Making Better iMovie Lessons Public

Move from basic screencasting to next-level video lessons!

Making BetteriMovie Lessons

Making the Video

Unit 3

Planning the Video

Unit 2

You Try It!

Project

Some Basics

Unit 1

What You'll Learn

Objectives

Get to where you need to go!

Course Index

What you'll learn in this course!

You'll understand:

Making Better Video Lessons

1. The basics of iMovie & Garageband
2. How to plan engaging videos
3. How to use sketch format to hold attention
4. How to make videos interactive
5. How to incorporate extra resources to make videos more engaging

Objectives

consider throughout to help you practice and apply learning if you'd like! My hope is that you will leave this course feeling more confident in your ability to create exciting and engaging video lessons for your students, no matter what you teach!

Welcome! This course is split into multiple modules that are designed for you to move through in order at your own pace. The index and navigation allow you to stop and restart your learning throughout the module at any point. The modules are a mix of direct learning and hands-on projects that will involve iMovie, Garageband, and other internet resources. There are some small projects to try or questions to

What to expect in this course

Course Overview

Welcome to this PD course!

Greetings!

A basic overview/ review of iMovie and Garageband

Unit 1

Some Basics

If you already feel pretty confident with using iMovie/ Garageband, you may be okay to skip ahead to the activity at the end of this unit! If you need a refresher or haven't used these programs much, this unit is for you!

Garageband

• How to record audio on a single track
• How to select a pre-set track type (vocal narration)
• How to edit, cut, and re-record audio
• How to use the "Noise Gate" feature to minimize distracting background sounds
• How to export audio from Garageband to a file in Finder

iMovie

• How to create a new movie project in iMovie
• How to add media (video clips, photos, audio) to your project
• How to rearrange media in your project
• How to layer multiple audio tracks (narration and background music)
• How to add transitions, titles, and credits
• How to export your completed movie to a file in Finder or to YouTube

Skills you should know

Unit 1

Click on either image to open a window of resources for that specific app. If you have more specific questions about how to do something in iMovie or Garageband that isn't covered here, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!

If you aren't confident in your iMovie or Garageband skills, you can use this compilation of resources for each app to brush up on your knowledge. There are videos tutorials, articles, etc. so that you can choose the learning that works best for you!

Learn or Review

Unit 1

• a title and 2+ transitions
• narration recorded in GarageBand
• at least one video clip (attached from TPT)
• at least two photos (attached from TPT)
• background audio (you can use any of the jingles in iMovie or add your own!)

The movie can be on any topic you want, but the ready-to-use assignment resources from TPT are summer-themed. Consider making a clip about your favorite part of summer!

Assignment 1

Create a 20ish-second movie in iMovie that includes:

You-Try-It Project

Unit 1

Planning and prep for the ultimate video lesson!

Unit 2

BEFORE YOU START

While knowing how to take advantage of iMovie features is important, it's equally (if not more) important to go into your video lesson with a solid plan. This module is designed to help you think through the planning part of the video and share with you some of the tips and tricks I've discovered for making your video lessons more engaging, even if they're long!

Planning for next-level video lessons.

Preparation is key.

Overview

Unit 2

Time

How to Plan

Why Plan

Another essential element to plan before you jump into creating is time. There are two key time-related decisions to make: First, how long will the video be? This obviously depends not only on the scope of the topic, but also on what's developmentally appropriate for the age group you teach. (That being said, in a moment you'll learn a brain-based hack for making longer videos and covering more content in a single sitting!) The second decision is about your time- what's the maximum amount of time you're willing to spend making this video? Be firm on this! Avoid the rabbit hole!

Start by planning for your video the same way you'd plan for any direct instruction lesson on the same content. What topic are you teaching, what scope of material on this topic will you cover, and what sequence makes most sense to introduce that material? How in-depth will you go? Are there multiple sub-topics to include? Most importantly, how can you chunk up all this content into smaller segments? If you are converting lessons you previously taught via a slideshow in class, looking at how the content was chunked on each slide could help you decide how to chunk it now.

Planning your video lesson in advance will help you make efficient use of your video-making time and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. It's easy to fall down a rabbit hole and spend hours looking for the 'perfect' resources, etc. A plan will help you stay organized and work smarter, not harder.

Plan Your Video Lesson

Unit 2

We know from brain research that students can only attend to new content for short chunks of time. If you're asking students to watch a video where you aren't physically present to monitor them, this can be even trickier! However, there is another brain-based secret you can hack to allow you to make longer videos that keep your students engaged the whole time! Click the image on the right to watch the video & learn more!

for a whole lesson is a struggle!

Keeping student attention

Secrets Revealed

Unit 2

Using the "sketch" video format, or even just thinking of your video as a series of chunks or elements, allows you to brainstorm and build in some different types of experiences for your students and make your videos more interactive! Click the photo to the left to watch a short video with some suggestions for building video lessons that engage your students and follow best practices for learning!

allows for different types of experiences!

Chunking your videos

Interactive Videos

Unit 2

Assignment 2

Brainstorm a video lesson for a concept or topic you teach! Try to come up 1-2 ideas for interactive video activities around this concept, and a few creative ideas for content chunks/ video brain breaks!

Activity

Unit 2

Websites & resources to take your video lessons to the next level!

Unit 3

Video-Making Resources

01

that can help you make awesome videos!

There are TONS of free resources

This module is just here to introduce you to lots of awesome free resources for video creation. There are elements for visuals and audio as well as sites like EdPuzzle to explore! There are also some tips about audio balancing, uploading to YouTube, and more. Explore, enjoy, and then test your skills by creating a content video lesson of at least 5 minutes!

Overview

Unit 3

Stock Videos

These websites offer free stock video clips that you can download and use to build your own videos. These are my top go-to sites for video clips for my own lessons. Be sure to pay attention to copyright info- some clips require you to give credit to the creator (which you can do with a credits scroll at the end of your video). Don't be afraid to use Google, too, especially for finding content-related clips!

Video-Making Resources

Unit 3

Stock Audio

From sound effects to super-fun music, audio is an easy way to increase engagement in your video lessons. Here are a few sites that offer free audio to use in your video creation. As always, remember to pay attention to copyright and give credit to the artist when necessary!

Video-Making Resources

Unit 3

Other Stuff

EdPuzzle, uploading to YouTube, optional equipment upgrades, and a few other last-minute tips for great videos!

Video-Making Resources

Unit 3

When you're finished, submit your movie file to Google Classroom.

• a title, transitions, & credits as needed
• narration recorded in GarageBand
• stock video clips from any website of your choice
• at least one video brain break/ transition
• background audio (you can use any of the jingles in iMovie or add your own!)
• optional: an interactive activity (multiple choice question, etc.)

The movie can be on any topic you want, but the idea is to make it about a topic you teach so you can use it with your students later!

Assignment 3

Create a 5ish-minute movie in iMovie on a content topic you teach in your classroom. Include:

You-Try-It Project

Unit 3