Video in the classroom

Most science teachers know the value of videos in teaching abstract concepts in science, or for demonstrating things that can't be done in class.  Most teachers will also be aware of the frustrations of trying to play a video from the Internet in the classroom.

In many schools, Youtube and other video-sharing sites are blocked.  If you're viewing this site from within a school and you can't see the videos, it probably means that Youtube is blocked where you are.  Don't worry, read on.  We have a solution for you.

science.TV has conducted extensive research into the needs of science teachers and, though the job is by no means done, we're getting a picture of the kind of videos you want:

Visual Aids

We believe there is no substitute for a good live demonstration. Or even for a bad one that goes horribly wrong.  But some experiments and phenomena are too dangerous, too expensive or just too much hassle to set up in a lesson.   We have set ourselves the task of creating high-quality demonstration videos for every topic in the science curriculum, starting with the ones for which there is the greatest need.  Check out the 'Coming Soon' page and, if you think there's something missing, let us know and we will do our best to make it for you.

Better still, if you have access to the equipment, why not make a demo video yourself?  Check out our simple filming tips and when you've created your masterpiece send it to us to distribute for you.

Expert videos

Another area where we've uncovered a strong demand is short videos presented by experts in a particular field.  To produce these videos, we're working closely with the Times Cheltenham Science Festival, and our aim is to create a virtual version of the event, whereby students and teachers can get up to close to leading scientists.

You can't be an expert in everything, much as your students expect you to be. The good news is now you don't need to be.   Concentrate on your strengths and use our panel of experts to explain the rest. In fact, if you consider yourself to be an expert on a particular topic, perhaps you'd like to join them?

Opinions

Without wanting to get into a philosophical debate, it's safe to say that opinions have their place in modern science studies.  Fact or propaganda? Objective analysis or spin?  It's important to be able to tell the difference.

We believe that science-related industry has a hugely important role to play in science education and we are keen to continue to feature industry experts in our films.  Are they biased?  Are they giving a full representation of the facts or a selective company line?  It's up to you and your students to decide.

We are growing our library of videos as fast as we can and we need you to tell us if we're missing anything.  All videos will be added to the site as Youtube embeds. As mentioned, this may cause problems when trying to play videos at school.  The solution is to browse for suitable videos from home and to download our video resource packs for use in the class. As you'll see, these ensure hassle free playback on the widest possible range of systems - and come with many extra benefits.