Submitted by Fiona Beal
If you think that creating a video with your photos is too complicated then you haven’t tried Windows Movie Maker! The only downside of this amazing webtool is that it may be too simple for advanced users! It really is very usable with great results.
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This tool could be free on your laptop. If not it can be downloaded free of charge from the Microsoft Educator’s Network. We encourage you to join this amazing network with all its free resources and offerings
What can you do with Windows Live Movie Maker?
It really is very simple to use like most of the Microsoft tools. Not only can you include your best photo shots and some of your clips, but you can also add some really nice video and transition effects. Your movie will look quite professional at the end I can assure you!
Here is an infomercial from Microsoft about the software.
How to get started with Windows Live Movie Maker
If you look at the image above you’ll see that there is a place that says ‘Add videos and photos’. After you do this the media clips appear on the timelineon the right hand side. After that you add as many effects as you like. You can also add titles and credits to your movie.
How to use Movie Maker in the classroom
1. Include using Movie maker in your current theme
It really is fun when you include Movie Maker in your theme as the students love working with it. These two Grade 4 teachers from St Cyprians in Cape Town based their theme on their Grade 4 novel, ‘Tolbooth’ and used Movie Maker extensively. They won the Innovative Teacher competition in South Africa as well as in the Pan Africa and the Middle East finals in Jordan and took their Movie Maker project to Washington DC for the World Finals in early November 2011.
2. Create infomercials
High School Life Science students in Cape Town used Windows Movie Maker to create an infomercial about HIV Aids.
3. Make a movie the final presentation requirement in a project
These high School History learners from Durban created movies about Apartheid using Windows Movie Maker. (The image below is from the created movie).
More classroom ideas
- A very quick movie about something that has just happened – an outing or an event
- Expression of an assignment instead of writing it out. This definitely reduces the riskof plagiarism
- Make book trailers instead of book reports
- Make movies about their book as was done by the Grade 4s
- Movies about Maths or other concepts
- Movies about the year at school
- Movies of their future dreamsin the job market
- Combine Movie Maker with Songsmith to create a music backing
- The learners can write instructions for something they are making i.e. a recipe, how to knit, how to make a card. etc.
What about starting a movie channel for your class?
You can create your own movie channel in YouTube or in School Tube to store all your class’s movies.
Windows Movie maker tutorial
If you need more detailed instructions on creating a movie with Windows Movie Maker just go to YouTube and ask for a tutorial on how to use Movie Maker. You will find a big selection. The on below was created in 2009 but it is still relevant and easy to follow.
Why not give Movie Maker a try today?
