Animoto of "Amigo Brothers"

    I really dig using Animoto, and I had a ton of fun creating a trailer for "Amigo Brothers" which is a short story we read in 7th grade Literature. Since I'm kind of a movie trailer junkie, this assignment was right up my alley. I thought it was simple to use (even for a tech newb like me), and found it much more practical than iMovie or even a Powerpoint presentation. For my classes, I definitely want to use Animoto to introduce the stories we read because some of the video previews that come with our books series are very dry and unimaginative. I may even use it to spice up some of our grammar lessons or as a motivational tool to prompt kids to perform better on our standardized test. By adding dramatic music to images and videos, we can sell what we teach so much better. As a coach, it would be a great way to make a season-ending presentation for the athletes and parents. I can also see using Animoto as a promotional tool to inspire more kids to get involved in extracurricular activities. If kids are intrigued from the start, they are bound to focus better and get involved and that's more than half the battle (especially with middle school students).