Dvolver is a very enjoyable web-application for making movies. This simple but highly enjoyable tool allows you to choose a background (e.g. a cabin, beach, national park, city...etc.) and sky (romantic with clouds, UFOs scattered...etc.), plot and characters. After you decide on your story and characters, you need to type in the words/scenario that you want your characters to say. There can be background music and don’t forget to put in your title. You need to click on your preferred music on the menu and click on an appropriate design. If you would like to ass more scenes you need to hit the “add scenes icon”. When your movie is ready you may send it to an e-mail address or embed it in your blog.

Teaching suggestions

I often use Dvolver with my university level students (18+) to recycle the newly learned vocabulary items. I ask my students to use their imagination and direct their own film by making use of the new words that they learned. I have put some examples of their work in my blog.

This way Please…

 http://aslisaglam.edublogs.org/2011/05/06/dvolver-another-web-2-0-tool

Once, I made a movie myself. After I introduced a writing topic I asked the students to watch the movie and think about the ideas that characters voice in the movie and decide which one they identify with/agree with.

Have you used something similar to Dvolver with your students (does not necessarily have to be online)? What was the students’ response?