Blessed Sacrament eighth graders make an iMovie

Intermountain Catholic

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The Blessed Sacrament eighth grade students make an African Safari movie on iMovie at the Apple Store at Gateway while attending a seminar April 6. The students received instruction and went right to work. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Blessed Sacrament eighth graders traveled to the Apple Store in Gateway April 6, to a hands-on seminar to make an iMovie.

The students worked on creating an edited film using iMovie with the help of Aaron Hamm, a specialist at the Apple Store and other Apple Store technicians.

"The students took pictures of themselves as wild animals on photobooth, and then put them on a DVD using iDVD, and created menus, titles, and other movie features," said Hamm. "In the end they combined all the features and sent each student went home with his or her own DVD, and experience at the Apple Store. They learned how to use the software, while having a good time."

Kristi Oritt, English teacher and eighth grade home room teacher, traveled with the students to the seminar.

"The McCarthey Foundation gave us grant in the amount of $20,000, and we bought 16 iMacs for the classrooms, so fifth through eighth grades have four iMacs per classroom," said Oritt. "We are bringing sixth and eighth grades down for training so they are more familiar with the iMacs.

"We have 24 eighth graders and 25 sixth graders, and the Apple store can only accommodate 25 students," said Oritt. "We cannot bring fifth graders because we have 30, and we have 29 seventh graders. We figure once the sixth and eighth grade students know how to use the iMacs, they can train the other students.

"No matter where the students go to high school, they are going to run into math somewhere, and to be familiar and know how to create some of these things is a great thing.

"They are not afraid to try new things, they are so advanced," said Oritt. "They receive instruction and are so excited to go to work on the computer and give it a try. They catch on so quickly."

"This activity today is an extension of using what we have at the school with our iMacs, and then it opens up more education for the students," said Matt DeVoll, assistant principal and guidance counselor. "The students can always come down to the Apple Store and learn more on the weekends. Their parents can always buy some equipment for them and continue their education at home.

"It is exciting for the students because all the equipment and applications are fun," said DeVoll. "It is one thing to take pictures on your camera, but to come down here and take pictures on the computer, and then grab other pictures and make a movie. It is a whole new deal for them. That is the beauty of this experience."