Embedding Streaming Video into Powerpoint

Resource I'm hooked on!

I have recently become a major fan of Discovery Education Streaming in my classroom. It has a plethora of video clips, full length videos, and teacher resources for classroom use. Most of the resources are linked to their national standards and some but not all of accompanying teacher materials and student worksheets to help you incorporate it into your lessons. My county has an account which allows you to create your own log in but if your school doesn't there is a 30-day free trial you can use to explore and see what you think. I recently embedded 30 second video clips on the cells organelles into my Cell Unit PowerPoint which were a excellent tool to help my kids get a better concept of where and what this microscopic "organs" can do. I also created a writing prompt related to energy use and macromolecules based on the video Human Body: Pushing the Limits-Strength to help my kids understand why "carbo-loading" is important to athletes.

Do I know something no one else does?

As a total product of today's technology addicted world, I check my emails, text messages, and missed calls on a Blackberry, I Google map directions to my Cross Country team's meets when the bus driver gets lost, use my Apple Powerbook on a daily basis, and even watched a video on torn tendon care on YouTube after running the Chicago Marathon last weekend. I cannot tell you the last time I came across an idea, problem or question where I headed to the library or picked up a dictionary to solve or answer when I can find a solution within in minutes, even seconds at my fingertips. My students are not any different then me. So when I made the career change to teaching last year I was flabbergasted to find that a technology savvy lesson plan consisted of a cookie cutter PowerPoint with a few clip art pieces projected on an LCD projector and maybe an Internet web quest. Where were the streaming videos, online quizzes and surveys, and student notebook blogs I thought for sure these tech wise kids would be spitting out in the classroom?? I think that the only way I can connect and keep the attention of my students is to connect my standards to the format that learn and seek information for their own interests, via technology.

Why is no one else wising up to this??