Explaining in Plain English

Do you ever have a topic that your students or perhaps other faculty members just don't seem to get?  Common Craft Productions take these issues and explain it in plain English!

According to the Common Craft Website their overview state: "Our videos may surprise you. They're short and simple. They use paper cut-outs. They cover subjects "in Plain English." But lurking under the simple surface are lessons that have been crafted with great care. Despite our fun and lighthearted style, we take explanation seriously."

You can watch their videos, in-full, on their site, or you can purchase them to use in your classroom, and other uses.  The individual license is $20 per video to use in your classroom.  They do offer school discounts by contacting them.  This link here is the overview on how to buy.

I am not going to embed any videos here, but instead send you over to their site so you can take a look at everything they offer.  Click here to view their site.

 

They do offer custom videos that you can create with them.  They are available for a limited number of custom videos.  Here's a few examples of custom explanation videos here.  The projects include

• Short videos in the paper work style
• original script, artwork, and creative direction
• Voice-over by one of the company owners

Click here to view more information on this topic.

CSI: The Experience!

Everyone seems to think that games do not belong in education, but the truth is kids learn better from playing these types of games.  Rice University partnered with the Forth Worth Museum of Science and History, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and CBS, with funding from the National Science Foundation, to create CSI: The Experience!.  This is an online web program that introduces middle school students to the world of forensic science.

The game is free to register and you can play as a guest.  It gives you step by step instructions by characters from the CSI TV show!


Take a look and here's too solving the mystery!

Live Binders

Are you getting weighted down by the tons and tons of papers on resources you collect from the Internet?  Is creating a Wiki too far out of your reach to try and organize these resources?  Well let me introduce a wonderful web 2.0 tool called Live Binders. 

This is another way to manage your links, but it goes beyond that.  Some of you might be thinking well isn't that like diigo or delicious?  Yes, it is similar, but with Live Binders you can access the pages in live time.  So you can see them instantly. 

Click below to see the short 90 second over view of what live binders is all about.  They do a great job explaining it.

So where can we see some examples of Live Binders?  Sure I have them for you.  Click the links below to see some.

An Educators Guide to Twitter
iPads in Schools
Social Justice Live!
Educational Websites

You can also surf and search their site for other public binders that people have shared.

Enjoy!

**NOTE this does require you to sign up for an account and I cannot guarantee if they share your information with others. **