Animaker vs. Animoto

 

This week I reviewed two of my classmates' technology tools they wrote about in our class eBook Technology Tools booklet. I reviewed Animaker and Animoto, both are video creation platforms that allow users to create different types of videos.

They are both user friendly so if you have yet to experience creating videos you can use either of them with ease. Both have instructional videos to assist with step-by-step instructions on how to use their product. They both provide templates, music, and fonts, with their free version. You can download or publish to other platforms. I can easily see myself using either of them for work.

Animoto allows you to use your own photos and images. Animaker will enable you to create animation and live-action videos. Both provide a professional feel and look to what you create. You can use both for work, school, or personal use. 

I preferred Animoto, it seemed easier to use. I watched a short instructional video, provided on the company website and started using it like a pro. I thought I would like Animaker more than Animoto but realized I prefer Animoto. I had to rewatch the instructional videos for Animaker multiple times and then realized some of the features in the instructional videos were paid features. That seemed a bit deceiving because they did not state in the video it was a paid feature. It was easier to use Animoto, the features were very obvious how to use them. I read and followed my classmates' summary and step-by-step instructions but I generally learn better with audio from the instructional videos.

Check them out for yourself and let me know which one you prefer.

https://animoto.com/ 

https://www.animaker.com/

Exploring Generative AI

 I explored Microsoft Copilot this week. After doing some generative AI research I realized that I've been using some tools for a while at work and with my class work. I for some reason thought it was an expensive tool that I would never access. My first experience utilizing generative AI was with Grammarly and then Quilbot. I'm always worried about my writing skills and my daughter introduced me to these two technology tools. I could write how I normally write, poorly, and run it through either of the two tech tools, change the tone, correct misspellings, and clarify my writing. I felt more confident with my writing after using them but it is time-consuming. I'm a worry wort and would prof everything it generated, and sometimes I would only use a few sentences or synonyms in my final piece. It wasn't until this week's assignment that I used Microsoft Copilot. My phone and email prompt me to use Microsoft Copilot but I've resisted using it up until now. I felt like I would get in trouble because it has been in the news a lot and I didn't fully understand all it's capable of or what I should use it for.

After playing around with Microsoft Copilot I know it will take me a while before I feel comfortable using it with my school work, projects at work or my personal life. I see Copilot as a resource but do not want to get in any plagiarism situations. 

Please share your experience with generative AI, your input is always welcome here!

Microsoft AI Tech Tools for Educators

 Welcome back to my blog!

A colleague shared the Education Blog - Microsoft Community Hub with me recently. What an amazing resource of Microsoft AI tech tools and Microsoft updates for educators. I read the "What's New in Microsoft EDU May 2024" blog by Mike Tholfsen. The blog covered the following topics: Clipchampf or EDU, AI and Teams EDU updates, Learning Accelerators updates, Reading Coach updates, Reflect updates, Teams for Education Updates, and Microsoft Forms updates.

I've only used Teams, but not all of the new features. Here is my quick summary of the blog. Clipchamp is a neat, user-friendly video creation integrated with Microsoft 365. AI and Teams EDU for Educators has five new features. Three of the new features use generative AI to create rubrics, instructions in assignments, and modules in classwork. The other two new features use Reading Progress - AI for passage generation and comprehension question generation. Learning Accelerator updates are Speaker Progress, the update is a private preview. This allows students/individuals to develop public speaking skills. I could easily use this with a customer service training I created in a previous class.  Reading Coach allows learners to earn a new character in a story setting every 20 minutes of reading. This would be useful for students during long school breaks. The Reflect updates is a way for students to take breaks, and increase reading fluency and life skills through wildlife and nature stories. Teams for Education updates integrate Teams Assignments with Learning Accelerators with Learning Management Systems (LMS). Microsoft Forms has three updates. Form/quiz data sync to Excel, forms and callouts can be embedded in Stream video, and the pre-fill link which allows educators to pre-fill default answers to a form.

I can see myself using AI and Teams EDU, Learning Accelerator, and Teams for Education for future training and activities with my team and students. As I was reading this blog it felt like Christmas and all of these tech tools are my gifts! I can't wait to share this blog with my team and school partners. I like Reading Coach for young students and plan on sharing this tech tool with family and friends.

Resources: 

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/education-blog/bg-p/EducationBlog 

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/education-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-edu-may-2024/ba-p/4132818