If you’ve never heard of Video Star, an iOS app that allows users to be the star of awesome music videos that contain tons of fun real-time effects, then you don’t know what you’re missing!

It’s not only one of my favorite “cool tools” when I’m hanging out with the family (I rock out like I’m Sheryl Crow all the time—ha!), but I have a really great time creating hilarious MTV-like videos with my Tech Club students as well. But as neat as this app can be, I never really found an educational use for it—until now, that is!

This revelation came when I was helping a colleague create a paper slide video congratulating our varsity football team on winning the District VI Championship—one we were going to use as part of our morning announcements program—and it came to me! Since there was no dialogue involved in generating this digital story, why not use the Video Star app to record the slide show? So, that’s exactly what we did! We even cranked up the fun by adding some pretty neat effects to the finished product—something we could not do if we were developing a paper slide video with a digital video recorder alone.

Check out our first-ever Video Star Paper Slide Video mash-up created by Mr. Trexler’s Language Arts class with the assistance of the BAMS Tech Club shown below!

The Video Star app is compatible with the iPad, iPhone and iPod. Don’t have one of these devices in your classroom? No worries! Just ask one of your students if you can borrow one of theirs. My bet is that they already have this uber-popular app downloaded, and they will love to share it with you—especially if they know they will be turned loose to create a music video!

Classroom Connection:

In my opinion, the best aspects of having students create paper slide videos is the writing, collaborating, organizing and speaking that takes place in the development of a project like this. Even though these components might be somewhat lacking in making a slide show similar to the one shown above, I still believe there is educational value in combining this concept and the Video Star app. Of course, how much or how little is determined by the teacher when the requirements of the activity are established.

Even in the case of the paper slide video example shown above, students were involved in organizing original artwork into a new structure through generating, planning and producing—activities at the pinnacle of learning on the 21st Century version of Bloom’s taxonomy. Best of all: They’re utilizing technology in the educational process.

By the way, paper slide videos can be used as an authentic assessment, enrichment activity, an alternative to a traditional book project, and much more! Or maybe you’re just looking for a really fun low-tech activity to complete with your students—why not have a music video contest! They would absolutely love it!

For more info related to integrating these activities into the classroom, check out additional blog posts here and here.