Videolicious!

Today I team taught an iPod Touch/iPad class to some dynamic elementary teachers in Lakeside, CA!  It was great teaching with Sandy Patterson, who is a 2nd grade teacher on my team at Lindo Park School.  Since I will be teaching my second grade students three days and week, and working with teachers the other two on integrating technology into their curriculum, I will use this blog to share ideas with teachers.  Here is an idea we discussed today:

To help my students learn new vocabulary words, I use an app called "Videolicious".  It is a free app that lets you create great looking videos automatically, without a lot of time involved in the creation.  You can turn video clips and images into movie masterpieces in just three easy steps!  1.  Choose your shots.  2.  Tell your story.  3. Choose your music.

Here is the procedure I do in my classroom:

1.  Using a graphic organizer students choose four words from their story that they are not familiar with.  They write the word, the meaning, give an example of the word, and then use it in a sentence. They get the meaning of the word from their anthology glossary, a dictionary, or dictionary.com on their iPod or computer.  When they write the definition, it it needs to be in kid friendly words.

2.  Use the template I created in Stationary Studio to write their script for their movie.

3.  Have the teacher check their script for accuracy, and revise as needed.

4.  Practice reading your script with expression - three times.

5.  Open up the Videolicious app.  Choose your pictures for your movie in the order you want them to appear.  (These are pictures I have preloaded onto my syncing computer in iPhoto.  You can even create an album with that story name.)   Make sure when you sync the devices that you check the option to import all pictures and albums from your iPhoto Library.

6.  Next, record your video.  This is where where students read their scripts.  Remember, the first and last part of your video clip will show the person who is being recorded, so make sure they look right into the camera.  Be aware of the background where you record, and I really try to get the class quiet as the recordings are made.  Second graders love to hear, "Quiet on the set!"

7. Click save, and then choose your music.  When finished, I have my students share them with me by emailing them.  Be sure they put their name in the subject line with their vocabulary word, so you know whose it is.

8.  Save all the movies in a folder on your computer where you can find them easily to share with the class!  Even though this sounds like a lot of steps, when you do it once you will see how easy it is, and how much your students will be engaged in their learning!



Here is a sample vocabulary project that was created in Videolicious by a second grade student.  In it, the student describes what the word "Medicinal" means.