Brainpop?

Our school subscription to Brainpop is up next month. I am the new tech teacher. I have to let my principal know if we should renew it or not. I am somewhat familiar with Brainpop but not in the sense of how valuable it is for use with a large group of students in the lab to conduct research. I have been given the task of implementing our state science and ss standards in the lab. I have been using my own website, webquests, internet scavenger hunts, ect... to get at the content thus far. What are your thoughts on Brainpop? How have you found it helpful for your instruction? Do you know of anything similar to Brainpop? I went to TechEd and saw some really neat things like pixie, twist, frames.... Thanks for your advice.

Jenna

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Permalink Reply by Kate Sloop on September 26, 2011 at 5:46pm

Hey there Jenna,

I wrote the proposal for our PTO to fund an additional year for Brainpop this year... here are some of the great things about brainpop that I made sure to include...

-differentiated levels between jr. and regular

-core topics on almost anything, from Ancient Greece to the facts about blogging

-directly related to state standards when it comes to content

-numerous activities and quizes available on every subject prior to watching the video

-a closed caption option, for students to read the material while they watch the video as well

-a fun and interactive way for students to understand topics taught to them by a teacher- the videos tend to reiterate a lesson and going a little more in depth at times.

-the kids love Tim and Moby

Hope this helps, we definitely got it granted to us for another year.

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Permalink Reply by Kate Hughes on September 26, 2011 at 8:02pm

We use brainpop - kids love it and I would say its worth the subscription. Its good to reiterate or introduce a subject. Worth it.

In my class we use it on the IWB, on the desktops, ipads and laptops - not always the first port of call for research but the students view it as a "reliable" source.

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Permalink Reply by Grace Gorman on September 26, 2011 at 8:40pm

There are webinars in their archives that can tell you what kind of resources you can find there. We are trying to figure out how we can cover the cost of the program in our school.

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Permalink Reply by Mr Stu on September 27, 2011 at 11:48am

I have never seen any educational site as well put together as Brain Pop. The content selection is great. The user interface is simple. The information is well assembled. The supporting documents are easy to use, and very helpful. The videos are great and the students enjoy the way the stories are told. Most definitely worth it. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Laurie Schlautman on September 28, 2011 at 4:53am

Hi,

I think you should renew the subscription, but do you have Brainpop Jr.? I guess it's more of a independent site for kids to choose a topic and watch the video about it. I do like it though to have the kids take the online quiz or you can also choose the paper quiz to print, then you would have some idea of how they are doing on the topics. There are a wide variety of science topics also. Another site to maybe look at is Pebblego. You can sign up for a trial to see what you think. It has two main sites, one for animals and one for space. There's also a biography part which includes inventors and scientists. Just an idea if you need to do research. It also comes with some great teacher resources, so you don't have to make up all the worksheets yourself.

Laurie

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Permalink Reply by Pablo Benvenuto on October 1, 2011 at 1:24am

Those are all good choices. I have been developing with my partners a new Learning Management System, like nothing you have seen before. Check it out at http://www.studybuddycampus.com and tell us how we are doing.

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Permalink Reply by Irene M. Sclafani on October 2, 2011 at 4:26pm

Jenna,

I use Brainpop and the kids really enjoy it. It is great as either an intro to a topic or can be used as a review. The quizzes are also great. We have smartboards and senteo answering system. I have set up the senteo to collect the students' responses to the quizzes and it grades it for me also. I have also used the email response that is offered on the website. Works great too, except can clog up your inbox depending on the number of students. It is also a site that the students can go to independently to review a topic.

Irene

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Permalink Reply by Jenna on October 3, 2011 at 4:40pm

Thanks for the responses :) I did look at Pebblego and I really like it. It is more research based and authentic. My only concern is will they be adding on for the older grade levels and more subjects in the future. I am going to try the free trial with them. I did not get a chance to look at studybuddy but I will. Thank you. I have to keep looking at brainpop. It would be great if they had student projects online for students to create and publish. Have some more time to think about it.

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Permalink Reply by Selena on April 15, 2014 at 9:43am

I think that Brainpop is a great tool. We used it when I was in school and both the students and teachers loved it. Students get a short interactive lesson, making it fun. While the lesson may not be in full detail, Brianpop is great for either an introduction to the lesson or for review. Almost every subject is offered, so all teachers can use it. For the students who need interaction with what they're learning, this is a great tool to help them, as well as the other learners in the classroom. I think that the subscription renewal is definitely worth it.