myMovie

This post is dedicated to what I should have posted later in the day on October 14th.

As you can see below, last week I posted the final version of my iMovie, but I didn't get a chance to reflect on how the whole process of using the program went. Overall, I really enjoyed this project--more than I thought I would.

One of the things that helped me be enthusiastic about the assignment was that we got to choose what we made our movies about. We weren't forced to do something that had no relevance to our studies or interests, so I automatically found the project more interesting. Another thing that helped was the fact that our instructor told us he didn't expect our movies to be perfect. Since this was my first time using the program, that caveat helped relieve a lot of pressure that I often put upon myself.

The thing I was most worried about with the project was the editing--which was the vast majority of the project! It's a good thing it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. The program was very user-friendly; if I didn't know how to do something, it had enough "help" options that I could usually figure it out. I didn't expect to be proud of the final project, but I actually was (whether I should have been or not)!! :-)

I think movie-making assignments would be a great way to get students to learn subject material. After all, we have all heard that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. I definitely felt that to be true while I was making my iMovie. I had to research my chosen topic, plan out the filming and editing, write a script for my voiceover, etc.

Even before this class, I thought it would be fun to have my future English and/or Library students film short Book Talks to encourage more reading. Now I am definitely planning on having that assignment at some time. The main thing I'm worried about is that my future school may not have the equipment necessary, but I'm sure I'll be able to work something out. I would only really need one camera if I spaced out the due dates for different students/groups. I could even buy my own classroom camera now that you can get something like a Flip Video for less than $100 if you catch the sales right.

In short, I'm glad we had this assignment, and I definitely plan on assigning a similar project to my future students.