How I Use It
My students used Animoto to a create digital story about one specific aspect of the Holocaust (Kindertransport, Anne Frank, liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Elie Wiesel's journey, hidden children, stories of resistance). After researching their topics, choosing appropriate photos, writing a simple, yet powerful story or poem, my students turned to this website to put it all together. In the end, the videos were powerful and heartfelt. Many students were moved to tears. The videos helped personalize a time in history that is often hard for students to wrap their head around. When students come back and visit, they almost always talk about the videos they created.
Beautiful graphics and simple set ups make creating videos fun for all students. It gave students a chance to be creative while learning more about technology (uploading photos, adding music, inserting text, reordering photos, cropping video clips, etc.) We created longer videos using an educator's account. I do suggest that before you have students create videos, you should make one of your own. You'll be hooked!