Muvizu Project


 

 

Welcome to my Muvizu Project Page

 

This wiki page will be the display area for any Muvizu animations that our students create.  Muvizu is a free open source software that allows you or your students to create 3D animations in a fairly short period of time.  Explore the site to download the software, view numerous examples and view tutorials on the program.  This is a project I started last year with a group of afterschool students as a testbed.  This year is the first year that I will be working with a grade 3 class to review famous historians in our History content.  Along with examples of student work, I will include lesson plans, script sheets, and links to programs that I used to complete the project.

 




   

 

 

 

 

 

     This project was quite intense.  However, the students had a lot of fun creating their muvizus.  I decided to work with one third grade class.  I did the project as a test.  I waited until after end of the year testing was completed.  I did this so that I could gauge how to take on this project next year during the regular school year. 

     We introduced the project by displaying Muvizu animations that I had created.  From there the students picked famous persons from our state curriculum.  I allowed a few exceptions since there were not many famous females for the young ladies to choose from.  However, they had to research those individuals on their own.  From there the students had to create a script to record for their character.  We used Audacity to record the audio that would be loaded into Muvizu.  The students were allowed to create their characters only after they were finished with their script and it had been checked by the teacher.  Once the audio was loaded the students were allowed to prepare character actions and movements.  Once they were completed, I could have uploaded them to youtube as avi files but, I went a step further.  I then used the embed code to place them in my WIKI and My Blog.  This  project took a week to complete, however if it had been done during the school year it would take a bit longer.  The research and script process took 2 days (2 hour long class periods). (1 character script sheet) (multiple character script sheet)  On day 3 and 4 I showed 2 students how to use Audacity to record audio and produce MP3s.  Days 3, 4, 5 envolved character and sceen manipulation and completion.  Day 6 envolved me reviewing an uploading the finished products to the web.  Overall the project was a success as well as a learning process for both of us.

     There are a few things that I would do differently next year.  It is definately a teaming activity. So, I would have one or more people working with me.  I would stretch it out a bit more and make sure that all of the recordings are done before we even get to the computer lab.  That will help keep everyone at about the same point in the movie creation process.  This will also help minimize the stress on the teacher(s).  The students will need less individual help.  

     I have included a lesson plan link along with the other link listed earlier.  And for all you Mac users, there is a way to Run Muvizu on a Mac.  Please feel free to contact me @ lee.beamon@pps.k12.va.us.

 

 

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