Doodly Doo

Have just uploaded the first completely independent animated movie, our students have ever made, and I am thrilled by the outcome. The movie was set as a challenge, based on the idea of doodling, last week in order to consolidate and practice our brief introduction to stop motion, in the previous session. The students began with a blank sheet of paper, and took turns to make marks, gradually adding new shapes and forms to the paper, directing each other about what to add and where, eventually building 5 frames at a time a group doodle. What makes this different to the others was the choice of effect. We had spent a great deal of time discussing during our previous activity involving the transformation of tangrams, how it would be important to keep body parts out of shot to bring about the transformation effects. In this short the students purposely shot holding frames, which contained the drawing hand and pen as static objects in shot. The effect although simple gives a fantastic effect to the images as they develop, making the new forms appear as if shot or shaken from the pen.

I am in the process of introducing a new self/peer assessment and review tool and this afternoon in pairs the students were setting up their files and discussing their input with friends and myself, as each pair finished they were offered free time, some opting to use Think.com or visit online games that the firewall will allow, while this group asked if they could use what had been briefly introduced last week about Movie Maker to bring the clips they had made together. They dragged the clips into the software as modelled and having sequenced them on the timeline, began exploring for themselves the effects available. This is something which I am happy for them to do, knowing that this is the way I learn how to use new software applications. In addition this will also provide me with the opportunity next session, to have these youngsters help me lead the session, as we introduce what was for them an independent choice, as an expectation as session outcome for their peers. The Movie called "Evil Bunny," can be found in the year 6 community pages of our school website.