It’s not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last, but check out the latest video my Tech Club students created using one our all-time favorite tools—Animoto.

For those of you not familiar with this digital storytelling gem, Animoto is an online and mobile video creation service that makes it both easy and fun for anyone to create and share extraordinary videos using their own pictures, video clips, words and music.

Here’s how it works: After choosing a theme (this will determine the look and feel of the video), simply upload pictures and video clips to the video editor. Next, personalize your movie with text and music—either select a tune from the music library or upload your very own. Once you’re satisfied with the layout of your media, then click the produce button for the magic to begin. Animoto‘s cinematic technology brings your media to life with a pretty amazing orchestrated production that can be shared with teachers, classmates, colleagues, family and friends.

With that said, when the folks at Mending Hearts Animal Rescue requested that my students create a slideshow highlighting adopted animals for an annual fundraiser, is it any wonder that we looked no further than this super cool tool?

Check out the “Who Rescued Who?” video below—one that has been a huge hit!

Pretty swanky, eh? Yeah, with Animoto—your finished products look like they’re ready for the big screen!

A special shout out to Aubree and Maggie for all of their efforts in creating this pretty nifty masterpiece!

Classroom Connection:

Because there are countless ways in which Animoto can integrated across the K-12 curriculum, it is the perfect digital storytelling tool for the classroom. For example, biographies, field trips, book report projects, movie trailers and more can all be captured with this quick and easy slideshow tool.

So, what are you waiting for? Inspire creativity in your students by giving them the opportunity to showcase knowledge in a fun, innovative and educational way using a really nifty resource!

Oh, and did I mention that Animoto provides educators with free classroom accounts for use with up to 50 students? Yep, all for free! Sign up for yours today right here!

For additional info, examples and resources regarding the use of Animoto in the classroom, check out the Teach Web 2.0 wikispace.