Using Keynote to Create 'Animated' Videos

Each year, the Biology department at BHS has students explain the mitosis process in a unique way.  Over the years, the idea as to how students would complete the task has evolved.  Mrs. Morrissey explained to her students how students used to create physical flip books, demonstrating the mitosis process, many years ago.  Then, students used PowerPoint to have an 'animation' of the mitosis process through replicating slides and 'flipping' through them quickly to get the movement effect.  At times, students finished product would turn into 300 slides to make this happen.  Fast forward to the year 2014, and students are now using Keynote to help make actual animations on slides.  

It is important to note that in many instances, students had actually never used Keynote prior to this project.  PowerPoint, yes, but Keynote, no.  I am a firm believer that it is always good for students to be aware of different software and tools so that they are exposed and knowledgable in different situations.  This project most certainly helped students understand Keynote.  In order to help make sure that the technology did not get in the way of learning, a couple of resources were created for the students to help them in their adventure of explaining the mitosis process.

Introduction to Keynote:

The project was explained to the students as well as a quick introduction to Keynote - how to add 'animations' to slides on the first day.  Students referred to the Keynote Hints Documentation.  Students were also reminded that if their questions were not answered in this documentation that Google was another great resource to ask the question.  (It is amazing sometimes that students forget that they could do this even though they use Google to help answer content questions they might have).

Recording, Exporting and Uploading Keynote Presentation:

After day 1 of introducing Keynote, I began to think about the submission process that the teachers used in past years and wanted to come up with a more efficient way.  Thus, we came up with a process for students to actually record their Keynote presentation and make a true animated video.  Several benefits result in this new process: 

• Students could choose to speak as the presentation was being recorded.
• Students would export a .mov file, which would allow them to upload that file to their Google Drive account (a keynote presentation cannot be viewed online even if it is uploaded to Google Drive)
• Students could easily change permissions of video to anyone with link and provide the teacher with the link to the video (Teachers no longer needed to rely on the Community Folder - Teacher Drop Box that we have at school on our network)
• Teacher could watch and grade the animated videos anywhere that teachers had internet access (best to use Chrome)

Students were given several additional days to work on the project.  During this time, students were told that they could actually record their presentation to make it an animated video.  The documentation, linked below, walks students through the process of recording, exporting and uploading their file to their Google Drive account.  Recording and Exporting a Keynote Presentation Documentation

* Students used Chrome to upload the non-Google file online to their Google Drive account.

Receiving Files:

Teachers created a Google Form for students to submit their link to their project so that they could easily grade their project.  This link below walks teachers through how to treat a Google Form as a 'Dropbox'. Creating Teacher Dropbox with Google Forms.

Student Examples:

Now the most important part - actually seeing some student work.  They created some great animation videos! (click on the student name to actually view the animated video)

Katharine Cusack

Emerson Desmarais

Will Ebert

If you have questions regarding using Keynote in your own curriculum, just stop by and we can chat!
Happy Learning!

Making Short Animated Videos that are Engaging!

Hands down, my favorite web 2.0 tool for the 2013-2014 school year is PowToon.  PowToon gets it.  This free web 2.0 tool allows a user to create a seamless, professional looking, animated video with very little effort.

These videos are not videos that you record and then upload to PowToon to edit, crop and add transitions.  Instead, you start off with a template where you add content, images and text, to a slide and animate it.  When I was first introduced to this tool (BIG thanks to Mr. Zeller, @monsiuerzeller), I immediately thought to the '______ in Plain English' videos by the common craft.  To me, these videos were engaging due to the fact that they were different and creative.  The amount it must have taken to cut out all of those pictures!  To see a sample of what I am talking about, watch the Twitter in Plain English Video:

Powtoon has created a quick video explaining what they are all about. As you will see, it is very easy to to use:

• PowToon has a great selection of pre-made images right in their program.  You also have the ability to add your own images as well.
• With each image/text you are able to decide how you want it to appear on the slide.
• You are able to add background music
• You can even record your own voice to be played throughout the PowToon
• You can add as many slides as you want (but remember if you want to keep your audience - don't make a video that is too long! A good rule of thumb for me is not to show something that is longer than 3 minutes)
• Each slide can be as long or as short as you want

It is important to note that PowToon allows you 30 free exports to YouTube under the free account.  But don't worry, you do not have to export your PowToon to YouTube.  Once you are done with your PowToon, you can just share the link to your newly created animated video without exporting it outside of PowToon itself.  I also like the fact that you are able to grab an embed code to have your PowToon embedded on another website or blog.  Lastly, I have to admit, I rather enjoy the ending of each PowToon when it says....'Created Using PowToon'.

Examples of PowToons

This tool can be used in many different ways:

• Pitching a product
• Explaining a Concept
• Teaching a Lesson

Below, you will find three different ways we have integrated this web 2.0 tool at BHS over the past 7 months.

Instructing Students

When introducing what a backchannel was to Mrs. Pearson's IB Film Studies class, I showed this PowToon.  While I have given the backchannel presentation to Mrs. Pearson's class before in past years, I thought that this video enhanced the discussion/conversation.

Informing Staff

We are currently in the process of having our school become an accredited school.  The NEASC committee at BHS decided that it would be a great way to inform the staff about the different standards that we will be assessed on through the means of PowToons.  I thought that this was a great way to get people engaged rather than a couple teachers standing in front of the entire staff at a staff meeting spitting out words about their committees.  The best part is that the NEASC committee came up with this idea all on their own! So Proud!  The following link will bring you to the PowToon regarding NEASC Committee #3 - Instruction, made by Mr. Cannon (@Cannonland).

NEASC Committee #3 - Instruction

While Cannon's PowToon is listed here, I give the entire NEASC committee props for taking the time to make videos for their staff as it sure was a lot more work to do that than to just list verbally what each standard committee would be in charge of!

Student Work

A couple of teachers this year have decided to incorporate PowToons in their curriculum.  One teacher in particular is Mrs. O'Connell.  Mrs. O'Connell teaches the Canterbury Tales in her AP Literature and Composition.  She decided that during the reading of this book, she would have students be responsible for sharing out to the class different tales through the means of a PowToon, instead of a typical presentation to the class or written paper.  Students were broken up into groups and were given a tale.  Then, the students were tasked with finding a way to portray what happened in the tale.  Below are two examples of student work from the class:

The Prioress's Tale by Jonathan Greiner and Abby Kokkinos

The Wife of Bath's Prologue by Kelly Gibbons, Annie McEwen, and Mary Spencer

So there you have it, three different ways PowToon has already been used at Bedford High School.  I look forward to seeing how it will be integrated into our bulldog family in the future.  As always, if you have any questions regarding how to use this tool or you just want to bounce ideas, just stop by room 222!