Cool, EASY Online Movie Making Site

There are a myriad of options when students want to make movies in the classroom.  An easy, FREE option is by using the website Zimmer Twins.  It's a free website (for a regular account) where students can create quick, 60 second movies.  Appropriate for 1st grade and above, students will be engaged and will enjoy being able to make a finished product so quickly.  By clicking here, you will find lesson plan ideas and more information for teachers.  

Common Sense Media's take on Zimmer Twins:

This imaginative movie-making site lets users create animated short films using predetermined characters, expressions, actions, and backgrounds. Users can fill movie frames with still drawings, speech bubbles, and transitional words (such as “Meanwhile…”), then string them together to create their very own custom animated movie. It’s simple to make a movie from scratch or complete pre-designed starter films.

Here's an overview on account setup and use:

These technology standards are  met with this project:

ISTE National Education Technology Standards:

1.   Creativity and Innovation- Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
2.     Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making- Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
3.     Technology Operations and Concepts- Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

Want to see an example of a Zimmer Twin learning about the Cotton Gin?  Click here.

Flocabulary + Common Sense Media = Awesome

What a team - these two power house groups collaborated and the result is excellent. Visitors to the Flocabulary website will be treated to the top ten things one should think about to avoid over-sharing.
If you're not familiar with Flocabulary, the content is always set to music and made into a song - and this is no Glen Miller, folks, it's actually something your students will like .  (Wait, who?)   Not only will the music grab your students' attention, but the lyrics, challenge questions and a fill-in-the-blank activity can also be found on the Flocabulary site.  Common Sense Media rates, educates and advocates for kids by offering schools and parents information on Digital Citizenship and unbiased reviews on a myriad of games, apps, websites and more. Together they provide the  perfect combination of content and engagement that will help get the message of Digital Citizenship to your students.  Peace Out!  http://www.flocabulary.com/oversharing/