UPDATE 3/21/2018: These projects have been favorites for many years. Unfortunately, they are no longer available. To find other TechnoKids projects view the Project Matrix or visit the TechnoKids website.
Great news! TechnoCommercial and TechnoDrama have been updated for the latest version of the popular video editing program, Movie Maker. The improved projects include new sample movies to inspire your students. In addition, they include instructions for using the many new program features.
Movie Maker 2012 is even better than its predecessor Movie Maker Live. It supports:
Narrative stream
You can now record narration while watching your video playback. Then you can save the audio file and add it as a separate sound track. You can also add audio such as sound effects to the narration track.
New file sharing options
Right from the Home tab, you can publish your movie to a variety of popular social networking sites: YouTube, OneDrive, Facebook, Vimeo, and Flickr.
New animation and transitions
The animation and transitions galleries have been further extended. There are a number of fun, creative, and attention grabbing choices to enhance your project.
Increased export options
When saving the movie, there are a myriad of options. Whether you are saving for email, phone, tablet, computer, or the web, a broad list of possibilities is available. For example, some of the tablet options are: Android, iPad, or Windows. The settings are then automatically optimized for the device.
Updated TechnoKids Projects
TechnoKids’ projects based on Movie Maker have been upgraded to make use of the new features. These projects can be completed with basic equipment: webcams, tablets, smartphones, or digital cameras. Even a combination of these devices can be used to complete each project.
TechnoCommercial
TechnoCommercial integrates technology with media literacy. Middle school students examine marketing techniques, such as target audience, implied messages, and stereotyping. Afterwards, they form collaborative groups to plan a storyboard and then record footage to advertise a product. Individually, students edit the shots using Movie Maker to create a short, unique commercial.
TechnoDrama
Digital storytelling is the focus of TechnoDrama. Students choose a fairy tale, put a modern twist on it, and create a short video. Learning objectives for this project include cooperative group work, creative thinking skills, and video editing. Using Movie Maker, junior level students – Grades 3 to 6 – can easily learn video production techniques to create a fun, engaging movie.
Visit TechnoKids Store to purchase and download technology projects for your classroom.