BP11_2009103_Web2.0 Evaluation_Xtranormal.com

I had seen a few videos produced by this method, but had not hear a lot of discussion about it. Upon investigation, I found a simple interactive menu that can enable students to create a fun, yet enriching video in a relatively short time. One great thing about this sort of application - I found that as I learn how to use it, I can use my learning experience as the introduction for my students. This serves to emphasize the simplicity of its functionality.

Production screen in Xtranormal

The nature of templates available to a free account seems suitable for a wide range of age groups. Younger students could be introduced to animation or movie production through a very simple scene, with a script created before-hand. Imagine the delight of young students getting the chance to bring their story to life! They wouldn't even mind the robotic-like voices. This may be a small stumbling block for older students. Within an hour's time, even the youngest of students can select a scene and actors, type in their dialogue, and put their story in motion.

Dialogue creation and editing

I had to think a while before coming to accept this as a web2.0 tool, and it may not be, in fact, in the truest sense. After the video is created is when the sharing begins. Much like a flickr or YouTube site, videos can be tagged and cataloged, allowing cross referencing and sharing with other like-minded individuals. This makes it every bit a web2.0 tool as it creates groups by "linking" people through common themes.

Scenes and actors can be b/w or color

For my own personal math class, associating this particular site with a specific assignment is a little more tricky. The most basic application would be to have students create a scene that would explore/explain a mathematical concept that we had covered. Additionally, any project could be introduced or explained using this video site as an option. It would alleviate some of the stage-fright issues if students had animation to speak on their behalf.


images from http://www.xtranormal.com