Using “Stop Motion” in the Classroom

This week, with a lot of help from a couple classmates, I created my first ever “Stop Motion” video (above). I am super proud of it.

Learning about “Stop Motion” videos in my technology class got me wondering how this technology could be used in an elementary classroom. After discussing some options with my instructor and doing some research, I can see some benefits of using this type of technology in my future classroom.

BENEFITS OF STOP MOTION VIDEOS

1. Creativity
   My favorite benefit of stop motion videos is the ability for kids to create their own little movie. What a fun way for kids to express their creativity! Some students struggle to communicate in our “traditional education” ways; this is another medium for kids to engage in the elements of story.
2. Teamwork
   The skills the students learn while creating the video can be utilized in many aspects of their life. For example, my two classmates and myself had to work collaboratively and cooperatively to create our video in a timely manner. These are skills that can be transferred to all aspects of life.
3. Basic video editing skills
   We, also, gained some new video editing skills and, let’s face it, we live in a digital world; any skills in technology will be useful later on in life.
4. Cheap/Free
   In our class, we downloaded the “Zing” application to our phones for free. From there, we were able to create this video in a little over an hour with no costs.
5. Simple to use
   The technology is simplified enough that most children can master it. On YouTube, there are many videos using stop motion technology that have been created by children. A teacher can explain the basic steps but, after that, the children should be able to get started quickly and easy without much more instruction.
6. Relatively quick for the students to make
   While I think the video making process is too slow for me to use as a teacher (see my first drawback listed below), I do think that it is a relatively quick way for a student to create a little video. After one afternoon, or a couple of classes, students should have a cute little video to show their peers and families.

DRAWBACKS OF STOP MOTION VIDEOS

1. A bit time consuming for a teacher to create a video
   I can’t see myself creating stop motion videos to aid my lessons. I’d much rather use a PowerPoint or Canva presentation than doing a stop motion video and that’s mostly because of how long it takes to create a stop motion video. While my video above took less than two hours to create, I could have got a lot more accomplished had I used some other medium like PowerPoint or Canva. I personally feel that while I can use stop motion to teach a concept (e.g. the water cycle), there are many videos on YouTube that illustrate the concept more effectively and without as much invested time.
2. Limited as to how much information you can portray
   My last sentence in the above paragraph lead me to this point. There’s only so much you can do/say with a stop motion video (unless you want to invest a lot of time and effort into the project).

All in all, I’ve “seen the light.” In the beginning, I couldn’t really see myself using this technology, but I can now! While I wouldn’t use it much as an actual way of teaching new material (besides technology skills), I can absolutely see myself using it in the classroom as a way of allowing children to express their creativity and learn some new technology skills.

What do you think? Have you seen this used in a classroom before? Will you use it in your classroom? And if you are unfamiliar with stop motion technology but might want to use it in the future, check out this tutorial: