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The use of computers in the school environment has grown dramatically in the past five years. Not just in terms of the number of computers available to students in classrooms (although there are still many government schools with a distinct lack of computers) but also in terms of how the education system, and in particular teachers, view the use of computers. No longer the domain of Computer Studies subjects or merely an area for study unto themselves, computers are at last moving into the position they were always meant to occupy; that of a ubiquitous tool for the exploration of any given topic, subject or curriculum.
Certainly one of the most popular and effective computer tools making its way into this environment is non-linear, computer-based video editing. Invariably, as with many other applications, particularly creative ones, there is a myriad of choice available as to what particular package to buy and which one would be best suited to your school and your needs.
Alas, I have unfortunately seen far too many schools, both government and non-government, fork out great sums of cash for editing systems that are unsuitable for their needs. Worse still, often they are far more expensive than was necessary, leaving the school with one or two high-end systems (that no one in the school really knows how to use), when for the same amount of money they could have had fifteen computers with editing software, and subsequently opened opportunities up to a far greater number of students (and teachers for that matter).
When it comes to purchasing software (and the relative associated costs) there is a balance that needs to be struck between ease of use (both for students and teachers) and a powerful system that leaves room to grow alongside the students/teachers as their skills and confidence grow.
Many teachers are using the free editing software that is available within the latest operating systems: MovieMaker on Windows and I-Movie on Macintosh. While both these options provide a very useful tool (and certainly at the right price) they are both severely limiting systems that provide little room for customization, or for expanding with the user as skills and needs grow.
It is here that Sony's Screenblast Movie Studio (SBMS) may well...