The advent of online education has given rise to the adoption of modern and unconventional techniques to teach students. Animation videos in e-learning have become valuable resources incorporated into presentations and lectures to improve the teaching and learning process.

Whether it is a playful 2D animated character or a 3D animated video, animations liven up online courses and help to drive home the objectives of the learning. This post looks at three tips you can use to boost engagement in your online courses using animation videos.

How to Make Animated Videos

Before learning the tricks and tips for using animation videos to liven up online courses, it is imperative to know how to make these animated videos. It is impossible to leverage a technique you do not know how to create. So, the first step is to know how to make animation videos using the best tool available in the market.

Doratoon: Online Animation Maker per Excellence

Doratoon is a reputable and highly intuitive online animation maker. The software tool offers extensive resources for creating customized animated videos. It offers millions of royalty-free animated templates, animated characters, props, backgrounds, footage, props, and others.

You can create professional-looking 3D animations using Doratoon without any experience or skills. The tool has many features that make it the best choice for creating highly engaging videos for online courses.

Whatever topics you have to cover in your online course, you will find the perfect animated template you can adapt to suit your needs. Everything you need to create an attention-grabbing animated video for your e-learning project is available in Doratoon.

How to Make an Animation for Free

Step 1: Sign up for a free Doratoon account with your email ID and password.

Step 2: Select an animated template for your e-Learning video creation.

Step 3: Edit the template and incorporate your content. The intuitive editing tool lets you drag and drop elements. You can import personalized images or use them from the millions of royalty-free animations and backgrounds available on the platform.

Step 4: Preview your animated video and download it to your computer system. That is all it takes to make educational videos with Doratoon.

Top Features of Doratoon

• AI Drawing and AI Dubbing
• Text-to-Speech Feature
• 100 Million+ stock images and video clips
• 1000+ animated characters with facial expressions and actions
• 10000+ stock props
• 10000+ 2D and 3D animated background images

Everything you need to inspire your creativity is available with Doratoon. You only have to explore and create your e-learning video in minutes.

Tips to Use Animation Videos to Liven up Online Course

Now that you understand how to use an online 3D animation maker like Doratoon to create animation videos for your online courses, let us see tips you can use to make it better. What do you need to do to boost the engagement and interactions of students with animation videos? Here are the top three tips.

#1: Have a Story-based Content for your Animation Video

Creators underrate the place of the plotline in contemporary entertainment. It is easy to hide behind the stylish design, flashy elements, and the paparazzi. However, you cannot do this with educational animation.

The goal of creating animated videos for e-learning courses is to impart knowledge and equip learners with some skills. To drive home the points:

• You need a narrative thread in your creation. This offers an element of memorability to your video, which is very critical in learning.
• Do not use animated characters haphazardly. Let them work as your assistant in telling the story. You can use elements of simulated exercise or video sequences to build momentum for your story.
• Give your animated character a backstory and bio to help your audience connect better. Choose characters that align with your topic and give them depth to achieve an emotional connection with your audience. You can make this possible by weaving your animated video around a storyline.

#2: The Simpler the Better

Never try to over complicate your animated videos. Yes, the temptation is there to use many elements, especially when you have millions of digital assets at your fingertips. However, you must not fall into temptation if you do not want to make a mess of your creation.

As you work on an animated template, remember that you are creating content for educational purposes. You are not making a movie. Therefore, reduce the elements and only use important assets.

• Keep it simple, smooth, and linear to make it understandable and memorable.
• While it is important to make the course fun, do not make it too playful to the point of losing the essence of the teaching.
• Introduce your characters one at a time and do not have too many of them. Do not fill your e-learning with cartoon characters. They can defeat the purpose.

#3: Use Dialogue Effectively

Yes, we said your video should be simple, but not boring. The best way to make your animation more interesting and engaging is to use the element of dialogue. Create conversational dialogue among your characters and make the conversation natural.

You surely do not want your animated characters to sound like they are reciting a manual verbatim. Doratoon has a powerful AI Dubbing feature you can use to create a perfect dialogue for your video. You can choose your preferred voice character to deliver the verbal content of your video.

Create Animated Videos with Doratoon

Creating video animations does not have to be a difficult task. With the right tool, you can make an animation for free in minutes. We recommend Doratoon for all your educational video animations. It is available for free and comes with powerful features and tools to make your online class creation highly effective.

Your child deserves the best chocolate, candy, and of course the best English tutor.   Tutoring on its own has become a larger part of the academic community as almost every school and organization has a tutoring center. The service has also been made unrestricted by teachers and students who often offer it as volunteer service or a means to earn extra dollars.

Although this service is in abundance which means it should be easy to find almost any tutor that you want, it is imperative that you find the one that suits your child’s needs while excellently delivering the job, and doing this task may be quite arduous. But there is an assurance that by the time you are through with this article you will be able to discover the perfect English tutor that your child needs following just three steps.

The good thing is that these steps are useful regardless of whether you are considering getting a tutor for the first time or your child has worked with one before, it is also helpful regardless of the level of education whether they are in elementary, middle, or high school.

In the quest of finding the perfect English tutor for your child you have to;

Realize your Objectives

The moment you discover that your child is having difficulties learning English and you have concluded that what your child needs is a good English tutor for kids; you will have to do some little research on the child by answering some introspective questions. These questions will serve as the foundation to help you discover the child’s needs and understand the child better.

Although some of the answers to these questions are what the tutor should find an answer to on their own. Your assignment is your assignment and the tutor’s assignment is his assignment. But the results from your research will guide you in identifying your child’s needs.

Question 1: Learning Style

The first question is to identify your child’s learning style.

Your child’s learning style is the method that helps them learn and assimilate quickly. Some children learn by reading, touching, listening, or through pictorial effects such as pictures, videos, or moving objects.

Question 2: Learning Preference and Motivation

With that being established, you have to find out if your child learns better with a male teacher or a female teacher, and find out what motivates or drives your child to learn.

Some of these questions can be asked of the child and the child’s teacher to be accurate. Another way to find answers to these questions is through the school counselor, the counselor should have the files that track your child’s scores in tests and notes on possible personality problems.

Question 3: Budgeting

Under this category, you may also need to ask yourself how much of your time and money you can devote to tutoring.

Explore your Options

Searching for potential tutors for your child can be done through the following steps:

1. Reach out to your child’s school to confirm if they have a list of registered tutors.
2. Ask friends and families for recommendations
3. Visit a reliable online learning center to hire one

Assess your Options

After you might get a list of about 2 or 3 or more potential tutors, the next thing to do is to evaluate them to find out which one is best for your child.

Here are lists of questions you should look into:

• Set up a physical or online consultation with the tutor. This helps you have a physical assessment of the person who is going to be tutoring your child as well as giving you room to assess them.
• Inspect their certifications thoroughly and carefully, you need to find out if their skills match your child’s needs and your goals.
• Have an idea of the type of teaching background they have, this includes the number of years, the kind of style they have used over the years, and the schools and children they have worked with. If it is possible tell them to get a recommendation letter if they applied for the opening online, you can as well ask them if they have worked with children who are identical to your child in terms of age and ability.
• Find out how the tutor will assess your child
• Find out how they will discover your child’s strengths and weaknesses
• Find out what method will be adopted to tutor your child and how it will be implemented
• Confirm if the tutor would love to work hand-in-hand with the child’s classroom teacher and counselor
• Ask them how long it will take for them to have their lessons prepared according to the subject matter and the needs of the child.
• Find out how the tutor motivates his students to learn and study and make sure it suits your child’s way of getting motivated.
• Find out where they prefer the tutoring to take place as some tutors prefer a library or their tutoring center and if you want the tutor to come to the house for the exercise then you should let them know of that arrangement but make sure there is an arrangement for another person to be in the house while the exercise is going on.
• Ask how long it will take for the child to progress and develop their skills
• Find out how much they will charge for the next job
• Finally, find out about their expectations from you and if there is any area they want you to come in as a form of assistance to the child.

Also, it is imperative to work on a contract form between you and the tutor. Here, you can find out more about their payment policies. Some tutors accept only cash and require that you pay them in advance, while others don’t. You should also find out if they want to be paid per session, or on a weekly/monthly basis. Whichever works for you and the tutor should be documented to avoid future misunderstandings.

In addition, make sure you are aware of their cancellation policies. Some tutors like to be given a week’s notice once their services are no longer needed while some are rather flexible.

Conclusion

Finally, after you have successfully secured a private tutor for your child, you have to seal it up by partnering in the result. And how you can do this by tracking your child’s progress by asking for feedback and monitoring their grades. You can also observe your child’s relationship with the tutor by choosing to be part of the session sometimes.

Parent survey data shows that more than 50% of American families* have less than 50 books in their homes, including children’s books. Moreover, over 8,000 elementary schools don’t have a school library—and the majority of teachers say that cost is the major obstacle to building a well-stocked library.

If you are lucky enough to have a child who is passionate about reading, ensuring they have an array of safe books to enjoy is only the first step. How can you encourage your child to make reading a daily priority, so that their brains and imagination can grow?

Turning Reading into a Family Affair

Best-selling author, Stephen King, often recalls how everyone in his family used to take turns reading, thus upping the fun factor and turning reading into a crucial bonding activity. Choose a book that everyone can get something different out of. Classics like Tolkien’s The Hobbit or E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web are universally enjoyed by readers of all ages. Moreover, by joining in on the activity, parents can ensure that their child is spending time on age-appropriate books.

Using Safe Search to Find New Material

Many children enjoy having the freedom to select their own reading. While parents should always have a look at their children’s chosen material to ensure it is appropriate, children can use Safe Search Kids to delve more deeply into the subjects that fascinate them. They will also find a host of handy tips on how to deal with online challenges like cyberbullying. They will learn how to negotiate their way through a myriad of apps while protecting their privacy and being aware of the permanence of digital footprints.

Having Books in Various Spaces

An important way to boost your child’s interest in books is to make safe, entertaining reading material available in various spaces in your home. Your child’s bedroom is a great place to start, but it is also a good idea to have at least a small shelf (or wall shelves) in common areas like the living room, entertainment room, and patio. Some kids even enjoy reading in the bathroom, so make sure there is always a good short story, poem, or article to pick up.

Help Children to Be Better Readers

Often, a lack of interest in reading can mean that children are struggling.  You may see that they have no trouble applying themselves to specific subjects in school.  In fact, they may even be enthusiastic about them. But when it comes to reading, they show little interest. This could many things.  From a simple thing like needing glasses, to evaluating them for learning challenges, such as ADHD – you’ll want to get to the bottom of why they don’t enjoy reading.

Creating a Magical Reading Space

Children who enjoy reading by themselves or having a little “me time” may enjoy having a private “cave” or tent where they can immerse themselves in classic stories. Cheap and cheerful ideas include creating a blanket tent in your living room and decorating it with fairy lights, soft cushions to sit on, and soft, warm throws. If you have a tent, you can set it up in your backyard during the day and entice children with a garden picnic.

In Summary

Children who already love reading have a big head start, since reading is a key skill for academic success. To foster this hobby, there are numerous strategies that parents can take.

Make reading a family activity, teach them how to use Safe Search, provide them with books throughout the home, help to create personal reading spaces for independent readers, and assess their individual needs.  In these way you can empower kids to thrive and turn reading into their lifelong hobby.

*Source – National Children’s Reading Habits Study.

How Teachers Can Use Their Allocated Budgets to Promote a Love for Reading

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in different countries including the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia. It is observed as celebrating the harvest and the blessings of the last year to give thanks for it. In the United States, it’s held on the fourth Thursday in November, and in Canada, the day is on the second Monday in October.

Some popular activities during the Thanksgiving holiday include meals of turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberries, and feasts with family and friends. But do you know the origins of this annual tradition?

Thanksgiving dates back to 1621 in Plymouth Colony Harvest Festival. Whether you are an American or non-American you may be interested to know the history of Thanksgiving Day and how it became an important celebration?

In the United States, Thanksgiving is a four day long weekend with time with family on Thursday, followed by a big shopping day on Friday.  Today it’s called Black Friday.

Now, let’s explore the true history of Thanksgiving Day for history-loving people like you who like to know our traditions begin.

Pilgrims Thanksgiving At Plymouth

The story begins in 1620 Fall (August/September), when the vessel Mayflower left Plymouth, England with 102 Pilgrims. A group of 102 passengers who were religious separatists quit Plymouth in search of safe land to practice their beliefs.

Due to the cold weather and lots of difficulties, almost half of the Pilgrims died and 66 of them lasted. They anchored the ship in Cape Code, which was far north of their desired place i.e. mouth of the Hudson River.

One month later, Mayflower reached the Massachusetts Bay. And the Pilgrims intended to establish Plymouth village here. The weather was too cold in the winter thus they suffered from a scarcity of food, water, and shelter and contagious diseases are also outbreak there.

As they were unprepared for the winter thus the brutally cold weather wiped out almost half of the crew and passengers. In the Spring (March), the remaining migrants shifted ashore. They were also concerned that Native American Indians Might attack them anytime.

One sudden day, Samoset, a member of the Abenaki local tribe visited the settlers and greeted them in English. A few days later, he came with Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who was a Native American.

Squanto taught the Pilgrims different life-saving hacks and cultivation methods such as malnutrition, illness and revival tips, catching fish, hunting animals, growing corn, avoiding poisonous plants, extracting sap from maple trees, preparing medicine from plants, and so on.

Peace Treaties with the Native Americans

Pilgrims also took the opportunity to create a peace treaty with the Native Americans through Squanto. And Squanto also helped the Plymouth inhabitants to build an alliance with a local tribe Wampanoag for 50 years that was a successful treaty between Native Americans and European colonists to protect them from other tribes.

In November 1621, the Pilgrims proved themselves to harvest corn successfully in the first year. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford arranged a festive feast after getting a bountiful harvest to give thanks the God and their alliance tribes. They invited their Native Americans Allies including Squanto and Wampanoag.

Wampanoag chief Massasoit with 90 braves joined the feast and it lasted for three days. They feasted on fruits, turkey, delicious meals, and many more. This harvest feast before winter wasn’t called Thanksgiving at that time but this was the first Thanksgiving Day in history actually.

Two years later, the Pilgrims suffered from drought. Then Governor Bradford ordered them to pray and fast to God. It’s said, after their praying and fasting, rain comes and they become happy. So, they declared the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

Edward Winslow the chronicler of Pilgrim wrote about it:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week, at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain, and others.  And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

–Edward Winslow, December 11, 1621

Ancient Origins of Thanksgiving

Although it’s widely accepted that Thanksgiving originated from the Pilgrim Feast at Plymouth. But this was also found in ancient traditions among Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. They feasted and paid tribute to God after getting their harvest.

Thanksgiving is also seen among the ancient Jewish, as they arranged the harvest festival Sukkot. As Native Americans had rich traditions thus, they set their footprint in Thanksgiving history before Europeans.

Thanksgiving Controversies

Some historians jury still confused about whether the Plymouth Feast was the first Thanksgiving or not. There is proof to historians that the tradition of giving thanks was recorded among the European Colonies in North America before the Plymouth Thanksgiving.

In 1565, Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilé arranged a dinner feast and invited the Timucua tribe in Florida. After the safe reaching of the crew, they arranged a thanksgiving to God. In 1619, 38 British settlers reached their desired destination on the banks of Virginia’s James River, Berkeley Hundred. Then, they declared the day as a day of thanksgiving to the God.

Today, Wampanoag Indians point to a different telling Thanksgiving.  In subsequent years, there would be many conflicts that would result in thousands of deaths.  The idea of Native American’s and pilgrims eating together was not in the tradition of big celebration of giving thanks for a large harvest.  Food preparation for Native American’s already had daily rituals of giving thanks to the Creator for their food and survival.  While the English and the Wampanoag Indians did eat together at times, the celebration of the first harvest in 1961 looked very different to the ancestral natives of the land.

How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday

Pilgrim Thanksgiving celebration become very popular among New England settlements quickly. In the 19^th century, Sarah Joseph Hale, an American writer campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day in the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln also encouraged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

The following President George Washington issued an announcement on November 26, 1789, for a public thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. From then Americans, particularly North Americans celebrated the public holiday as Thanksgiving Day.

Canadian Parliament declared the second Monday in October as a general Day of Thanksgiving to God for the blessings of Canada and bountiful harvest.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving Day is now an important day for Americans and Canadians. And more countries have adopted this tradition to be thankful for for their blessings. Today’s Thanksgiving festive celebration adds more fun and events but the origin was the Plymouth Harvest Feast in 1621.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Explore how other special days and holidays came to be:

• The History of Mother’s Day
• The History of Valentine’s Day