High school students in the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District are utilizing a new online toolkit to help bring more creativity to the classroom.
WeVideo is web-based video editing software that gives students and teachers more options when it comes to school projects. The program was introduced by Library Media Specialist Roberta Doremus, who saw the potential for students to develop critical 21st century digital editing skills while creating engaging content.
Ninth grade English language arts teacher Jaimi Finley recently used WeVideo to bring a new twist to traditional book reports. After completing their reading assignments, students were tasked with creating movie trailers for their books, bringing their ideas to life while capturing the essence of the books they were assigned to read.
Not only did the students have fun while creating the trailers, they also developed valuable video editing skills. The platform has a wide range of options that are now at the fingertips of students in the district, which will help them refine and develop their digital storytelling skills to keep them prepared for future projects and opportunities outside of the classroom.
Mrs. Doremus says she’s thrilled with the success of the book report project and plans to continue introducing new digital tools to help students develop critical skills that will help prepare them for college and beyond.
To view a sampling of the videos created by our students, please follow this link to our Facebook page.