Tag Archives: JellyCam

Inspiration, Resource Links, Teaching Tips

Stop Motion Animation Made Easy – Part 3

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Welcome back to the third, and final, installment on stop-motion animation. When planning a stop motion animation project with students teachers need to be aware of the tools necessary, the steps for creating a project like this, some tips for success, and  additional resources to ensure students learn, have fun, and create quality products.
Basic materials/tools are all that is needed to get started:

  • Stop-Motion software (JellyCam or StoMo are just a couple available)
  • Digital camera (stand alone, iPad camera, phone camera, web cam)
  • Tripod or sturdy base for camera/computer/iPad
  • Lighting
  • MovieMaker or iMovie *adding audio and splicing with other media like video (optional)

How To:

  1. Plan the movie using a storyboard (visuals and audio/script)
  2. Design set, characters, and props
  3. Determine Frames Per Second (# of images needed to make a second = # of images needed to make the full length feature) Frames Per Second for video are normally 30 but programs can let you adjust that) – let your students do the calculations when planning their projects.
  4. Capture images using stop motion software (with onion screen option)
  5. Export as movie
  6. View movie
  7. *optional – Import Movie into MovieMaker or iMovie and add audio and/or other media, export as Movie, view

Tips for Success:

  • Plan carefully – Make a storyboard before you animate.
  • Keep it simple – Don’t try ambitious models or backgrounds
  • Small movements – A little goes a long way; use the onion-skinning option to see where the last frame was placed.
  • Assign roles – Modellers, clickers, spotters, movers; each student can be responsible for a task.

Resources:

Leave a comment…..We’d love your thoughts and ideas about stop motion animation as authentic products in the classroom. Share links to your student’s stop-motion projects. Tell us about all of your experiences using stop motion animation including implementation ideas, tips, additional resources, etc.

Brooke Higgins is an instructional specialists for the eMINTS National Center and Allison Byford is the Instructional Technology Coordinator with the Springdale Public Schools in Arkansas and is an eMINTS PD4ETS graduate.

Announcement

Weekly Update 4/9/12

e-Learning for Educators Summer Registration Opens April 11:

Don’t miss registration for e-Learning for Educators summer session of online professional development courses! These 7-week courses facilitated by certified educators are open to teachers and others in any state. Course costs are $150 per person with graduate credit available at an additional cost. There are 20 partial scholarships available to Missouri educators (limit of 3 scholarships per district please) on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to a great line-up of courses for teachers at all grade levels and content areas, two exciting new courses will premier this summer:

  • Going Mobile K-12:  Capturing the power of Smartphones, tablets, apps and more!
  • What is the Right Blend?  Making sense of blended and hybrid learning for the K-12 classroom

Registration closes May 23. Courses begin June 12 and end July 24. For more information call 573-884-4233 or visit the website at http://www.elearningmo.org/

…

Mizzou K-12 Online Seeking Part-time High School Instructors: The Mizzou K-12 Online program will soon be offering a full slate of high school courses to Missouri school districts and their students. The program’s goal is to offer a partial catalogue beginning in summer 2012 and a more complete catalogue in fall 2012. Part-time online instructors are needed in all content areas for a variety of courses in grades 9 – 12. Instructors may also be employed as full-time teachers in Missouri school districts but may teach for Mizzou K-21 Online only during non-contract hours. Current Missouri certification is required and instructors must have documentation of recent criminal background check as required by DESE. Applicants must have successfully completed a course in facilitating online courses for K-12 students or be willing to complete such a course prior to being assigned students (course registration fees will be paid). For more information search for Instructor position ID 71

77 on the University of Missouri Human Resources website: http://hrs.missouri.edu/find-a-job/index.php. For assistance with the Human Resources website, please call 573-882-7976. Interested applicants can send questions about the program or positions by email to mucoemizzouk12online@missouri.edu<mailto:mucoemizzouk12online@missouri.edu>

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New eThemes for the week of April 09, 2012

Literature: “The Kid in the Red Jacket” by Barbara Park<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1431?locale=en>

These sites provide suggested questions and activities for the book “The Kid in the Red Jacket.” Also includes sites on the related themes of friendship and adjusting to a new community. There are links to eThemes Resources on Author Study: Barbara Park, Literature: Book Activities, and Literature Themes: Friendship.