Students love making movies. They love media. They live in a media-rich world. Almost everything they do is related to media: text messages, youTube, Twitter, SnapChat, etc. They are constantly on the move, connected to their devices and connected to media or connecting to one another with media. So, why shouldn't we interact and have our students interact with us using media?
Powtoon is a great tool to engage students or have students create great projects that are in and of themselves engaging. Powtoon is free (with limitations) and teachers and students alike can create presentations that draw the viewer in.
I first learned about Powtoon months ago and then ignored it thinking I didn't have the time to deal with it. This semester I reconnected with it and in 20 minutes created a presentation for my 3rd year German students that they absolutely loved and were engaged the whole time. I assigned it to my AP students so as a review project and they came up with a media rich project that I'll use later as a review for other students.
In the end, there are a ton of tools out there to connect with students. Connect with your students using these tools and let them connect with their classwork using them as well. If you want to work in the 21st Century, use 21st Century tools.
Powtoon is a great tool to engage students or have students create great projects that are in and of themselves engaging. Powtoon is free (with limitations) and teachers and students alike can create presentations that draw the viewer in.
I first learned about Powtoon months ago and then ignored it thinking I didn't have the time to deal with it. This semester I reconnected with it and in 20 minutes created a presentation for my 3rd year German students that they absolutely loved and were engaged the whole time. I assigned it to my AP students so as a review project and they came up with a media rich project that I'll use later as a review for other students.
In the end, there are a ton of tools out there to connect with students. Connect with your students using these tools and let them connect with their classwork using them as well. If you want to work in the 21st Century, use 21st Century tools.