| | On Line School Edition Frequently Asked Questions1. How many movies are available?
2. Are there different ways to go about finding a movie?
3. What grade levels are these movies and lessons appropriate for?
4. Why won’t the movie play?
5. Why can’t I find the full-screen option?
6. I have a slow Internet connection. Can I still watch movies and/or show them in class?
7. Can I download movies to my computer? Is it possible to download the movie to my computer so that I can use it without always having to access the site?
8. I’ve identified one or more movies that I want to use in the future—what is the best way to quickly return to specific movies?
9. What’s the history of The Futures Channel?
10. What is the Online School Edition?
11. What are the major differences between the Online School Edition and the rest of the site?
12. Why now?
13. What do other educators think about the Online School Edition?
14. Are there plans to expand the Online School Edition?
15. Is the site password protected?
16. I’m interested in signing up my entire school or district for the Online School Edition. Can I customize the site to provide our teachers with the best utilization possible?
17. What is the length of time for a subscription?
1. How many movies are available?
There are currently over 160 movies on the Online School Edition, with many more to come!
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2. Are there different ways to go about finding a movie?
Yes. No matter where you are in the Online School Edition, there are three navigational tools you’ll always find on the left-hand side of the screen. They are:
Browse by curriculum topic.
At the top of the left-hand navigation are four major categories: “Mathematics,” “Science,” “Technology” and “Art & Design.” In navigating any one of these major categories, you will be able to select a movie by a specific curriculum topic. For example: by selecting “Mathematics,” you could then choose from sub-categories like “Geometry” or “Measurement.” From there you can narrow your search down further by even more detailed categories like “Lines, Polygons & Angles“ or “Area.”
Browse by real world topic.
We’ve also arranged all the movies on the site into general “real world” categories such as “Animals,” “Environment” or “Design.” If you’re looking for a movie but can’t quite remember the title, this is a fast, simple way to find the movie. This is also a useful to just browse movies to find a topic you think your students would be interested in.
List all movies alphabetically.
You’ll find the entire catalog of movie titles listed alphabetically under the “Display All Movies Section.” Just click on “Alphabetical Movie List” at the top of the page and then scroll through the titles to select the one you’re looking for.
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3. What grade levels are these movies and lessons appropriate for?
The grade level of the lessons and activities range from grades 2 -12. Regardless of the grade level indicated for an affiliated lesson, most of the movies themselves are engaging for both younger and older students.
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4. Why won’t the movie play?
Our movies are streaming-based and presented in a similar fashion to movies on sites such as YouTube or TeacherTube. If your school blocks streaming movies click on the "Can't see movie player? Click here." link. If for some reason you can play their movies but not ours, please contact our Tech Support Department at support@thefutureschannel.com.
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5. Why can’t I find the full-screen option?
To view full-screen movies, you will need to have Adobe Flash Player Version 9 installed on your computer. Once you have done so, the full-screen icon will appear to the left of the volume in the control bar.
For PC users, you can identify which version of the Adobe Flash Player you have by “right-clicking” anywhere in the movie screen.
For Mac users, you can identify which version of the Adobe Flash Player you have by holding down the Apple icon (on either side of the space bar) and “right-clicking” anywhere in the movie screen.
Download the free upgrade HERE:
http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer
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6. I have a slow Internet connection. Can I still watch movies and/or show them in class?
To ensure uninterrupted playback, allow the video to load fully before playing. (As indicated by the black bar moving left to right at the bottom of the player.) Give yourself time before the class begins to let the movie completely load, then you’ll be good to go.
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7. Can I download movies to my computer? Is it possible to download the movie to my computer so that I can use it without always having to access the site?
To play the movie later without having to download again, turn on your Internet browser cache. This will allow your computer and Internet browser to “remember” the movie and make viewing much faster in the future.
Another option would be to keep the movie page open on your computer.
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8. I’ve identified one or more movies that I want to use in the future—what is the best way to quickly return to specific movies?
As a member of the Online School Edition, you have the option of saving your favorite movies to your profile. Simply click the "Save Movie to Profile" and follow the prompts to save the movie. You can add personalized notes to help you with future use i.e. a future lesson that the movie would be good for or curriculum subject that the movie illustrates.
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9. What’s the history of The Futures Channel?
The Futures Channel was founded in 1999 with the goal of using new media technologies to create a channel between the scientists, engineers, explorers and visionaries who are shaping the future, and today’s learners who will one day succeed them. In 2004, The Futures Channel released the landmark classroom resource, The Digital Video Resource Library: Real Math. Real Science. Real Careers. It was developed to provide teachers access to The Futures Channel’s high-quality video and classroom activities and lessons on DVD and CD-ROM. In 2005, thefutureschannel.com was relaunched as an online destination for real world video. Since then, there have been over 15 million views of our online movies.
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10. What is the Online School Edition?
Over the years, professional educators have told us about specific needs they have in order to make the most of our movies and lessons including a robust search and navigation function so that an appropriate movie can be found within three clicks of the mouse. In addition, educators have asked for a way to ensure the movies will be available to use next year. Well, we’ve been listening. The Online School Edition is a comprehensive online video resource for professional educators that is designed for easy, fast use in the classroom.
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11. What are the major differences between the Online School Edition and the rest of the site?
Here are some of the features that set the Online School Edition apart from the rest of The Futures Channel’s site:
1. The Largest collection of Futures Channel Movies.
The Online School Edition contains the largest collection of Futures Channel movies to date including all the movies found on our Digital Video Resource Library DVD. In addition, the following classic PBS specials and series, featuring Jaime Escalante and Kay Toliver, have been made available for the first time online:
- Math, Who Needs It?! with Jaime Escalante
- Good Morning Miss Toliver
- Teacher Talk with Kay Toliver
- The Eddie Files with Kay Toliver
- The Kay Toliver Files
2. Curriculum-based navigation and search. The Online School Edition offers comprehensive navigation and search capabilities, which enable professional educators to find the right real-world movie and classroom activity or lesson quickly and easily. The Online School Edition can be searched by curriculum topics (fractions, physical science, statistics etc.), grade level (3 – 12) and subject descriptions (space, design, animals etc.).
3. Online School Edition subscribers can save favorite movies to their profiles for future use, reducing the time they have to search through the site for movies.
4. Dependable access. A subscription to the Online School Edition affords educators piece of mind that the resources will always be available and easy to find when needed. The featured movies and classroom resources on the front page of the Futures Channel’s normal site change every week.
In addition to all of these upgrades available on the Online School Edition, there are several other new features in the works including closed captioning and a section of Spanish-language videos.
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12. Why now?
Having our video resources available online has been our plan since day one, but Internet connectivity and available bandwidth in schools wasn’t always what we’d all like it to be. The Digital Video Resource Library on DVD was a good solution, and will remain available for educators who still prefer DVD products, but now that more and more of you are getting fast, reliable Internet connections, we want you to have access to our content anytime, anywhere.
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13. What do other educators think about the Online School Edition?
"This is a great tool to help a teacher show students the purpose behind some of the skills taught and how the skills can be used in real life. It is a great way to enhance lessons in math & science by using technology."
Donna Holmes-Lockett, Educator
School District of Philadelphia
"What a hot site. The Futures Channel just keeps hitting home runs."
Mike Rooney
“You all have done a brilliant job. I have really enjoyed using the site and look forward to using it in the future. Your pages are easy to read, everything works!!!! Good job!”
Nate Quarcelino, NBCT
Greenwood High School
Bowling Green, KY
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14. Are there plans to expand the Online School Edition?
Absolutely. We’ve got lots of fun, exciting plans in development to make this an invaluable resource for professional educators including a forum that allows our community of educators to share lesson ideas and an ongoing production of “close up” videos that illustrate specific math and science concepts much more explicitly than some of our more general movies currently do. (An idea many of you have suggested—we’re listening!)
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15. Is the site password protected?
Yes, all users, whether signing up as an individual subscriber or through their district, will be given a unique username and password.
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16. I’m interested in signing up my entire school or district for the Online School Edition. Can I customize the site to provide our teachers with the best utilization possible?
Yes. We have arranged for customized landing pages to be provided to schools, districts or states that subscribe. These landing pages, which we can change on a monthly basis, can include a logo, short introduction or welcome note to your educators, as well as a link to your state standard correlations.
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17. What is the length of time for a subscription?
It is an annual subscription. Discounts can be provided if you sign up for multiple years.
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