Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer

Hallmark of 21st Century Learning: Use of web video

Do you need to use web video to teach and learn “well?” Certainly not. However, given the availability of high quality, free digital curriculum on the Internet, I think teachers and students alike would be silly to not take advantage of the learning opportunities these resources provide.

Jeremy Behrens gave me a heads up this evening to yet another educational video website, The Futures Channel, which offers online videos for free viewing. The difference? The videos are specifically geared toward scientific topics, look to be all high quality (contrary to sites like YouTube) and lesson plans are included! According to the about page of the site, the mission of The Futures Channel is:

To produce and distribute high quality multimedia content which educators in any setting can use to enliven curriculum, engage students and otherwise enhance the learning experience.

To connect mathematics, science, technology and engineering to the real world of careers and achievement, so that students can envision a context and purpose for what they are learning allowing them to envision their own successful futures.

To provide a channel through which professionals from the sciences, engineering and technology sectors can reach their future workforce prospects and interest them in their fields.

Teaching Algebra and facing kids who keep asking, “How is this used in the real world?” Check out Algebra in the Real World Movies. Looking for videos to use to help spark conversations about problem solving? Problem solved.

The motto of The Futures Channel is “Connecting Learning to the Real World.” That sounds like a great mantra for an entire school!

TeacherTube and Next Vista for Learning are two other good sites I know with webvideos specifically for learners. Does anyone know of a wiki site anyone is maintaining that lists other sites like these? Know of other sites that should be included in this list?

Josh Catone has posted a great review of websites that allow for online video EDITING. (Thanks to Andy Rush and his del.icio.us links.) Some Annenberg Media programs are available as VOD (video on demand) for free. EduTopia has a LOT of super videos on its website as well. I’d like to see a similar list (and even better, a list with reviews) of online video sites specifically for education, like the one Josh created for online video editing sites.

Some of my other favorite sites for online videos for professional development are Fora.TV and TED Talks. Uth TV is a great site publishing student videos. The student videos created by SFETT (students of Marco Torres) are the most amazing collection I’ve seen to date. The Mabry Middle School Film Festival (2007 version) is an outstanding example of student-created videos for school digital storytelling contests.

Someone needs to create and start a wiki site for links like these, that specifically relate to educational videos and digital storytelling. Is something like that “out there” online already? If not, any takers to get this started? That would be a great wiki project for a K12-Online 2007 project work group, or other teacher professional development group this summer.

Technorati Tags:

If you enjoyed this post and found it useful, subscribe to Wes’ free newsletter. Check out Wes’ video tutorial library, “Playing with Media.” Information about more ways to learn with Dr. Wesley Fryer are available on wesfryer.com/after.

On this day..


Posted

in

,

by

Tags:

Comments

One response to “Hallmark of 21st Century Learning: Use of web video”

  1. Kevin H. Avatar

    Thanks for the Futures link, Wes.
    I loved the one about skateboarding and math, and can see some real applications for my sixth graders.
    Take care
    Kevin