This marks my first entry of this blog.
During the first week of ICT in ELT class, Russel has introduced us to an amazing website: Dvolver.
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What is Dvolver?
Dvolver is a simple yet interesting moviemaker website that allows users to create their own
animated movies and write their own dialogues. Users can choose the
backgrounds, music, scenes and characters from the options given in the
website. It consists of a few simple steps that will be explained further below.
Step 1: Choosing the background
First, users have to choose preferred background and sky from a few options given.
Step 2: Selecting a plot
Next, users must select a plot that they intend to create in their movie. There are four options of plot given which are rendez-vous, pick-up, chase and soliloquoy.
Step 3: Selecting characters
On the next step, users have to choose their characters based on a few interesting options given. Characters will display their appearance, finger prints, name, job, age, occupations and also skills. These details will help users and make it easier for them to select suitable characters to suit their plot in the movie.
Step 4: Typing the characters' lines
In this step, users have to type the characters' lines and thus create their dialogues. Limitation of text's characters per character's line is 100.
Step 5: Selecting the background music
To add some interesting background music, users may choose from interesting music options available, from classic to funky.
Step 6: Selecting movie title design
Nearly towards the finishing step, users may write the title of their movie and also select movie title design.
Step 7: Preview and send movie
Lastly, users can now preview and send the movie to whoever they want.
To see how it works via an on-line training video, log on to Russel Stannard's great website, one of the most outstanding websites for teaching and language learning through various web tools.
How can it be used in the classroom context?
Step 1: Choosing the background
First, users have to choose preferred background and sky from a few options given.
Step 2: Selecting a plot
Next, users must select a plot that they intend to create in their movie. There are four options of plot given which are rendez-vous, pick-up, chase and soliloquoy.
Step 3: Selecting characters
On the next step, users have to choose their characters based on a few interesting options given. Characters will display their appearance, finger prints, name, job, age, occupations and also skills. These details will help users and make it easier for them to select suitable characters to suit their plot in the movie.
Step 4: Typing the characters' lines
In this step, users have to type the characters' lines and thus create their dialogues. Limitation of text's characters per character's line is 100.
Step 5: Selecting the background music
To add some interesting background music, users may choose from interesting music options available, from classic to funky.
Step 6: Selecting movie title design
Nearly towards the finishing step, users may write the title of their movie and also select movie title design.
Step 7: Preview and send movie
Lastly, users can now preview and send the movie to whoever they want.
To see how it works via an on-line training video, log on to Russel Stannard's great website, one of the most outstanding websites for teaching and language learning through various web tools.
How can it be used in the classroom context?
1. At the beginning of the class, teachers show students a short movie created using this tool to give students a general idea and also activate their schemata.
2. Next, teachers provide brief tutorial and also an instruction sheet on how to use this tool
3. For beginners, teachers may ask learners to work in pairs and create their own movie. Teachers may have to decide whether the topic is theme-free or based on certain issues.
4. For example, in the literature class, teachers can assign task to learners to do the summary of every chapter in the novel. Using their favorite characters and scene from the chapter, each pair of students have to transfer the information into dialogues in the movie.
5. As every movie created has a link, teachers can ask learners to send the link to them and their peers' emails.
6. Teachers can choose which movie is the best, show it in the class and provide some comments.
7. Teachers can also get feedback from the students on how to improve the movie especially in terms of content. Students' difficulties in completing the tasks may also be discussed.
8. Apart from that, teachers can publish the links on their blog, create a poll and make learners vote for the best.
9. To vary the learning styles and overcome the limitation of the movie, teachers can assign students to carry out role-play based on the movie as a continuation of their story.
What are the advantages?
1. Contextualized language
When creating a movie of their own, students learn to contextualize language by applying meaningful context in the characters' conversation. Contextualization is the meaningful use of language for real communicative purposes. It helps students understand how language users construct language in a given context. Language is constructed through a blend of purpose, situation, and social needs. Classroom learning experiences that incorporate these dimensions are more likely to lead to better learning outcomes.
2. Develops a sense of Ownership and Motivation
Efficiency in learning is about taking ownership and responsibility of own learning process. First of all, a sense of ownership usually comes through a genuine feeling of belonging. Once one feels important and a part of something, one tends to be more motivated and desire more involvement. In using Dvolver as a movie maker, students develops their sense of ownership when they have to make decisions regarding their production, which is the movie. They involve in the decision making process in choosing the background, music, characters selection as well as the dialogues and title design. When this happens, students will have the freedom in learning and this also helps to personalize the lesson. The sense of ownership becomes greater when their movie is shown in the classroom and the teacher values their hard work. Once the students feel valued and their work is appreciated, they will be more motivated to take ownership and responsibility within their work. Therefore, language learning process may become more interesting to them., the element of freedom is taken into action and this also helps to personalise the lesson .
3. Involves Multiple Intelligence
Efficiency in learning is about taking ownership and responsibility of own learning process. First of all, a sense of ownership usually comes through a genuine feeling of belonging. Once one feels important and a part of something, one tends to be more motivated and desire more involvement. In using Dvolver as a movie maker, students develops their sense of ownership when they have to make decisions regarding their production, which is the movie. They involve in the decision making process in choosing the background, music, characters selection as well as the dialogues and title design. When this happens, students will have the freedom in learning and this also helps to personalize the lesson. The sense of ownership becomes greater when their movie is shown in the classroom and the teacher values their hard work. Once the students feel valued and their work is appreciated, they will be more motivated to take ownership and responsibility within their work. Therefore, language learning process may become more interesting to them., the element of freedom is taken into action and this also helps to personalise the lesson .
3. Involves Multiple Intelligence
Dvolver helps students to learn in a more fun and creative way other than using the traditional method. It involves multiple intelligence and helps students who prefer learning through visual, auditory and also kinaesthetic to be more interested and active in class.
1) Visual: Learners can enjoy seeing and exploring the characters, contexts and scenes in colourful animation type.
2) Auditory: Learners can hear the sound/music provided and involve in discussion with their peers.
3) Kinaesthetic: Learners can try to act out the movie that they have produced.
2) Auditory: Learners can hear the sound/music provided and involve in discussion with their peers.
3) Kinaesthetic: Learners can try to act out the movie that they have produced.
What are the limitations?
1. Limited context
Regarding the content, the criteria given is limited, for example only two characters will be involved for each scene. The dialogue box provided is also limited to six boxes only. This somehow prevent learners from expanding the ideas of the story and retards their imagination and creativity. Moreover, the absence of voice for the characters also makes the movie a silent entertainment for the students. It may also be less interesting and demotivating for students who prefer to listen to characters' pronunciation, accent or voice intonation in learning a language.
2. Inappropriate use of English
As students can choose their own dialogue for their movie, they might resort to the use of inappropriate vocabulary, colloquial language or slang. This may defeat the purpose of learning the right form of language in students.
2. Inappropriate use of English
As students can choose their own dialogue for their movie, they might resort to the use of inappropriate vocabulary, colloquial language or slang. This may defeat the purpose of learning the right form of language in students.
3. Lack of facilities and intimidation
In Malaysia, the lack of facilities in certain schools as well as at home is still a problem. Students may find it hard to continue working using Dvolver without computers and the internet connection at home. Not only that, students who are less capable in using the computer and internet may feel intimidated by their peers who manage to finish their task in Dvolver in a short period. Peer pressure and intimidation may lead to demotivation in students.
In Malaysia, the lack of facilities in certain schools as well as at home is still a problem. Students may find it hard to continue working using Dvolver without computers and the internet connection at home. Not only that, students who are less capable in using the computer and internet may feel intimidated by their peers who manage to finish their task in Dvolver in a short period. Peer pressure and intimidation may lead to demotivation in students.
What are the advantages of adding it to a blog?
1. To show appreciation to students when their work is published in teacher's blog or their own blog
2. To share with other friends so that they can watch each other's creativity in making a video
3. To boost students' confidence in publishing their work for others to see
4. A good way of formative/summative assessment to evaluate students' performance
Here is an example of a short movie made by Erna and me in the class. Enjoy!
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