Here's another amazing Web 2.0 tool called Animoto. This is how they describe their site:
Animoto is a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using patent-pending Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced in widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer.
Here's an example slideshow I created in a few minutes playing around with Animoto. Very cool!
I showed my kids, handed them a camera and said "figure it out". They did a great job!! My other two latest finds are http://scratch.mit.edu and http://www.floorplanner.com. I hold my breath and hope these applications stay subscription-free until I retire!
totally awesome references, James and Nancy... Thanks! I'm posting these riches to my del.icio.us account, feeling the wealth build up. Resources. A new "natural" resource. Actually, natural, without the quotes. Progenies of the collaborative human mind.
(Can you imagine being a kid in school, your teacher hands you a site like one of these, and says, "learn it"?! What fun.)
Animoto is fantastic for making thought-starters for exercises. One of our Yacapaca authors, K Wright, created a super little short-text test based around identifying foods. Unfortunately Yacapaca won't expose this test type to non-members, but here's the exercise if you already are a member, or don't mind signing up.
If that's too much faff, here at least is the original stimulus video:
And thanks, Nancy. I can't wait to get into Scratch - it looks fascinating.