Student Interest Project Using iMovie

In ED Tech class this last week, we learned how to use iMovie in the Digital Lab at University of Portland. Not only was this a particularly exciting application for me to learn how to use because I have always wanted to work with iMovie, but I had recently traveled to California to visit my younger brother at his college and see his life–so I had footage to use and was ready to create! I loved taking the small videos that I had and blending them together, cropping them, adding music, adjusting the sound levels, and replaying my video over and over again until I had it all just right! It was a creative process for me to eliminate unnecessary clips, pick the perfect song, and ultimately produce my very first short film using iMovie!

As a future educator, I also look at iMovie with excitement for how it can be used in the classroom! I am using my video as an example for what I would consider a “Student Interest Project.” A Student Interest Project could be created using any type of medium the student chose (but video would be encouraged), and students would be given access to the application (iMovie/Movie-Maker) if they do not have it at home. The goal for this assignment would be for students to pick some aspect of their life, something they love, something that describes them, and try to show it artistically using video and music. Like my video, it could be about a trip, family members or friends, a sport or other activity, or anything the student hoped to share with the class! A step up from the “Student of the Week” poster projects, using iMovie or another movie-making application can give students a chance to share part of their life with the class, build community, and utilize their own creativity with technology and imagination!