Videos for the Classroom

     In this day and age, kids are becoming more visual in their learning. Educational videos help classroom learning goals come alive for all students and encourage them in their educational journey.
     The list of video channels below are all beneficial to teachers, and are collections that I look forward to using in my future classroom:

1. Magic School Bus
     This channel is a classic educational video site. A teacher could easily tie in a related video to whatever topic they are teaching on. Not only are these videos informative, but they are set up as a story, which makes it easy for students to follow along and learn.
2. Disney Educational Productions
     The Disney Educational Productions channel engages students, because it includes characters that they are familiar with. This makes learning even more exciting. The channel gives the teacher the tools they need to really inspire learners. It also includes favorite sites such as: School House Rock and Bill Nye the Science Guy.
3. PBS
     Great for any age, the PBS channel is stocked full of relevant classroom information videos. There is also a PBS Kids channel which aims toward providing videos for younger ages.
4. Educational Rap
     Many of us are able to remember an educational song from when we were younger. This channel is helpful, because catchy raps are able to stick in students' minds for long periods of time. It includes many different subjects to choose from, which would help any teacher engage his/her students through song.
5. VeggieTales Official 
     A true favorite for all ages, the VeggieTales channel cannot be passed up. If teaching at a Christian school or church, these videos do a great job of explaining Bible stories in a way that young kids are able to understand and enjoy.

    All of these channels contain videos that have the ability to be weaved into lesson plans and can spark many discussion about various subjects. Teachers can also watch these videos before teaching to gain more understanding on the subject and find ways to teach the younger age in a way that they are able to understand. All channels and videos are available on YouTube.

~Biblical Insight~

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." -Proverbs 4:23

     Not all online videos are free of inappropriate material or commercials. The verse above truly speaks to the heart of the matter. We must all guard our hearts from whatever is sinful, or our words and actions will be infested with sin and evil. As parents and educators, it is vital to monitor a child's activity online (such as YouTube videos) as well as our own. Whatever our thoughts center around will ultimately influence how we act. It is so important to be filling our hearts with everything that is true and righteous in God's eyes.

Coping with Copyright Laws

It's the easiest and fastest way. It won't hurt anyone. It isn't even a big deal to do it. 

The 'it' in these three sentences refers to the violation of copyright laws.

So often, people buy into the lie that stealing someone else's work is the equivalent of "using your resources". The truth of the matter is that stealing music from different programs, copying information that isn't originally yours, and downloading movies without paying, are all ways in which one may violate the copyright laws. 

It's always important to go about using your resources in a God-honoring way, especially as an educator who is part of a school community. Proverbs 11:1 & 3 says, "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." In light of these verses, it is vital to look into what you are using the internet to do, so that you are able to make sure you are using the web with integrity. Although some may think that copyright laws hold them back, in reality, there are plenty of ways to use informational sources.Copyright holders may have exclusive rights to their work, but fair use allows others to have partial access to media for educational purposes. The best way to be certain that you are not breaking a copyright law is to remember the statement "when in doubt, ask permission." 

It may be tedious to figure out what publications you have a right to, but in the end, it is worth it to know that you have integrity when it comes to coping with copyright laws. So, instead of just "using your resources," it is essential to go about "using your resources wisely".