Book Trailers for Readers

(Video from www.booktrailersforreaders.com)

Book Trailers for Readers (www.booktrailersforreaders.com) is a great way to get students excited about their reading. This website displays book trailers created by students, which got me thinking. What apps on the iPad could help in the creation of a movie trailer? Here's what I came up with.....

If your students need to watch a sample movie trailer to learn how the pros do it...use the iTunes Movie Trailer app (FREE). I would be careful just letting students go free on this app, but instead, choose a few student-friendly movie trailers to watch. As you watch the trailers, have students fill out this organizer (Movie Trailer Analysis Organizer).

(Resource found at http://sblc.registereastconn.org/BookMovieTrailerAnalysizingWorksheet.pdf)

After you have analyzed a few movie trailers together as a group, they are ready to create on themselves. Here are some resources to help with the planning process:

Book Trailer Planning Document

Book Storyboard Template

Here is a movie that explains why storyboards are important in movie making. It talks about the different types of shots for each scene and that your pictures aren't elaborate, stick figures work just fine too.

List of apps to help create storyboards:
iBrainstorm
Strip Designer
Popplet
Story Me
iBrainstorm

Now that your students have their storyboards created, they are ready to make their movie trailer. Here is a list of apps that students can use to create a movie trailer:
iMovie App and Directions on how to use
Lego Movie Maker
Puppet Pals
Toontastic

And the last piece...assessing student work. 
Book Trailer Rubric

One Video A Day App

It's time to start blogging! I stumbled onto this app and wanted to share some ideas on how to use it in your classroom with students.

One Video A Day (Free)

The first step before opening this app is to decide what type of video will be taking of your students. Here is a quick brainstorm of video ideas I came up with....

• Students reading leveled text
• Student book talks
• Student explanations of math problems
• Student math fact fluency activities
• Student/Teacher Conferences
• Video diary of student reflections on activities, assignments, and projects
• Student behavior tracking and reflection
• Students reflecting on quarter/semester grades 
• Class trips or Virtual Tours

Now that you have an idea of the type of video that will be taken, let's create some calendars. Open up the app on your iPad and you should see a screen like the one below:

The next step is to set up calendars by entering a title and start date. You will need to decide if you will have one calendar for your classroom or have one calendar for each student in your classroom. This might depend on who and what devices you will be using this app. If you plan to use it as a teacher tool on a teacher iPad, set up a calendar for each of your students. If you would like to use this app on student devices and allow the students to take the video, set up calendars that are labeled "reading", "math", or "class journal". 

Start setting up calendars by entering the title and start date of your first calendar in the box at the top of the screen. If you would like to add additional calendars, click on the plus sign in the upper right hand corner of the home screen. To view the calendars that you have created click on the image beside the title and you will get to a screen like the one below.

This app also allows an online web link to view your calendar and videos (photo below). I noticed that if you have multiple titles (calendars) it only shows the current calendar that you are viewing. There are many settings to this app, which will give some different options to the teacher. 

If you think that videos might be something you are not quite ready for, this company also has an app called One Photo A Day and does exactly the same thing, except with photos. Might be fun to try with student work, journal entries, or writing samples.

One Photo A Day (Free)