What is the Infinite Thinking Machine?
First launched in 2006, the Infinite Thinking Machine (ITM) is a high-energy Internet TV show directly targeted at K-12 educators, parents and students. Our goal is to inspire creativity and innovation in education.
New episodes are released fortnightly (Google it!) during the school year. The show features a classroom teacher as its host, engaging educators as "Field Trip" correspondents and amazing innovators as guests. Innovative approaches to education are showcased, and the teachers, administrators and students behind them are celebrated. Special segments like 'HackEd' address deeper topics head-on, challenging conventional edu-thinking. Currently in its second season, the ITM depends on a mix of funding from its producing organization, education partners and corporate sponsors.
I should use more of these in the classroom.
I have been using videos creating L2 lessons for a long time to introduce, define and explain topics, also to pique curiosity to learn more... This article clearly states what attributes a good learning/teaching video should have: brevity, piques curiosity, interesting graphics, real world setting. As educators we can understand why these qualities add value to video content in lessons. For L2 learners I especially like the way LingleOnline uses close-captioned video in many languages to meet the needs of its learners.