340+ User Reviews and Ratings in 2021 | G2

Similar Tool: Adobe Premiere, Windows Video Maker, Final Cut.

Technical and operational requirements: PC/smartphone in order to create the video.