Educational Value of Animoto

Animoto is a video-creating site that I think is a great tool for teachers as well as students to use.  I know many people who are significantly more engaged in a topic or lecture when there are visual aids, so the use of Animoto could spice up any lesson! In addition, students can use this web tool as a means to demonstrate their knowledge at the end of a unit, as is one option for students completing my Rainforest WebQuest. I created this Rainforest Animoto as a teaser for students to watch at the beginning of the WebQuest. It shows the viewer that you can use music, pictures, and text to create a cohesive short movie when using this tool. With proper instruction (which I don't think would take long), teachers and students could create engaging video presentations for an endless amount of topics.

Educational Value of Wordle

Wordle is an application that anyone can use to create a graphic representation of key terms. For example, Wordle could be used when students are reading non-fiction text, such as a history textbook or a science magazine article. Students could use Wordle as a means of demonstrating their understanding - the students could input what they believe to be the most important terms in the text, thus showing that they are grasping the main concepts.

I've created a Wordle based on my Amazon Rainforest WebQuest. My students will be focusing on an animal of their choice, so I chose words that were animal-related, as well as key terms having to do with the rainforest in general.

Graphic representations are great ways to convey information - a large body of text can seem overwhelming but if people can see a Wordle that illustrates the key terms in the text, it could act as a great focusing tool while reading. We can't underestimate the importance of graphics and illustrations for students, particularly those in the younger grades.