Computer Security

Skillbank Solutions Ltd

Some data thieves break into PCs electronically from remote locations, while others walk right in the front door during business hours. This program addresses the vulnerability of data stored on hard drives, on file servers, on removable media, and in computer memory, as well as of data passed over the Internet. Case studies of both large and small companies provide an opportunity for computer security experts to explain measures that every company should take in order to protect its information assets. Fire walls, virus containment, encryption, authentication, access controls, and the development of a corporate culture of security are stressed. (30 minutes)

Cybercrime: The Invisible Threat

Ways Press International

With such widespread access to the Internet, how vulnerable to online sabotage are banks, government agencies, nuclear plants, utilities, and hospitals? This program examines the Internet's exponential growth and evaluates risks posed by groups and individuals bent on crime or terrorism. Experts from the FBI, the Pentagon, and private companies, and even a self-confessed hacker comment on the danger of online fraud and "denial of service" attacks as well as on anti-hacking and biometric identification as ways of protecting the World Wide Web-and perhaps the world itself. (53 minutes)

Marketing: The Standard Deviants(r) Core Curriculum

Goldhil Home Media International

This persuasive six-part set, adapted from the popular series developed for students to enhance their test-taking skills, combines serious academic content with a humorous presentation style to help make the subject of marketing more accessible. Each program skillfully employs elements such as clever mnemonics, high-tech computer graphics, and entertaining vignettes to boost retention and confidence while driving home core concepts through concise explanations and case studies. Modules include: • What Is Marketing? • Marketing Planning • Marketing Research and Information • Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning • The Four P’s, Part 1: Product and Pricing • The Four P’s, Part 2: Place and Promotion Joining the Standard Deviants Academic Team in the creation of this set are John McCarty, Ph.D., of American University, and Barbara Rosenthal, Ph.D., of Miami-Dade Community College. Correlates to all applicable state and national standards. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. (1 hour 37 minutes)

Amazon.com and the World of E-Commerce

NewsHour Productions

In part one of this program, filmed prior to the foundering of the Internet economy, NewsHour correspondent Paul Solman examines the methodology of Amazon.com’s founder Jeffrey Bezos and Drugstore.com’s CEO Peter Neupert, who faced stiffening retail and online competition by innovatively adapting their business plans. In part two, correspondent Margaret Warner analyzes the meteoric rise of dotcoms and their impact on society with Anitesh Barua, co-author of a university study on Internet profitability; Andrew Shapiro, co-founder of technorealism; John Battelle, president of the now defunct Industry Standard; and former Wall Street analyst Paul Kedrosky. (29 minutes)

Your Computer, Your Way: Dell and the Direct Sales Model

NewsHour Productions

At Dell Computers, four hours is all it takes to build, test, and ship a custom PC. In this program, NewsHour correspondent Tom Bearden investigates Dell Computers' direct sales model and its impact on retailers and manufacturers. Visionary Michael Dell and top industry executives from Compaq, Gateway, and Circuit City stress the vital importance of improving supply chain management, providing single-point accountability, and leveraging efficiencies. But as Gateway and Circuit City scramble to exploit the trend toward customization, are computer manufacturers gearing up to eliminate retail altogether? (11 minutes)

Atomic Structure

Goldhil Home Media International

Atomic structure lies at the crossroads of both chemistry and physics, and this program examines a field of study crucial to both: the scientific shell game known as quantum mechanics. Schrodinger's mathematical distribution and the Pauli Exclusion Principle; electron orbitals and the three types of quantum numbers; and shells, subshells, and nodes are all discussed. A thorough demonstration of writing electron configurations is included as well. (27 minutes)

What Is Marketing?

Goldhil Home Media International

Is there a market for bacon-scented sun block? Yes-at least in theory. After explaining basic terminology such as needs, demands, and markets, this program outlines the three strategies for inducing potential customers to purchase merchandise-the product orientation, selling orientation, and marketing orientation-and defines the marketing concept, where product promotion is tailored to a target audience. (15 minutes)

Damping: Simple Harmonic Motion

Skillbank Solutions Ltd

This program investigates how the mathematical model of simple harmonic motion becomes more complex through the introduction of damping. The application of simple modeling techniques to create homogeneous linear second-order differential equations is illustrated. (44 minutes)

Internet Shopping: Interactive or Invasive?

NewsHour Productions

E-tailers routinely collect information from visitors to their Web sites to better target their ads. Is this surrender of privacy the price of a personalized online shopping experience? In this program, NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Kaye seeks to understand the dynamics of, and the ethical issues surrounding, strategic online marketing with top management from Buy.com, Lycos, and DoubleClick and an attorney from the Center for Democracy and Technology. From cookies to banner ads, the gathering and leveraging of consumer data is viewed as the key to making e-commerce viable. (13 minutes)

Technoscience: Blurring the Line Between Man and Machine

MundoVision

Was the performance of IBM's Deep Blue against Gary Kasparov an example of supersonic calculation or the first step toward artificial intelligence? Does the acclaimed performance artist Stelarc, striving to become a cyborg-like hybrid, represent the possibility of a strange new race? This startling program tracks advances in robotics at Stanford University and Honda Motors, biotechnology as applied to synthetic skin and organs, workplace computerization, surveillance using Xerox's "tab dogs," and nanotechnology, including atomic-scale machinery and designer genes, and speculates on their ultimate impact on society. (52 minutes)

Digital Divide: Teachers, Technology, and the Classroom

Sue Ellen McCann

As the digital revolution sweeps across America, many young people are experiencing what has come to be known as the digital divide. The first hour of this program examines the push to wire America's schools, addressing crucial issues such as integration of technology into curriculums, budget trade-offs that leave low-tech subjects starving for scarce funds, and the need for ongoing hardware and software support. In the second hour, more experts, innovators, and students look into the question of community and home access to computers and the Internet. In addition, they explore the fundamental alienation felt by many girls and students of color in the computer arena, and stress the importance of fostering a climate of inclusion. (2 hours in two parts)

Dreams: Theater of the Night

KCET TV

Why do dreams occur? What is their function? What do they mean? This provocative program looks at the facts and examines the theories, from Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams to today's neuroscience laboratory findings. The program visits a sleep research lab to explain REM sleep; another lab where researchers are using positron emission tomography (PET scanning) to explore the dreaming brain; and a therapy session where a patient describes a recurring dream. It covers a variety of theories about the physiological, chemical, and psychological reasons for, and results of dreams. (28 minutes)

Freedom of Speech: Augmentative Communication Success Stories

Spectra Media

For people with special needs, augmentative communication technology is opening the door to fuller expression, better education, and higher self-esteem. This program illustrates the positive impact of augmentative communication technology on the lives of Adam and Mike. Adam, once considered mentally retarded by school staff, has become a college-educated professional-thanks in part to an augmentative device-while the parents of 7-year-old Mike, who does not speak due to autism, believe that technological advances will soon help their son. (28 minutes)

Customer Focus

RAI Trade

A customer orientation is essential to successful product and market development. Module one of this program demonstrates the concept of key account management by way of the Dutch oil company NAM, which proactively develops solutions to potential client problems, while module two extends that concept to include the operations of R.S. Components in the U.K. Module three analyzes how seemingly homogeneous goods, such as paper, are differentiated in Finland to better satisfy consumer needs. (29 minutes)

Recorded Sound: The Dream Becomes a Reality

NVC Arts International

For centuries people dreamed of being able to record and play back sound. In 1877 Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and the whole course of music was forever changed. From the jukeboxes of the 1880s to contemporary composers blending live and recorded music, this program examines the effects, both positive and negative, that resulted from the birth of the phonograph and the subsequent development of electronic and computerized music-making devices. (51 minutes)

The Industry Leaders and Online Strategy

Magnet Media

Just as in the bricks-and-mortar world, a marketing plan is a must in cyberspace. In this program, leaders in the field of online marketing cut through the confusion to lay out the principles of driving traffic, branding, and targeting on the Internet. Executives from companies including 24/7 Media, Renegade Marketing Group, Beyond Interactive, and Media Metrix offer keen insights into a wide range of topics, such as the value of online linking, how to effectively integrate offline and online brands, and the use of focus groups and site registration to gather demographic information on niche communities. (13 minutes)

Push Marketing Techniques

Magnet Media

Push marketing, the essence of traditional advertising, easily translates to the Internet. This program explores a smorgasbord of online push marketing options, from staples including search engine optimization, banner ads, and interstitials to delicacies such as promotions, affiliations, sponsorships, and even rich media. The difference between directory- and spidering-based search engines is spelled out, and the value of reinforcing an online presence with offline advertising and guerilla marketing is also considered. (22 minutes)

The Internet: The End of TV as We Know It?

SND Films

How will producers, advertisers, and consumers be affected when information and entertainment merge into the on-demand environment of the Internet? Segment one of this program deals with the displacement of broadcast TV, while segment two examines the rise of cultural capitalism and the vanishing distinction between producers and consumers. A collage of interviews with Peter Schwartz, of Global Business Network; Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos; and heavy hitters from Walt Disney, Sony Digital Media, the Hollywood Stock Exchange, About.com, TiVo, Eidos Games, and MIT explore the business, cultural, and technological ramifications of living in a world where the Internet is the new medium of choice. (2 parts, 50 minutes each)

Business Communication: Reading

Meridian Education

If Mark and his colleagues are to meet a tight research deadline, they will have to read faster-and smarter-than ever. This dramatization illustrates the value of taking a time-saving approach to reading, which includes using skimming and active reading techniques, taking advantage of reader-friendly devices designed to help pinpoint information, and diligently concentrating on the content target zone. A Meridian Production. (18 minutes)

News Media Convergence: The Key to Synergy or Mediocrity?

NewsHour Productions

Thanks to favorable regulatory changes and the lure of greater profits, newspapers, broadcasters, and cable outlets are merging in an effort to tap each other's resources in the print, TV, and Internet news arenas. Will merger mania pave the way for faster and more dynamic reportage? Or will a slackening of competition allow news to become bland and homogeneous? In this program, Al Tompkins, of The Poynter Institute; Bob Haiman, of The Freedom Forum; and others air their views with NewsHour correspondent Terence Smith. They also share concerns over the danger to democracy of a free press stripped of editorial diversity. (14 minutes)

The Applications of Space Technology

Kodansha

This program covers both scientific and and utility satellites. Geostationary utility satellites include communication, meteorological, and broadcasting satellites; the science satellites cover an almost limitless range, from Explorer 1's discovery of the Van Allen Belt in 1958, to the discovery of solar wind and the gradual solution to the mystery of the polar auroras; Landsat, the Earth observation satellites, provide information for land utilization, water resource management, resource exploration, oceanic survey, and environmental monitoring. The program also covers such spin-off technologies as space suit material, high-temperature fire-fighting materials, nonflammable paper and fabrics, new insulating materials, vacuum refrigeration, and the energy-saving "Tech House." (28 minutes)

Wholesaling

Lynn Schwabe

Fashion merchandising begins with a designer, who conceptualizes garment styling and fabrication, and progresses through wholesaling where merchandise is manufactured and sold to retail stores. This comprehensive program presents a look at professionals in design and wholesale showrooms discussing how they buy fabrics, design, sell, and produce clothing lines. Viewers learn about the opportunities in this ever-changing field. A Cambridge Educational Production.

The Blind Watchmaker: The Evolutionary Ideas of Richard Dawkins

BBC Worldwide Learning

British biologist Richard Dawkins is blunt in his support for evolutionary theory as opposed to "special creationism." This program, inspired by Dawkins' book, allows each side to present its best arguments-with some bias toward Darwinian evolution. The evidence is well-organized and current. Creationist ideas are vividly contrasted with contradictory data through observation, computer simulations, robotics, experiments, and close examination of designs in nature. The central argument here is that the diversity we see in such complex adaptations as the eye and insect mimicry can best be explained by cumulative natural selection over long periods of time. A BBC Production. (49 minutes)

Color

The Arts Council of England

Color is perhaps the most powerful artistic element, but it is also the most difficult to control. In this program, artist June Redfern goes to Venice to see one of her favorite paintings—Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin. Analyzing Titian’s innovative use of color, Redfern traces other color innovations pioneered by artists like Monet, van Gogh, and Mark Rothko. (30 minutes)

The World According to Google

Nederlandse Omroep Stichting

To organize the world's information-that appears to be Google's aim. What does such a goal involve, exactly? What are the implications for academia and creative people? For business, the media, and society at large? This program seeks answers to those questions by going behind the scenes at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, as well as the company's London offices. A conversation with Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer and Google's "Chief Internet Evangelist," sheds light on search engine innovations and Google's role in advancing them. Interviews with company vice president Marissa Meyer and other key players explore the inner workings of the Information Age giant. (48 minutes)

The Pyramids

Southern Star

Although their function and architecture have inspired centuries of debate, the Egyptian pyramids harbor yet another enigma, having to do with their location. This program looks at why particular places were selected for pyramid-building and why new sites were chosen as Egypt's culture evolved. Explaining the architectural leap from the mastaba to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the program explores reasons for abandoning Saqqara, building on the Giza plateau and at Abu Roash, and returning to Saqqara. The availability of construction resources in these areas is analyzed, as well as an equally important religious factor-focusing on Heliopolis, the hub of sun worship. (25 minutes)

The Study of Memory

Uniview Worldwide

This program introduces the basic terms used in the study of memory—such as encoding and storage and retrieval—and looks briefly at the historical ideas about memory. Modern theories are explained using diagrams and real-life examples, and the program then goes on to discuss current research in the area of everyday memory. The reasons for forgetting are explored and the biological basis of memory outlined. In addition, the program examines ways of improving memory. The program emphasizes the radical shift from laboratory-based research to the study of memory in everyday life. The program also includes eight exercises for viewers to take part in, including memory tests and a video clip of a robbery to test recall for eyewitness testimony. (74 minutes)

Careers in the Physical Sciences

Cambridge Educational

There's nothing boring about stopping a speeding bullet, especially when it's accomplished with liquid. How about designing robots based on insect anatomy...or using computers to figure out what George Washington really looked like? This video shows students the thrills and rewards of working in the physical sciences, demonstrating that becoming a chemist, physicist, or engineer involves fun, personal challenges, and the chance to develop groundbreaking technologies. The program profiles a mechanical engineer, a chemical engineer, a materials scientist, a mathematician, and a forensic scientist specializing in digital reconstruction. A Cambridge Educational Production. Recommended for grades 6-12. (26 minutes)

The Wave Nature of Light

Northey Productions

Is light composed of waves or particles? This collection of 17 computer-animated video modules explores the wave model of light, from its earliest roots to our modern understanding of electromagnetism. Empedocles’ belief that light streams from the eye, Aristotle’s conception of light as a disturbance in ether, and Euclid’s mathematical, ray-centered paradigms are all explored. The Cartesian sine wave model, Huygens’ principle of bending wave fronts, the electromagnetic spectrum, and aspects of particle theory are also presented, along with overviews of diffraction, interference, polarization, and dispersion, and an explanation of Young’s double-slit experiment. (76 minutes)

The Special Theory of Relativity

Northey Productions

How did 20th-century physics change long-held notions of light's makeup and behavior? This group of 12 concise computer-animated videos illustrates Einstein's monumental contributions to the study of light. Showing how rudimentary ideas of material wave motion yielded to more advanced concepts of electromagnetic waves, the program details Einstein's conclusions about the speed of light and his conception of time-which, given his findings on mass and energy, proceeds according to variable frames of reference. Relativistic thought experiments, conveyed through helpful animation, demonstrate simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic mass. (63 minutes)

Spotlight on Careers in Technology

Joy of Giving Something

What is it like to be a visionary, to have a hand in shaping the future through important technologies? Section one of this program showcases the environmentally clean, zero-emission Ballard Fuel Cell as Geoffrey Ballard himself explains how he developed it against all odds. In section two, Bob Mason, cofounder of the direct-to-Internet TV service Brightcove, discusses why he and partner Jeremy Allaire started the company, Brightcove’s place in the Internet revolution, and career options in the ever-changing high-tech industry. Part of the series The Road to Success: Stories of Career Satisfaction in Popular Fields. (18 minutes)

CyberEthics

Cambridge Educational

Most people learn traditional standards of behavior and respect for others by the time they are teenagers—but many don’t realize that those rules are just as valid in cyberspace. This program helps students take the high road on the information superhighway and avoid the temptations of the fast lane, pointing the way toward an ethically sound Internet presence and lifestyle. Guidelines for the use of intellectual property are featured, with emphasis on the consequences of illegal downloading, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Pornography, gaming sites, chat rooms, and online social networks are also discussed, helping viewers steer clear of antisocial and abusive activities, especially cyberbullying. Comments from experts, as well as questions from peers who are confused about the fine points of cyber legality, serve to clarify central ethical principles. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. Correlates to National ISTE Technology Foundation Standards for Students. A Cambridge Educational Production. (14 minutes)

Construction

Visual Education Centre

In this program, three women with rewarding careers in the construction trades describe their work. Menyui Leung is a welder with experience in manufacturing and shipbuilding; Suzy Zaric is a restoration carpenter specializing in damage repair; Luce Gregoire is an electrician who works on lighting and heating equipment. Conversations with coworkers and supervisors add to the descriptions of each job. Part of the series Career Options for Women: Emerging Opportunities. (24 minutes)

Information Technology

Visual Education Centre

Students can learn a lot from women who have found success in the IT field. This program profiles Coraleigh Hine, a computer service support technician specializing in sales and installation; Shawna White, a desktop support analyst who troubleshoots and repairs client problems; and Nancy Nadeau, a software developer producing high-end tools for digital image creation. Interviews with coworkers and supervisors help to create well-rounded descriptions of each job. Part of the series Career Options for Women: Emerging Opportunities. (25 minutes)

Robotic Surgery

Information Television Network (ITN)

Less bleeding, less infection, shorter hospital stays—robot-assisted surgery offers these and other benefits, and will probably become the standard in time. This program educates viewers about robotic surgery, focusing on two difficult procedures—prostatectomy and heart bypass surgery—that robotic support has vastly improved. Featuring the da Vinci robot, which gives doctors remote surgical capability and ultrafine dexterity, the program offers the expert testimony of Dr. Jonathan Hwang of Washington Hospital Center, Dr. Farzad Najam of George Washington University Medical Center, and Dr. Robert Poston of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. A helpful prostatectomy case study is included. (25 minutes)

The Moorish South: Art in Muslim and Christian Spain from 711 to 1492

BBC Worldwide Learning

Under Muslim rule, Spain became the most advanced, wealthy, and populous country in Europe, with great leaps forward in art, architecture, and many other fields. In this program, art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon travels from Córdoba to Seville and on to Granada as he tells the story of art in Islamic and medieval Spain. Richly designed and decorated buildings such as the Great Mosque in Córdoba, the Alcazar in Seville, and the Alhambra in Granada are examined, along with ornate gardens, other objects of art, and even culinary innovations. All of these striking visual examples help viewers understand the debt which both modern Spain and modern Europe owe to Moorish Spain. Contains some objectionable language and images. Original BBCW broadcast title: The Moorish South. (51 minutes)

Cordoba-in Spanish

Ente Público Radiotelevisión

Once the largest city in Europe and the center of Islamic culture and scholarship, Cordoba now presents a richly textured urban landscape combining old and new. This program offers an informative itinerary through the city's monuments, religious buildings, and historic water routes. Visiting the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral, the Medina Azahara, the Synagogue, and the Fortress of the Christian Monarchs, viewers will also encounter the Roman bridge, Cordoba's centuries-old Arabian mills, and the Gardens of Albolafia-a paradise within the city. The beauty of flamenco dancing and the significance of several festivals, including the famed Courtyard or Patio Festival, will further enlighten students.

Electric Generators

Shopware

This program looks at physics principles behind AC and DC generators. The relationship between a changing magnetic field and the induction of electric current is examined. A hand rule is introduced to predict the generator effect in a linear length of conductor exposed to a changing magnetic field. The behavior of a rotating coil in a magnetic field leads to the practical construction of an AC motor. Split-ring commutator generators are introduced, as well as the more common alternator as a means of generating DC electricity. Specific modules include Generating Electricity, Inductors, Generator Left-Hand Rule, Generator Electromotive Rule, AC Generators, and DC Generators. Correlates to all National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act). A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. A Shopware Production. (20 minutes)

Podcasting and Blogging Essentials

Carmelina Films

In a Web 2.0 world, anyone can broadcast or publish online-and this clear and simple program explains how to do it, step by step. Using plain English and plenty of visuals, Podcasting and Blogging Essentials spells out what podcasts and blogs are, how to find and access them on the Internet, and how to create them from scratch and upload them to the Web. No previous knowledge is required. An excellent starting point for students and educators alike who want to get their message out and would like to see how it's done. Viewable/printable supporting materials are available online. (58 minutes)

The Turning Torso, Malmo

Electric Sky

What happens when a city loses its trademark industry and the trademark architectural icon that goes with it? That was the problem facing the Swedish shipbuilding city of Malmo when the Kockums Crane was dismantled in 2002. This program illustrates the city’s radical solution—a dramatic reinvention of its skyline and its socioeconomic image with the Turning Torso apartment building. Viewers will learn about the tower’s unique sculptural origins, its twisted cube-stack shape, its unusual slanted windows, and its role in creating Malmo’s postindustrial identity. The civic controversy that frequently accompanies daring building design is also explored. (28 minutes)

Eureka Tower, Melbourne

Electric Sky

As globally recognized landmarks go, the Sydney Opera House is tough to beat. But the city of Melbourne has impressive features of its own. This program looks at the high life while going down under—exploring Melbourne’s 300-meter Eureka Tower, the tallest residential building in the world and the most exclusive address in the southern hemisphere. Featuring interviews with architect Nonda Katsalidis and developer Benni Aroni, the episode provides an in-depth tour of the dynamic structure and shows how its design is aimed at Australia’s highfliers. Viewers will learn about the building’s exterior color scheme, a tribute to the Victorian Gold Rush, and its relationship to the interior shapes and décor. (28 minutes)

Cologne Cathedral

Electric Sky

Any serious study of the modern skyscraper must acknowledge its precursor—the Gothic cathedral. This program examines the design, construction, and history of Cologne Cathedral—which, for a grand total of four years, was the tallest building in the world. Dr. Barbara Schock-Werner, the cathedral’s resident chief architect, describes political and cultural conditions during Cologne’s initial building years and guides viewers through the evolution of the colossal church. Dr. Ulrike Brinkmann, in charge of the cathedral’s acres of stained glass, sheds light on the religious meanings and architectural significance of the myriad colored windows. (28 minutes)

Careers in Technology

Beneficial Books & Video

Viewers learn about the opportunities to work in the expanding world of technology as they examine a wide variety of jobs. Included are: transportation, power, energy sources and alternative sources, communications, graphic communications, construction, manufacturing, and many others. Growth potential, educational requirements, and a salary range provide helpful information for career planning and future job training. (20 min.) A Meridian Production.

Desktop Publishing: Getting the Message Out

Meridian Education

From prehistoric cave paintings to the invention of today's high-speed printing presses, there has always been a need to "get the message out," and with the advent of computer technology, anyone can get their own message out with the services of a desktop publishing professional. Using computers and DTP software packages, these pros work in home offices and small design firms putting together everything from glossy business reports to restaurant menus to wedding invitations. It's an exciting career area and experienced DTP designers are much in demand. Desktop Publishing: Getting the Message Out introduces the world of digital design with a look at the work these artists do, the hardware and software needs of a DTP pro, and some of the elements of page design that go into creating an attractive, effective document. Desktop publishing is a career more students should consider and this video "look behind the scenes" will help your students do just that. A Meridian Production. (16 minutes)

Fluid Power Technology-Control Mechanisms

Beneficial Books & Video

Summarizes the many ways to control a fluid power system. Everything from a simple hand valve to programmable controllers are included in this useful educational program. The construction and operation of pilot valves, solenoid valves, sensors, PCs, and other devices are clearly explained. Live footage from industry and computer animation make this an entertaining yet highly condensed and informative presentation. Ideal for classes in fluid power, mechanical and electrical engineering, general technology, physics, and science. (27 min.) A Meridian Production.

Fluid Power Technology-At Work

Beneficial Books & Video

Brings the fluid power industry into your classroom. A broad overview of the many applications of hydraulics and pneumatics is summarized. Everything from the steam engine to the space shuttle to a huge robotic dinosaur eating an airplane is shown in this highly entertaining program. A few of the subjects covered include: advantages of hydraulic versus pneumatic systems, small power equipment, mobile equipment, as well as fluid power in the transportation, aviation, machining, manufacturing, mining, energy, and chemical processing industries. Hydrostatic drive, machine automation, hydro-milling, destructive testing, and many other topics are included. (24 min.) A Meridian Production.

How Computers Operate

Beneficial Books & Video

Information is one of the best ways to become comfortable with computers. Computer terms like circuit, byte, bit, megabytes, RAM, digital logic, motherboard, operating system, booting application, and many others will become familiar as viewers learn the basics shown in this program. One 26-minute video. A Meridian Production.

Virtual Worlds: Inside Online Games

Dallica Pictures

As online gaming companies position themselves to tap an entertainment market that is projected to explode, researchers question the safety of deeply immersive virtual worlds. In this program, MIT psychologist and sociologist Sherry Turkle; David Greenfield, author of Virtual Addiction; Richard Garriott, creator of Ultima Online; Brad McQuaid, co-creator of EverQuest; representatives of Sony Online Entertainment and Mythic Entertainment; Janet Murray, author of Hamlet on the Holodeck; and many others tackle some big questions: What makes these games so compelling? Are they clinically addictive? And do they promote violence? Additional topics include player demographics, the profit potential of the online gaming industry, and the future of TV in the era of interactive entertainment. (52 minutes)

Jane Jacobs: Urban Wisdom

Don Alexander

Through her groundbreaking books, Jane Jacobs has influenced the planning and understanding of cities and economies with what she calls a "web way of thinking." In this program, Jacobs shares her insights into urban planning by tracing the progression of ideas in her books, including The Death and Life of Great American Cities; The Economy of Cities; Cities and the Wealth of Nations; Systems of Survival; and her most recent, The Nature of Economies. An extended interview with Jacobs is blended with scenes from various North American cities and footage of her 1997 seminar, "Ideas That Matter." (45 minutes)

E-Mail Etiquette

ClickView Pty Limited

There is little doubt that e-mail is an extremely useful innovation that has changed, and continues to change, the way we communicate. However, the fact that e-mail is different from both voice- and paper-based communication can be a source of frustration for many people. This program gives viewers an understanding of the conventions that have been developed by e-mail users over the years to facilitate effective communication. In addition, the video exposes many of the myths that exist regarding such issues as e-mail privacy, and warns of possible dangers when using e-mail. The words “spamming” and “flaming” may not make sense to everyone, but chances are they’ve come across examples of this type of behavior in their e-mail usage. The animated “cyber postman,” who features throughout the video, has seen every example of bad e-mail usage you could imagine. With his assistance we provide a comprehensive introduction to the etiquette of using e-mail. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (20 minutes)

Technology: The Web and World English

Electric Sky

While tracing the spread of English via Internet technology, this program considers the implications of such de facto linguistic hegemony in a world of high-tech haves and have-nots. In addition, the program examines the simultaneous standardization and fragmentation of English as it is acquired by non-native English-speakers in Africa and Asia. Interviews with specialists drawn from WorldCom and Sony subsidiary So-Net, the Library of Congress and the British Library, CNN and the BBC, and elsewhere provide a wide-angle perspective on digital content, language translation utilities, and initiatives to bridge the digital and linguistic divides. (52 minutes)

The History of Computers

Cambridge Educational

The history of computers is not just the story of a specialized machine but of a great idea and the people who made it happen. Initially designed as large-scale calculators, computers have quickly become indispensable tools in every field of endeavor. This fascinating program traces the course of technological innovations leading up to today's computers, from Charles Babbage and his analytical engine of the 1860s to 21st-century PCs. All the major concepts, advances, and companies are explored using demonstrations, expert commentary, and historic film footage and interviews. The program shows how ideas such as Boolean logic, the binary system, magnetic/iron core memory, and microprocessors have dramatically increased the capacity of computers while drastically reducing their size, a phenomenon known as Moore's Law. The personal computer or PC boom is easily seen as an inevitable event, with software programmers such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates emerging as its leaders. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (26 minutes)

Time and Money

INCA (London)

In this program, Dominic Fonti observes the effects of stress tests on a mock-up of the Worldwide Plaza exterior wall; laborers begin building the skyscraper's frame and pouring its floors; William Zeckendorf's staff deals with design changes demanded by future tenant Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, which alters the schedule and budget of the entire project; and the architects and developers go head to head over the color of the structure's exterior bricks. A trip to Glen-Gery Brick, based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, demonstrates how the nearly 1.25 million bricks needed for the glass-and-masonry tower are manufactured. (53 minutes)

Gambling on the Future: Internet Gaming

Creative Media Marketing

Gambling is the world's third-largest industry, and the Web has made it more global than ever. One in twenty Americans gamble online, an illegal activity under the Wire Act which forbids interstate bookmaking over phone lines. This program looks at the explosive proliferation of Internet gaming and how America-its people and its government-are reacting to it. To present an overview of gambling in the electronic era, the video canvasses many perspectives, from Web bookmaker Victor Chandler to casino owner and publisher Larry Flynt; from Congressional opponents of Internet gambling, such as John Goodlatte, John Wolf, and Senator Jon Kyle, to Congressman Ron Paul, who opposes regulation of the Web. (50 minutes)

The Goals of Customer Service

Master Source

Ours is increasingly becoming a service economy. It follows that our premiere commodity is customer service. This program describes and defines the problem: what customer service is and what it isn't; the skills necessary to achieve it; the rationale for improving service; the categories of customer service-decision-making service (helping customers decide), problem-solving service (fixing things), and time-of-purchase service. (20 minutes)

The Future of the Web: XML

Information Television Network (ITN)

What do Amazon.com, Kaiser Permanente, Envera, and NASA have in common? They all use XML, or Extensible Markup Language, the "nuts and bolts" of Internet programming and the emerging standard for e-commerce applications. Whereas HTML is a single, predefined text formatter, XML functions as a very flexible data formatter, a metalanguage allowing for the smooth transfer of information between companies. This program explores how XML eliminates many problems of data incompatibility, as in B-to-B transactions, and facilitates specific technical uses, like large-scale electronic publishing or the creation of specialized documents. (26 minutes)

Leadership in a Fast-Paced Economy

Window to the World Communications

Both were founded in 1927. Both are still going strong. And both are counting on their abilities to implement new technologies and to react quickly to changing customer tastes to stay ahead of the competition. This program pairs up James Keyes, president and CEO of 7-Eleven, and Donald Carty, chairman, president, and CEO of AMR Corporation and American Airlines, to comment on the CEO as a catalyst for change and to share how they serve customers on the go and stay ahead of cost-cutting competitors. (58 minutes)

The Home Maker: Samuel Sambo Mockbee

Nightline

Award-winning architect and recipient of a 2000 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, Samuel Mockbee had a practical approach to architecture that reflected his lofty ideals. Based out of the Rural Studio he cofounded at Auburn University, Mockbee and his students designed and built-free of charge-homes and other structures using recyclable materials for people in one of Alabama's poorest areas, Hale County. In this program filmed a year before Mockbee's death, ABC News correspondent Robert Krulwich talks with the architect about his philosophy and goals in a field that often forgets that buildings are for people, not other architects. (22 minutes)

Manufacturing Systems

Meridian Education

More detailed information on the manufacturing system is given, including in-depth discussion of the types of manufacturing systems (continuous, intermittent, and custom, with discussion of each type's benefits and a comparison of the three), inputs, tools and equipment, workers, organizations, human and material resources, productivity, and quality control. Included is a discussion on modernization of manufacturing systems for maintaining and increasing productivity and quality. (17 min.) A Meridian Production.

Yesterday the Moon, Tomorrow Mars?

Cambridge Educational

How did we get to the Moon? What have we accomplished in the years since? And what challenges lie ahead? To answer these questions, this video tracks the history of Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo; touches on Skylab, the International Space Station, the space shuttle, and the crew exploration vehicle; and considers next steps toward colonizing Mars, including robotic data-gathering missions involving the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Mars Science Laboratory. Plans to return to the Moon are also discussed. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (24 minutes)

The NewsHour: Technology

NewsHour Productions

Has the high-tech revolution enhanced or inhibited our quality of life? This selection of NewsHour segments reveals examples of digital technology applied in both beneficial and potentially destructive ways. The program focuses on LED-based lighting, state-of-the-art sports training, nanotechnology for hydrogen fuel cells, and the computer-aided reconstruction of King Tut's true appearance. It also looks at what some experts say are cases of technological overconfidence-such as computerized voting machines and the American military's proposed National Missile Defense System-as well as the dark menagerie of worms and viruses coursing through cyberspace. Original broadcast dates: 10/23/03 to 11/10/05. (76 minutes)

Hot Off the Press: Inside a Daily Newspaper

ClickView Pty Limited

Believe it or not, print journalism is alive and kicking in the digital age. This video takes viewers behind the scenes at a large daily newspaper, exploring in detail how staff members fulfill their writing, illustration, and assembly duties, and how the paper-based periodical has adapted to high-tech documentation, communication, and delivery methods. News and feature reporters, sub-editors, photographers, and the paper's news editor and print manager all discuss their challenges and responsibilities in detail-shedding light on how newsworthy events are tracked, stories are assigned, fieldwork is accomplished, pages are digitally laid out, and other aspects of journalism. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (26 minutes)

Information Literacy: The Perils of Online Research

Cambridge Educational

In a world of information overload, information literacy has become a survival skill. But what exactly does information literacy mean? With a focus on the Internet, this video explains how to conduct solid online research by collecting information in an organized, efficient, and ethical way. Professor Maurita Holland of the University of Michigan School of Information provides expert commentary and guidance on a range of research activities, including evaluating the credibility of Web content, documenting online sources, and paraphrasing—not copying—the words of others. Additionally, a high school teacher and a graduate student demonstrate real-world examples to reinforce the challenges and rewards of online research. The consequences of plagiarism and shaky facts are emphasized. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (21 minutes)

Bivariate Data: When y Depends on x

University of Sheffield Learning Media Unit

This program demonstrates how "qualitative" bivariate data can be visualized by using a modification of the simple Bar Chart. Quantitative data is dealt with by developing the Dot Plot into the Scatter Diagram, which allows any correlation to show itself in a linear relation. The program explains how this correlation can be modeled by calculating a "Line of Best Fit," how to calculate 95% Confidence Bands, and how to calculate a summary measure for any correlation called the Correlation Coefficient. Finally, the program explains how to deal with data that indicates a curved Line of Best Fit by either finding a way of re-plotting to provide a linear correlation or, alternatively, how to calculate a curved Line of Best Fit. (20 minutes)

Early Television Is Demonstrated by John Logie Baird ca. 1929

British Pathe

John Logie Baird was one of the early inventors of the television. In March 1925, he held one of the first demonstrations of the new technology, which he named the "televisor" at a department store in England. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

The WPA Film Library: Lab Technicians Test Drugs on Animals ca. 1956

The WPA Film Library

The use of animals in scientific research has always been controversial. During the 1950s, when the pharmaceutical industry began to grow, companies that tested vaccines and other drugs on laboratory animals such as chimpanzees and gerbils released films downplaying the issue of cruelty to animals while emphasizing the importance of animal testing to consumer product safety. The Animal Welfare Act of 1966 aimed to improve conditions for some laboratory animals.

Jihad TV: Terrorism and Mass Media

Journeyman Pictures

In al Qaeda’s global jihad against the West, videos of smiling suicide bombers and insurgent ambushes have become as important as the attacks they glorify. This program illustrates in chilling detail how Islamic extremists use the power of the Internet and the network sound bite. From the markets of Baghdad, where brightly packaged jihadist DVDs are snapped up by young consumers, to the broadcast studios of Al Arabiya, where editors debate the merits and consequences of airing graphic violence, the program explores the inextricable links between media technology and terrorist agendas. One scene features training footage from the Global Islamic Media Front explaining how to use Windows Movie Maker to craft an effective video. Viewer discretion is advised. (Portions in Arabic with English subtitles, 47 minutes)

Architects at Work

NewsHour Productions

City planning that puts people before cars, sculptural museums that are as artistic as the masterpieces they contain, commercial spaces that redefine retail—these are some of the paradigm-shaking ideas of today’s architects at work. This compilation of recent NewsHour segments introduces viewers to Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind, Vincent Scully, and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk—visionaries in the world of architecture. Episodes include: • Frank Gehry on the Guggenheim Bilbao: Elizabeth Farnsworth talks with architect Frank Gehry about the process of designing and building the Guggenheim Bilbao. Segment also sold as a part of Pritzker Prize-Winning Architects. • Vincent Scully and the New Urbanism: Ray Suarez and architectural historian Vincent Scully discuss the rethinking of urban form through city planning that de-emphasizes cars and focuses on community. Segment also sold individually. • Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and the New Urbanism: Ray Suarez interviews Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, coauthor of Suburban Nation, on the New Urbanism as exemplified by the Kentlands, a housing development in Gaithersburg, Maryland. • Rem Koolhaas and the Architecture of Shopping: Using the Prada store in Manhattan’s SoHo district as a springboard, Ray Suarez talks with architect Rem Koolhaas about a new approach to designing commercial space. • Daniel Libeskind on the Denver Art Museum: Jeffrey Brown and Daniel Libeskind discuss the Denver Art Museum and the Rocky Mountains, from which the architect drew his inspiration. (54 minutes)

Electric Current

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

This program explores how electric energy became an essential tool with the advent of electricity storage, allowing the flow of current to do useful work. Conductors and insulators, voltage, and current are defined and examined, using a water flow model to help ensure understanding. The difference between electron flow and current flow models is explained, and the nature of direct and alternating current (both one- and two-phase) is developed. Specific modules include Tapping a Source, Conductors and Insulators, Direction of Flow, Potential Difference, Measuring Voltage, Measuring Current, Alternating Current, and AC Voltage. Correlates to all National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act). A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. A Shopware Production. (26 minutes)

How We Move: The Brain and Biomechanics

German United Distributors

At the twilight of an active life, Anna is now bedridden due to a serious fall. What makes the elderly-even those who are in full possession of their mental and physical faculties-more prone to falling than younger people? As this program demonstrates, the answer lies not in the body or the brain alone, but in their interconnection. Exploring Anna's past dreams of becoming a ballerina, the film shows how complex physical motion such as dancing or even typing requires sophisticated coordination between the body's neural, muscular, and skeletal systems. How aging affects such coordination, and how new artificial limb technology enables movement, are important themes in the program. (52 minutes)

Averroes and Al-Mutamid-in Spanish

Ente Público Radiotelevisión

Incorporating examples of building design and urban planning from the 12th century, this program studies the confrontations that took place between Christian and Muslim cultures as the reconquista of Spain progressed. Viewers will encounter the medieval city of Córdoba—the birthplace not only of King Al-Mutamid but of the Islamic philosopher known as Averroes, whom many scholars believe to be the founder of Western secular thought. The Christian recovery of Toledo is also explored, focusing on the mosques of Las Tornerías, castles with distinctly Arabian architecture, and other instructive cases.

Q1, Australian Gold Coast

Electric Sky

Once a trendy haven for beach bums, Surfers Paradise is fast becoming the Miami of the southern hemisphere, thanks to developers aiming to make it a resort for the rich and famous. Surfers' skyline is changing too, with the massive Q1 Tower now dominating the landscape. This program looks at the imposing structure from more than one angle, studying its extraordinary design elements while asking: how has its pristine environment been affected? Viewers will learn about Q1's massive exterior canopy, its honeycomb core that reduces weight while maintaining structural strength, and the system of 26 supporting piles that had to be buried in the sandy soil beneath the tower. (28 minutes)

Artful Architecture: The Getty Center and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

NewsHour Productions

Modern museums are nearly as artistic as the art that they house. In part one of this program, correspondent Jeffrey Kaye discusses the Getty Center's design with architect Richard Meier, architecture critic Leon Whiteson, and Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight. In addition, Kaye examines the Center's manuscript and photograph collections, educational outreach program, and role in worldwide art preservation. In part two, journalist Elizabeth Farnsworth talks with Frank Gehry about the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's remarkably innovative design. Gehry's efforts to reconcile the museum with the striking local topography and heritage led to the creation of a titanium-clad, ship-like gallery combined with a "village of shapes." Critics are unified in their praise, calling the museum an architectural miracle of major significance. (29 minutes)

Yangtze: New China and the Old River

Ente Público Radiotelevisión

When the Chinese government completes the 1.2-mile Three Gorges Dam, its 370-mile reservoir is expected to partially or completely blot out 2 cities, 11 counties, 140 towns, 326 townships, and 1,351 villages. This program, filmed during the initial phase of the project, documents the lives of the people who will be uprooted-and some of the finest scenery in China, which will be lost-when the dam is completed. Supporters say the benefits of the project far outweigh the costs, but the 1.1 million people who face resettlement disagree. An RTVE Production. (84 minutes)

Virtual Friends: Living in Cyberspace

ITEL Worldwide

Relationships in the modern megalopolis: interpersonal or impersonal? This program investigates the new interactive society model in which physical neighborhoods connected by proximity have been displaced by virtual neighborhoods linked by technology. Topics discussed include the intimate anonymity of the Internet; the use of emoticons in e-mail; the growing importance of telecommunications; the Pavlovian response to a ringing telephone; and the relationship category defined as "familiar strangers." (25 minutes)

Monitoring Student Progress

Agency for Instructional Technology

Frequent and regular assessment of student progress is an effective method for driving schools towards equity and academic excellence. This program focuses on how student assessment data can be used to evaluate and improve instructional priorities and strategies, to communicate high expectations, and to involve parents and the community in a school's efforts. (18 minutes)

Bertolt Brecht

East German Television

A documentary portrait of this bold theatrical innovator and his work. The program shows his roots and the theatrical and social background of his formative years, and analyzes the development of his vision of the theatre-episode in place of Aristotelian plot, the use of nonliterary devices, new techniques in character portrayal, and new aims for the very concept of theatre. (55 minutes)

Resorts: Paradise Reclaimed

Mobile Corporation

American pioneers had to overcome the dangerous wilderness; Americans at rest want to return to nature-not the wilderness, but a tamed and peaceful nature.Having cut down nature to build cities, we bring back the country through parks: New York's Central Park gives us a dreamlike, idealized New York with forests, lakes, hills, meadows, foot and bridle paths, and architecture to complement the picturesque settings; vacationers sought rusticity with comfort, and nature brought indoors became the fad. The ultra-rich built a private resort town around a country club (The Newport Casino, R.I.- both classical and colloquial, the first example of the Shingle Style); they found shelter in marble palaces (they called them cottages)-the Vanderbilts contributed to this genre; Addison Mizner concocted Palm Beach for it.Postwar Florida resorts bear the stong imprint of Hollywood-in the great hotels of Miami Beach and in the fantasy of Disney World, which gives us the elemental, mythically American Main Street. (58 minutes)

The Cutting Edge: Innovative Surgical Methods

Harmony Management

This program explores emerging technologies that are revolutionizing how surgeons perform operations and deliver critical care. Featured modalities include the gamma knife, a viable alternative to invasive brain surgery for a growing list of conditions, as well as telementoring and robotic surgery, high-tech approaches to delivering specialized healthcare to remote regions. Clinical footage from the operating room vividly conveys the ultimate benefits these advances in surgical tools and techniques promise patients around the world. (47 minutes)

America the Ugly: Searching for a Better Way to Live

Nightline

Since World War II, suburbia has taken over broad sections of America, squeezing out Main Street USA in favor of cookie-cutter subdivisions, shopping centers, and business parks. Is the New Urbanism-in which the needs of people, not cars, come first-the antidote for suburban sprawl? In this program, ABC News anchor Forrest Sawyer and correspondent Michel McQueen report on the housing paradigm called "traditional neighborhood developments" with architect and town planner Andres Duany, known as the Pied Piper of New Urbanism and creator of communities such as Kentlands, Maryland, and Seaside, Florida. (22 minutes)

Researching Career Options: New Technologies and Current Techniques

San Mateo County Community College District

This video focuses on finding career options using both print and electronic sources of occupational information. Using key information categories, students develop approaches that will lead to strong and thorough research efforts. (28 minutes)

Evolution

Filmoption International

Since Charles Darwin formulated his theory of natural selection, our view of the world has changed. Although Darwin's theory itself has "evolved," scientists agree that living species slowly but surely diverged from common ancestors. This program begins with a segment on fossils, one of the most convincing proofs of evolution. It then retraces the major steps of evolution as they were uncovered by science. It also presents the major theories of evolution. (23 minutes)

Glass and Ceramics

Filmoption International

Glass and ceramic are some of the oldest man-made materials. This program demonstrates two traditional glass-making techniques: glass blowing and the art of stained glass windows. It also follows the production of industrial ceramics, explaining that this material is constantly being used in new applications. Finally, we are shown the expanded use of glass in architecture, where it is increasingly replacing wood and stone. (23 minutes)

Architectural Techniques

Filmoption International

Like other technologies, architecture has changed across the centuries. The discovery of new materials, the understanding of physical principles, and the development of new construction techniques have permitted architects to extend the boundaries of the possible. This program demonstrates some of the basic architectural techniques, such as the arch and the use of beams; shows how lasers and photography are used in conjunction with traditional techniques to preserve endangered monuments; and reveals innovative uses of textiles in an architectural context. (23 minutes)

The New World of Fitness and Recreation

Allegro Productions.

This Science Screen Report explores the growing importance of science in sports and recreation. The program shows how technological research fuels athletic achievement and profoundly influences equipment and facility design, and the ways in which robotics, computers, and high-speed cameras are enabling humans to interact with our planet's different environments. Clearly demonstrating a wide range of advances, The New World of Fitness and Recreation offers an inspiring view into a surprising intersection of disciplines. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (15 minutes)

Energy: Electricity from the Moon

Allegro Productions.

The ocean tides offer a clean and renewable energy source that can reduce reliance on fossil fuels. This Science Screen Report shows how Earth's tides are formed, illustrates their relationship to the Moon's gravitational forces, and explains how these principles can be applied to the construction of underwater turbines. The program also explores efforts to reduce the environmental impact of dams that are essential in the operation of undersea power plants. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (14 minutes)

An Introduction to Web Site Design

ClickView Pty Limited

This program offers a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles of Web site design. Applicable to online retail outlets, electronic newspapers, blogs, search engines, and other types of sites, it explains how to identify the target audience, determine the site's core purpose, apply Ben Schneiderman's eight golden rules of GUI design, address technological issues and matters of visual appeal, and carry out an ongoing test/evaluation/update cycle. Interviews with two successful Web site designers are also included, to illustrate how it all comes together in the real world. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (25 minutes)

Changing Nature: Population and Environment at a Crossroads

Saybrook Productions

This program examines how urbanization, industrialization, and overreaching agriculture are depleting the Earth of its natural resources. Citing environmental changes in Morocco, Ghana, Ukraine, Mexico, and Vietnam, the program studies the impact of population growth and profiles organizations that respond to ecological crises stemming from such growth. With a focus on educational outreach efforts, particularly those for women and children, and the promotion of sustainable development in environmentally compromised regions, Changing Nature concludes that all ecological problems are essentially global and require global solutions. (58 minutes)

Magnetism: Invisible Fields of Force

Allegro Productions.

This Science Screen Report studies the physical force known as electromagnetism and how it encircles, interacts with, and is generated by matter. Demonstrating attractive and repulsive forces with iron filings suspended in liquid, the program explains the significance of a magnet's poles and why some materials are more magnetic than others. The electromagnetic fields of the Earth and Sun are also explored, with attention to magnetism's role in animal migration, the aurora borealis, and solar storms. Animated sequences reinforce essential concepts. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (14 minutes)

Integrating Media into the Classroom: Theory and Research

Cambridge Educational

"To be able to integrate as many of the multiple intelligences as possible into a single codified approach is extremely powerful and beneficial," says media theoretician Lou Fournier Marzeles. In this video, he and other recognized experts review the history of educational media and then clearly state the case for media as a powerful-and highly effective-classroom tool. "By using a lot of images in the classroom, are we really going to raise our test scores?" asks Dr. Lynell Burmark, author of Visual Literacy: Learn to See, See to Learn. "The answer to that is unequivocally Yes." Program segments include "History and Context," "Supporting Research," "Delivery Modes and Methods," "What Media Can Do for My Students," and "The Future of Media in the Classroom." A viewable/printable viewing guide is available online. Correlates to National Education Technology Standards for Teachers from the International Society of Technology Education. A Cambridge Educational Production. (28 minutes)

Kids and Computers

American Public Television (APT)

The high-tech revolution is led by children, many of whom possess skills that baffle their parents. From chat rooms to Web pages to kid-created Internet companies, this video explores computer-assisted learning and the value of the "virtual classroom." (22 minutes)

Istanbul City Guide: Pilot Guides

555 Productions

This episode of Pilot Guides follows Estelle Bingham's exploration of the ancient city of Istanbul, starting at the famous Topkapi Palace, former home of sultans and their concubines. From there she visits the former seat of Christendom, the beautiful Aya Sophia church. She interrupts her sight-seeing for a day trip to Gallipoli, the site of an infamous World War I battlefield in which thousands of Allied soldiers died. She makes time to visit the opulent Pera Palace hotel, take a belly dancing lesson from some gypsies, tour the Florence Nightingale museum, and shop around the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest markets in the world. She takes another day trip to the amazing Edirne Wrestling Festival, with over 1000 well-oiled men competing for the gold belt, before ending her trip by visiting the famous Blue Mosque and going to see some whirling dervishes. (48 minutes)

Plastic: The Secret Life of Materials

BBC Worldwide Learning

Science has created more new materials in the last 100 years than in all of the rest of history—and this is just the beginning. In this program, materials scientist Dr. Mark Miodownik explores the history, production, and use of plastic, including a new generation that takes its inspiration from nature. A BBC Production. (51 minutes)

Health and Safety Issues in ICT

ClickView Pty Limited

Information and Communication Technology is used so constantly for both work and play that it’s easy to forget about the dangers it can pose in the form of back pain, eye strain, or simply tripping over a tangle of cluttered cables. This program discusses health and safety issues pertaining to the use of ICT, covering topics such as ergonomics, the positioning of computer hardware, keyboarding and mousing, and problems that can arise from not stopping to take breaks. The video includes a range of exercises designed to prevent injury. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (19 minutes)

Commercial Printing Processes

ClickView Pty Limited

This program examines common commercial printing processes in use today, including offset lithographic, digital, screen, and flexographic. Types of binding and finishing that will be used for books, food wrappers, plastics, and other applications are also discussed. In addition, industry experts explain how commercial printers can help clients decide on the best way to present their product by considering choices in paper quality, cost, and printing and finishing methods. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (25 minutes)

How Are Science and Technology Aiding Medical Research? Ever Wondered? (Series 1)

Scorpion TV

In this episode, host John Watt discovers what advances in science and technology are doing to assist unwell and elderly citizens in New Zealand. Ever Wondered? sheds light on an amazing technicolor breakthrough led by a father-and-son team from Christchurch and on a flow cytometry suite in Wellington, where lasers are used to excite fluorescent dyes in a quest to develop immune-based therapies for the treatment of a host of diseases. Back in Auckland, viewers are introduced to biomimetics, where artificial muscles, soft machines, and prosthetics are being used to imitate and assist our natural systems—and, at a retirement home, viewers also get to observe a bunch of helpful healthbots, or health robots, hard at work. A part of Ever Wondered? (Series 1). (22 minutes)

The Places Within

Mobile Corporation

The corridors of power, in business and government, lead to heroic interior spaces, and business has frequently appropriated the architecture of power-that is, of government. Interior spaces symbolize as well as contain function. The ambiguous relationship to nature is seen in the American desire to bring a scaled-down outdoors inside; the incorporation of the past takes different shapes.The town square concept reappears in guises as diverse as the great interior space under the Capitol dome and the glazed-over shopping mall that is Houston's Galleria; hotels and museums with indoor plazas seek to provide the same sort of community meeting space. Grand Central Terminal-with twinkling stars painted on its concourse ceiling-is both the nexus of a transportation network and a grand bazaar. The Pennsylvania Academy of Art demonstrates how the effort to combine tradition, function, and the symbols of industrial modernity may wind up a mixed metaphor.It took Frank Lloyd Wright to reconcile the dome of the pantheon and the arcaded market in the Marin County Civic Center. (58 minutes)

Inside the Internet

BBC Worldwide Learning

From its simple origins to its emergence as a global nervous system, the Internet has changed the way the world works. In this fascinating overview, ARPANET pioneers and Usenet trailblazers describe how the Internet and e-mail came to be. Next, law enforcement officers and hackers from the L0pht address censorship, worms and viruses, and the challenge of Internet security. And finally, Web experts discuss the use of hyperlinks, graphical interfaces, search engines, and streaming technology to make the Internet more transparent, while the CEOs of DoubleClick and now-defunct DigiCash talk about the impact of e-commerce. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)

Wired for What? The Dividends of Universal Access

Sue Ellen McCann

All over America, schools are scrambling for computers and Internet access. But have the huge expenditures really produced a tangible return on investment? In this program, teachers, administrators, and other education professionals share their experiences and opinions regarding the potential and the pitfalls of education technology. They address the proper use of computers, the integration of the Internet into lessons, and the urgent need for teacher training, long-term planning, and ongoing infrastructure funding. They also question the deeper cost of school budgets skewed toward technology at the expense of the arts and humanities. (57 minutes)

Electrical Circuits: Ohm's Law

Beneficial Books & Video

This video uses 3-D animation and live action to make basic electrical circuits come to life. The properties of series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits are easy to grasp when you can see the electrons flow through each circuit leg in each circuit type. Ohm’s law is illustrated with animated pie charts and basic calculations that isolate each section of the circuit. A must-have for introductory electricity/electronics, auto mechanics, and technology courses. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Shopware Production. (17 minutes)