Using iMovie in your elementary classroom.

As our world becomes more and more obsessed with, and dependent on, technology, could we as teachers use this to our advantage? Using technology in the classroom can be a wonderful way to engage students in higher order and abstract thinking. Technology should be used with a clear sense of purpose and not as an afterthought.

One form of technology that caught my attention was iMovie. This app is available for Apple and Windows products and allows students (and teachers) to easily create simple videos. Students can use their own drawings/artwork or existing videos and music to produce the movie.

How about a concrete example to explain this abstract idea of iMovie.  Let’s suppose 4th grade students are studying weather concepts like hurricanes, tornadoes and typhoons. Although these phenomena have visual elements, the science behind how and why tornadoes, for example, form is an abstract concept. This is where iMovie comes in. Students would use discussion notes, lab reports or other instructional material from the unit to come up with a visual representation of how and why hurricanes or tornadoes form. This provides learners the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of these complex concepts. We all learn when we teach others, and iMovie can provide a way for students to do just that. In addition, students can review and critique their creations and well as those of their peers. iMovie projects can serve as formative or summative assessments for teachers depending on when they are used during a lesson or unit.

How about using iMovie to compare and contrast characters after reading books about friendship? In lower grades, each student could choose a character from a book, draw a picture of the character that illustrates how that character does or does not exemplify friendship. Text can be added with iMovie. The result is a class video showcasing different characters and how they do or do not embody friendship. This helps students show concrete understanding of an abstract concept and allows them to see how their classmates interpret the same concept. After reviewing the film, students could discuss how and why the characters show or do not show characteristics of friendship. The post-movie discussion could provide scaffolding or clarity for students who may have struggled with the lesson.

iMovie allows students to demonstrate understanding and reflection as well as allow students to teach and provide effective feedback to each other. Of course, it is up to us to explicitly teach students how to appropriately, effectively and safely use this technology. 

One of the many advantages of this technology is that it can be used effectively in many, if not all, content areas.

Here are some other iMovie lesson ideas:

Newscast of a historical event, current event or natural disaster

How-To video – solving a problem or instructional

Public service announcement – environmental issue, safety, financial literacy concept

Create or retell a story

Apple users, learn more and download at:

https://www.apple.com/imovie/

Windows users, learn more and download at:

https://www.imoviewindows.com/