I’m thinking here of the word ‘rationale’. When students select photos, why? And to take your sentence about the building in Chicago, I’d demand that they connect it back to the content.

“Sure, great picture, but how does it enhance / support the content?”

In my case, English teacher by design, I’d want to know how it helps to enhance characterization, motif, or symbolism.

So hopefully, no Chicago skyscrapers.

I guess. But in that case, it’d still be better to assemble the slideshow with some utility that gave you even superficial control over form. Like iPhoto and iMovie and probably a dozen PC utilities which let you use the pan-and-zoom Ken Burns effect, which lacks Animoto’s amped-up muscular energy but which pay more than lip service to the idea that what the thing is should inform how a thing looks.

Trina, if you’ve ever used anything that gives you any control over how images are positioned, sized, and set in motion, I’ll put your odds of enjoying the Animoto experience at [big number]:1.

I dismiss this out of hand.

http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/

Ancillary note: Perhaps the choice of images one chooses to include, the verbal/written defense a student provides behind her visual understanding/analysis/pick your own Taxonomy, is where the learning and creativity occurs. Animoto is just digital choreography, but what takes places in a well-designed, carefully-scaffolded assignment will matter most, not Animoto’s whiz-bang simplicity.

Tangential note: try Voice Thread

What I’m seeing thought are teachers trying to wedge Animoto into the instructional box – using it for summative projects and the like when it asks students for precisely zero creative input.

What kind of an assessment or document or project is that? Does anyone feel particularly proud of their Easy-Bake Animoto presentations?