Teachers TV Videos now Back Online

"The entire catalogue of 3500 Teachers TV videos was taken off-line recently when Teachers TV came to an end. However, the people who worked there have formed a new company called Teachers Media and they now have all of the videos back online.

Many practitioners will be glad to see that these valuable resources are now back! On Techers Media you are now able to:

1. Stream all the 3500 Teachers TV videos at the highest quality


2. Easily search and navigate the Teachers TV archive


3. Access and download documents and other resources linked to the videos


4. Use the popular Behaviour Challenge interactive training tools

Visit them at Teachers Media at http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/"

(From John Dalziel at What DL is Happening?)





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Getting WebWise...in One Minute!

Following the recent re-launch of WebWise, the site now has a series of 16 one-minute films to support the website's resources. The video clips cover everything from search engines to social networking, which as well as being embedded in articles across the site, are also accessible from a single page.

Here are a couple of the videos that grabbed my attention and which might be useful for providers to share:

How do I make free phone calls and video calls online?
What is social networking?
What are podcasting and vodcasting?
How do I download files?
How do I stop getting spam?
How do I use a digital camera?
Preventing ID fraud

If you want to see all of the videos available, here is a link to the programmes page.

It’s worth noting that for slightly longer videos on aspects of using technology (three minutes or so each) these Commoncraft videos also offer some great no nonsense introductions that make complex subjects easy to understand.

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Related Wobble links:

Getting WebWise and Staying Safe Online
Blogs in Plain English
A Quick Introduction to Wikis

To read more of Wobble click here

Waterproofs and more Digital Video Camcorders

I’ve mentioned pocket sized video camcorders on here before and several of our regional providers now own or two of the models that are out there. At a recent training event a learning provider told me about a different one that they were using in their land based provision.

This model was waterproof so could be used with his learners outdoors. It also:

* Allows you to take a photograph of the subject WHILE you are still filming (useful if you still want to print hard copies of evidence)
* Has two operating modes, simple (for the user like me who wants to just press record and go!) and Normal which offers you the option to change all its settings.
* It was fairly resilient, so suitable for working in manual environments.
* It could plug straight into an TV, no need for groups of learners to copy images to a PC before viewing them
* And it had a rechargeable battery. (Need I say more?)

The camera was a Sanyo Xacti as per the picture above.

You can learn more about this model in the ShinyTech review below (so glad they did this – makes my life easier!). If you can’t access you tube you can get the review on this site.




We’ve since bought one of these for our own increasingly expanding bag of mobile kit so would be happy to chat with you about how this and other camcorders can be used for work based learning.

With funding opportunities arising all the time, it’s certainly worth knowing what tools are out there that could possibly enhance your provision.

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Related Wobble links:

Pocket-sized Video Camcorders
Information Sheets on Technology for E-Learning
More Funding for your E-Learning Projects

To read more of Wobble click here.

Free Video Learning Materials

Business and Learning Connections provides free video learning objects for learning providers to download and use for teaching.

The Business & Learning Connections team have been working with West Midlands businesses and learning providers in the region over the last few years to develop a collection of high quality, curriculum linked, free of charge videos for download or streaming from their web site. The videos are copyright free and aim to bring the world of business into the classroom, by including leading West Midlands business people, as well as students on work placements in industry.

Click here for more details of the video reources that are already available and how you can use them.

Broken down into chapters these high quality videos are very accessible and easy to use. In addition, the site has a range of useful advice and guidance videos including health and safety, careers advice about the engineering sector and an interview with a leading restaurant manager about catering management opportunities.

Pocket-sized Video Camcorders

Day Three of our West Midlands E-guides event last week showcased more useful technologies for e-learning, with one of the favourites this time being a very inexpensive pocket-sized video camcorder, Disgo.

These video cameras have raised considerable interest in the work based learning sector because of their portability, ease of use and starting at just £35 their price! The basic Disgo model has only three buttons so you can’t go far wrong with using it either making it a great tool for learners to use (to capture evidence for e-portfolios for example).

There are a couple of models available, the basic Disgo video retailing at £35 or a disgo Video Pro at £99.99.

Both are great little tools and signal the way technologies are becoming more affordable and accessible. The reviews from BBC's "Something for the Weekend" programme on the Disgo site are worth watching as they show just how easy these pocket-sized gems are to use. This You tube review offers a users review of the Disgo and this one shows a good comparison between the two models.

With capital funding being made available though the current round of Learner Innovation Grants what better time to be exploring technologies like these and looking at ways they can be incorporated into your own provision.

Finally, if you like the idea of using video but don't fancy making your own who not explore some of the ready made content that's out there. Business and Learning Conections is certainly a good place to start!