Animoto Education Program It was love at first sight when I discovered Animoto late last summer, and I’ve had a great deal of fun with it since. I wrote about Animoto back in October, and then in January. The free version of Animoto allows 30-second videos, but after making only a few 30-second creations, I willingly put down the $30 for an “All Access Pass” that allows me to put together and download an unlimited number of “full-length” videos for a period of a year.

Now, teachers are being offered the All Access Pass free of charge, along with the same pass for each class member.

Animoto is an application that allows you to use digital photos to create videos easily and quickly. The shots are “animated” according to the accompanying music that is selected. You can choose from a variety of music tracks built into the program, or you can upload your own sound track. (By uploading your own track, you have the option of including spoken narration.) Finally, if you aren’t satisfied with your movie, you can “re-mix” and create a new and different version with the click of a button.

The potential classroom uses of Animot0 are limited only the imaginations of learners and teachers. Please take a look at Voices of the World, a project where schools from around the world have worked together and used Animoto to share their national anthems. You can also check out an Animoto example, created in the UK by Doug Belshaw to stimulate interest in a secondary school history course.

As an itinerant, I don’t have my own class to work with; but I do present at, or participate in, numerous workshops for adult educators. Sometimes it’s fun to put together an Animoto video to share before the workshop is over. The first embedded example below is from a Linda Burkhart workshop in Vancouver in January. The second example illustrates a personal use of Animoto–to package and share family memories. This one was of a special day we spent recently with our son and grandchildren.

FREE online resources and downloadable programs for learners.

With my focus on free here, this is an unusual post. I’m writing about a paid service today. I don’t think I’ve done that before, and it’s unlikely to happen again in the near future. I’m just such an Animoto fan that I want to share a new service now available from Animoto.

Animoto Downloads are now available as Quicktime MP4 movies. This service, however, is only available for “full length” Animoto videos which cost $3 each, or to those who have paid $30 for a full year of unlimited access. I had so much fun with my initial experience creating the free 30 second Animotos that I plunked down the $30 for a year’s worth of fun. With my “All Access” pass, now I can even download the short videos I made prior to paying for my subscription.

Once downloaded, student created Animotos can now be uploaded and shared on Teachertube. The availability of downloads is also significant for teachers who work in school environments where Animoto is blocked. These teachers can now create Animotos away from school and then bring them into the classroom as video files. Indeed, it is helpful for anyone who wants to be able to share an Animoto when unable to be online. I think it is also helpful in some situations to be able to embed an Animoto as a Youtube or Google video.

I’ve embedded, as a Google Video, the Animoto I created about the four-generation Christmas at Our House this year. I’m proud to show off my children, grandchildren and some of the rest of the extended family who were with us. (If you don’t hear the sound, you may need to adjust the volume slider.)

[kml_flashembed movie="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-5619068699991177474" width="400" height="326" wmode="transparent" /]