CALL lesson 3 (Nov 20-21)

Today we're going to learn how to "make a movie" with ZimmerTwins software.

Objectives

Students will:

— log in to ZimmerTwins and learn how to register so they can make their own movies,

— watch the animated audio tutorial How to make a movie to learn the basics of "how to" make a movie,

— explore and try out some of the features of ZimmerTwins to get prepared for making their own movie,

— watch a movie I created, based on structures and vocab we have been studying, to give them ideas,

— make their movie.

 

Activities / Procedures

1. watch the tutorial and ask for clarifications

2. learn how to register

3. explore the software (animation clips, etc) and see the effects created:

    a. talk bubble clips: reads aloud, sings, talks, yells… where you write your text

    b. action clips: chases, flies, hugs, laughs…

    c. close-up clips: surprised, scared…

    d. star clips: typing a newspaper headline…

    e. timeline: bar with the clips; when you add a clip, a sentence appears with underlined words: click to see more options…

    f. longer animations: duplicate (some of the) clips

    g. rewind button below the movie screen: takes movie to the beginning

  h. play button: lets you see the movie from beginning to end

    i. moving slides: click and drag to the place you want

    j. deleting a slide: click on the slide and then click the red "x" (bottom right)

    k. undo: when you make a mistake (arrow at the top of the screen)

    l. save: (button at the top of the screen) before you close the window

4. watch the movie I created for them, My loves & hates

5. make their own movie using a dialogue prepared on their own "in advance"

    a. preview your movie as you add slides

6. watch their movie/end product.

 

More activities / Follow-up

— send comments about the lesson to this blog

— register in ZimmerTwins

— make a movie at home and send the address.

 

* * * * * * 

Movies created in class

— Christmas 6C

— 6D's Christmas

— Cat 6E

 

Follow-up Activities (movies created at home)

My first Concert (Margarida, 6. C – 25Nov06)

Rock n' Roll!!! (Rodrigo, 6. C – 28Nov06)

Eva's Christmas surpise (Márcia, 6. C – 30Nov06)

 

 

* * * * * *

 

 

Report on CALL lesson 3

6.C

We had a one hour lesson with time for everything. After we logged in, I showed them how to register. Guilherme and Rodrigo helped since they've registered.

While watching the tutorial, I often paused to explain things in Portuguese and to emphasize certain features. The students were very interested and glued to the screen.

Before showing my movie, I explained that it was based on what they've been learning: the simple present of like, love, enjoy, hate and mind + the gerund (-ing form), and hobbies. They loved it. I think they were impressed with the end!

It was time to make their movie. Rodrigo was the only one who had prepared a text. It was a short dialogue about Christmas. He read it out loud and then I asked him to go to the computer and make the movie. He chose most things, though his colleagues were very excited and often gave suggestions about clips to add. That's why, at the end, we decided to say that it was made by "Rodrigo and 6.C". Everybody behaved very well, participated well, learned how to use ZT and enjoyed the lesson. On going out Juliana even commented that it as easier than she thought.

Here's Christmas 6C, a very cute movie.

 

6.D

6.D also had a one hour lesson, but, because they are 28 (as opposed to 20 in 6.C) and with a few very talkative students, who love to try to get out of control (!), we didn't do all that was planned, above all because no one had prepared a dialogue in advance. Though there were good ideas, I had to sort them out amidst all the excited and sometimes chaotic suggestions – I kept saying "Kids, one at a time, please! Raise your arm to speak!" -, take notes on the board and control participation. This took its time, which meant that I wasn't able to show them how to register nor my movie. I told them that I'm going to think twice before about CALL lesson 4 with them. They probably won't have it! They need to learn their lesson the hard way!

The end product, 6D's Christmas, is a nice movie that starts with a Christmas carol that they're rehearsing in Music for the Christmas celebrations at school.

6.E

The lesson went according to plan. They enjoyed the tutorial and my movie. Catarina was the only student who had prepared a dialogue, so most of the work with the movie is hers, though there was some participation from the class in terms of choice of clips, background and sequence. They enjoyed the lesson and behaved well with one exception. At lunch time, Daniela and Juliana left a comment saying they are going to make a movie.

Here's Cat 6E.