During the past few weeks, my seventh graders have been creating Claymation videos. This is the first time I have done this project and I learned a lot. Based on the feedback I received from a survey I had my students complete using Google Docs, I will make a few changes next time. For example, next year we will use tripods for the cameras and I will also have my students pick a theme relating to one of their classes and create the video relating to that theme. Some students also said they would like me to pick their groups. This time, I allowed students to pick their groups. I was thinking that since they may need some study hall or at home time to complete the projects, I wanted them to be with students they would typically hang out with. However, most of the work was completed in class. Also, even though the students created the set and took the pictures as a group, I had them individually upload the pictures to their laptops. I wanted each student to learn the process of editing the photos in iPhoto and iMovie, add sound clips created in GarageBand, and add slides in iMovie. I thought that if they completed the final product as a group, only one student would be learning the process as the rest of the students stood around them. Since they each have a laptop, I figured that they could each create a final movie. I really liked completing the project this way and was very pleased at the way students helped each other when they were having troubles. I was also very pleased that they had already learned how to add sound clips using GarageBand during music class. Thank you, Mr. Lenz! I didn't know how to do this and it was neat to see students apply skills learned from other classes. Another concern students had was with the length of their video. I assured them that I wasn't as much concerned about the length of the videos as I was about them learning the process involved in creating the videos. One final lesson I learned was with the length of time it took to complete this project. My first group of students wasn't able to finish the project before their final switch for the quarter. They were able to finish taking the pictures but didn't have time to edit them or upload them to iMovie. I told them they could come in during study hall and I would help them complete it or I will save their photos for next year. At the beginning of the year, those students can finish the project. From here on out, this will be one of the first projects I create.
Overall, I am pleased with the results and the learning that took place. I told my students that the next time their teachers from other classes ask them to do a project summarizing a concept, they could create a Claymation video and insert in it a PowerPoint. In addition, students in younger grades were excited to see some of the end results. They are eagerly anticipating the time when they get to do this project. Some kids said they already do a version of this using their legos and watching the pictures as a slideshow on their iPods.
I am going to post a couple examples of our first attempt at creating Claymation videos.
