Watch out...Mom with a mission...iMovie

You may not feel the ticking of the clock, but I do. It's getting louder and louder each day my twins finish something significant in their lives. 

This fall, my daughter Samantha "Samm" is finishing her second to last swim season at OPRF.  I know I have one more year before she graduates and I should live in the moment, but the project for my tech class made me realized I don't have enough time to finish all those projects I have been meaning to do. Actually, it starts back to their baby books.  I think maybe I lost tract of the milestones a month after the twins were born. The one thing I do have are thousands of photographs and hours of videos. So while most children have the written words from their moms, my children will have a digital story of their lives. I started with Samm for my Digital Storytelling Project and hope to continue with Andrew's love of baseball. I focused my story on Samm as a swimmer. I kept the story focused on her love of water and her passion for swimming.

I really liked the Digital Storytelling project because it had set criteria. I had to narrate the story, use movies and photographs, add music, a title, and credits all under four minutes.  In addition I used a template, included transitions between the slides and added in special little notes on some of the photographs.  This way Samm will always remembered the names and competitions she participated in.  The criteria kept me focused on what were the most important photographs and movies to show.  I included two movies, one where she achieved first place at the State meet and another where she swam for Team Illinois in the Central Zones. The photographs were in chronological order.  The music was light and uplifted and I used a adapted poem about swimming for the narration.

The application was very easy to use. If I didn't know what to do, I just used Google to find the answer.  I may try to use this resource with my students but I would have to make the criteria very simple to start since they are in first grade.  I know I will use it for classroom lessons and to make iMovies for the parents at the end of the year.  In the next year, the real use for me will be to "digital story" my children's lives.  I have so many ideas and now I am a Mom on a Mission!  Wish me luck!