Video News Picks: Viewings
By Sara Bernard
Haven't got time to sort the most useful online video content from all the rest? Don't worry; we do. Welcome to our new directory of great education-related videos. Some you can watch on your computer, others you can purchase online or via mail. Likewise, some are classroom ready, while others are just for teachers. Check in frequently -- we'll add new links regularly. Note: Some videos may be preceded by brief ads. (Free registration may be required and news-sensitive links may expire over the next week.)
One last thing: It's a worldwide Web, and we're bound to miss something. If you know of a must-see video, email the URL to viewings@edutopia.org and we'll be sure to take a look.
Body of Knowledge: Kids Circus
CNN's Rusty Dornin takes a look at an unusual school activity that builds trust and teamwork. -- CNN Watch this video
Teacher: Student Attacked Me
A teacher says there have been a number of instances where students have attacked teachers at her Baltimore high school. -- CNN Watch this video
Pay for Grades
One of the largest school districts in the United States has a plan to pay teachers to work in some of its most difficult schools. -- CNN Watch this video
Educating Autistic Children
A group of parents, desperate for special education for their autistic children, founded Reed Academy in New Jersey. But there are still hundreds of kids on waiting lists. -- CBS News Watch this video
Earning to Learn
A New York City pilot program gives low-income families cash incentives to achieve scholastic success. But critics say it does little to promote self-motivation. -- CBS News Watch this video
Baby Fights Bullies
Baby Jane visits a class of fifth graders as part of a Seattle program to teach kids empathy and reduce bullying. -- CBS News Watch this video
Shot Oxnard Teen Taken Off Life Support
Lawrence King died after being shot by another student at his middle school. Prosecutors have charged Brandon David McInerney with premeditated murder. -- KABC Watch this video
South Carolina School Kids in Jeopardy
At Holly Hill Elementary School, many poverty-stricken students lack adequate textbooks and equipment -- and their chance of living the American dream may be at risk as well. -- CBS News Watch this video
International Learning
Japanese kids learn English, math, and science at breakneck speed, using lessons from India. -- CNN.com Watch this video
Partying Not Private Online
More than a hundred high school students were reprimanded after administrators obtained Facebook photos of them partying. -- CNN.com Watch this video
MySpace Steps Up Security
The social-networking leader said that it will develop technologies and work with law-enforcement officials across the country to better protect children from online sexual predators. -- ChicagoTribune.com Watch this video
Saying No to Abstinence Only
Congress and the Bush administration have pushed abstinence-only sex education in schools. But many states have refused federal funds for a program they say doesn't work. -- CBS News Watch this video
Schools Fingerprint Your Kids: High Tech Security, or an Invasion of Privacy?
Espiritu schools in Phoenix use biometrics technology to scan the fingerprints of students. They say it's to help keep track of school lunches for federal aid. -- ABC15 (Phoenix) Watch this video
'Tools of the Mind' for Preschoolers
A study shows that children as young as four can improve their memory and focus. -- ABC News Read this article
The First Birds Helped to Survive the Spill Are Released to the Wild
Volunteers released thirty-eight wild birds, which had been rescued and cleaned up from the oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, off the shores of Pillar Point Yacht Harbor, in Half Moon Bay. -- SFGate.com (San Francisco) Watch this video.
Smashing Pumpkins
This seasonal sport at Florida Atlantic University, led by professors and students dressed as famous scientists, is all about physics, too (1:00).
Last Chance for First Public School
The oldest public school in America, a historical icon and once one of the nation's premier learning institutions, the English High School now must improve or close its doors (2:05).
Improving School Lunch
As the reign of obesity and unhealthy eating continues, celebrity chef Seth Daugherty is revamping the recipes in St. Paul, Minnesota, schools (5:00).
Chalk: The Movie
Now playing at select cinemas, this documentary-style comedy about struggling first-year teachers is a sad testament to certain truths (and plenty of stereotypes) about public schools. It might make you laugh -- or groan (1:05:00).
No Child Left Behind: Truths and Consequences
Many proponents of a comprehensive education in our public schools -- weary of punitive, high-stakes tests -- will welcome this articulate explanation of why the No Child Left Behind Act isn't working (9:25).
Animal School
Though this short, inspirational slide show is aimed at parents, there's no doubt that teachers will recognize the analogy, too: Teaching a group of students as beautifully diverse as the animal kingdom is incredibly challenging -- and rewarding (4:00).
The Dangers of High School Football
Coaches, athletes, and parents be warned: Nearly 50 percent of high school football players have suffered a concussion; 35 percent have had more than one. Multiple mild concussions -- hard to notice, unlikely to be reported -- can lead to serious brain damage (8:57).
Urban Warfare Leaves Lasting Scars
Students who witness constant violence, or experience the death of a loved one, bring those wounds to school with them. These three students from troubled communities in San Francisco talk about their experience (3:03).
Kids Behind Cameras
Watch, get inspired, and get involved in Schoolhouse Video, a collaboration between a middle school science teacher, a television station, and a slew of student filmmakers. Current projects include a documentary on homeless veterans and reporting on local politics (video lengths vary).
Free, Global, and Online
Edutopia's Daring Dozen 2007 honoree Richard G. Baraniuk explains his ideas about sharing knowledge online, at the 2006 Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) conference (19:19).
Have You Hugged a Tree Lately?
For a dose of green optimism, try Tree Hugger TV: Energy-efficient vehicles, solar-powered communities, how to shop for sustainable produce, and more (video lengths vary).
Principals Leading the Way
How do successful principals build a strong school community and hire and retain excellent teachers? Check out this series of slide shows featuring some of San Francisco's finest (video lengths vary).
Guantanamo Bay: A Snapshot
This painful and compelling audio slide show about the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay sheds a good deal of light on the place, its employees, and its inmates (13:58).
Not-So-Distant Learning
How does the Minnesota Shubert Center bring music and arts education to schools across the state? Artists visit classrooms -- through interactive videoconferencing (5:30).
Einstein's Miracle Year
1905: The year Einstein came up with three monumental ideas about the universe that are still considered groundbreaking. This high-energy video rekindles a love of physics (14:27).
Gardening in Alaska
What happens to your vegetables when the permafrost is 7 inches below the ground and in summertime the sun barely sets? Find out how this garden grows in Alaska's Denali National Park (3:00).
Troops to Teachers
Once a marine, now a special education teacher, Stan Loper inspires and motivates his students using the lessons he learned in the military -- including deep breathing, hydration, body movements, and chanting (3:18).
The Making of Johnny Cash
How did Johnny Cash evolve from man to legend? This series of interviews from the Academy of Achievement, in Washington, DC, might offer an insight or two (video lengths vary).
Election TV
This vast collection of videos, blogs, and news about political candidates and the issues pertinent to the 2008 election is a priceless (and free) resource for civics class (video lengths vary).
Digital Learners, Revisited
Another compelling plug for teaching with technology in an increasingly wired (and wireless) world (7:41).
Kids and Money
This series of interviews with Los Angeles teens about wealth, consumerism, and how it affects them is illuminating -- and a bit perturbing (14:09).
A Cheater's Lesson
From the 2005 Chimera Student Film Contest comes filmmaker Alex Murphy's take on cheating: It's both a moral lesson, and a big surprise (2:00).
Understanding Flatulence
Real science about a really pervasive topic. Don't worry, this isn't a real public-service announcement (3:23).
Amelia Earhart: Image and Icon
An intriguing history in images of the celebrated pioneering woman in flight (4:13).
Wikis for Dummies
Wait -- what is a wiki, exactly? Get a simple overview here, and start planning your next camping trip, or class project (3:52).
Line by Line
Watch this compelling real-time animation of a human portrait being drawn, beginning with a skeleton and ending with a clothed woman in dark shades (4:00).
Book Pals
Not that it's any substitute for in-the-flesh story time, but at least this collection of videos featuring Screen Actors Guild members reading children's books out loud can boast the celebrity factor. Highlight: Dad, Are You the Tooth Fairy? by Seinfeld star Jason Alexander (video lengths vary).
The Periodic Table -- in Song
It goes by pretty fast, but this entertaining musical animation of the periodic table of the elements might come in handy for chemistry class (1:00).
Music and the Brain
The results of a research study on kids who play musical instruments confirms the notion that music lessons contribute to memory, math skills, and other forms of cognitive development (3:00).
Media That Matters: Good Food
As part of the Media That Matters Film Festival, you can watch a collection of online video clips about food politics and sustainability, including some designed for young kids (video lengths vary).
Winning Teachers
Winners of London's Teaching Awards talk about what inspires them, and what they use to inspire their students, from art projects to ukuleles (video lengths vary).
A Model Middle School
A New York Times audio slide show about Briarcliff Middle School gives us a taste of what works during those critical middle years. Most of all, it's an emphasis on social and emotional learning (2:39).
You Want to Know What Teachers Make?
It's loud, it's raucous, it's real: Teacher and slam poet Taylor Mali gives a hypothetical dinner guest a piece of his mind (3:08).
Ecogeeks
Science is way cool, proclaims this high-energy and kid-oriented video podcast that showcases the alpine tundra, a cane toad race in Panama, the world's deadliest snakes, and more (video lengths vary).
Tracing Your Roots
Those interested in geneology and family history should check out Roots Television. Expert interviews, conference footage, documentary films, and a video-sharing avenue called "Roots Tube" might inspire a class project or two (video lengths vary).
