Educational video has been a staple of curriculum for decades—all the way back to the old reel to reel filmstrips and 35mm slides. The latest incarnation, digital video, now makes this process much more convenient.
In the past, subject specific video could be hard to find. It is also very expensive; a single 20 minute film can cost $100. Time is also an issue; often you do not have time to show an entire movie but certain scenes would be relevant. Unfortunately, the trouble of rewinding and fast forwarding to get to the right place was cumbersome.
Gone are the days where you have to purchase or rent movies to show in class, or deal with any of these other issues. Usher in United Streaming—an online video library with over 40,000 video clips, all correlated to state standards, searchable by subject, grade level, or keyword, ready for downloading during the school day or from the comfort of your own home.
Research suggests that students learn better when they are presented with material in a variety of formats. Video allows those visual learners to connect to a curriculum and develop understanding they might not get from lecture alone.
Many teachers at West are already taking advantage of this great service. Downloading is not difficult to do and can be mastered quickly. It happens overnight, minimizing the time commitment from you. Videos can be shown as is by copying them onto CDs, or they can be integrated into PowerPoint, Word, Inspiration, or other documents for a complete multimedia experience.
It’s easy to get started with United Streaming.
1. Go to http://www.unitedstreaming.com/ and enter the passcode (see Bridget to find out what it is) to create your account.
2. Sign into United Streaming using the new user name and password you created.
3. Type a search term in the box to find videos for your lessons.
It’s that simple. For more information, please see Bridget in the Nexus.