“The model of those 30 children in neat rows facing a single teacher is (or ought to be) an anachronism. Why shouldn’t children be helped to learn French by French children in French schools or physics by a Nobel Prize winner?”
— David Puttnam
We need to ensure that we take care to bring the best possible resources, expertise and stimuli to our hyper-connected students. With this in mind and in response to requests for recommendations, we have sourced an initial list of what we believe to be exemplary content. As we looked through the following sites we could not help but get incredibly excited about the potential of each and every resource to form the basis of a challenging provocation capable of initiating high quality thinking, cultivating curiosity or challenging every student to arrive in class equipped with big questions to be answered.
The list is by no means exhaustive and we have deliberately tried to dig beyond the usual tried and tested (and amazing!) suspects such as TedEd, Khan Academy or MIT-K12, and we fully intend to add to this list over the coming weeks and months. Hopefully, this will be in response to your comments and contributions. To this end, we would encourage you to add to the list using the comment box at the end of the post.
We have loosely curated the sites under subject headings but please take time to explore as the vast majority of these exciting resources can be used across many subjects. As we have said many times before, it’s all about context and purpose.
All of the resources are free for use in school and the majority allow you to connect and subscribe. We hope that you enjoy using these sites as much as we do, and remember that your feedback and suggestions are what drive us.
Click on the titles to visit each listed site:
(Art, Design, English) Grades 7-12
Education resources use video, multimedia and sound to present some of the stories surrounding the lives of the artists and subjects in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. They feature interviews, animations, film footage and archival documents from collections around Australia and overseas. Although artworks can be searched by medium or type, the education resources are grouped by artist. Using Verso to link to the URL of each item allows teachers to create dynamic provocations guaranteed to stimulate thinking.
(Social Studies, Psychology) Grades 6-12
These videos are taken from the US prime time TV show “What Would You Do”. They show members of the public engaged in moral decision making in response to hidden camera scenarios dealing with controversial issues such as racism, homophobia, weight, peer pressure and crime. All videos are available via their YouTube link and they are incredible conversation starters when used in Verso.
If You like this site I would also recommend:
(Social Studies, Psychology) Grades 7-12
Upworthy offers inspirational and challenging videos curated from around the world. I would recommend that you subscribe as the content is updated almost daily and offers phenomenal opportunities for initiating deep thinking and discussion.
(Spanish) Grades 4-10
A site dedicated to teaching Spanish, developed as a space to share lessons created by Junior High School Teacher Senor Jordan. Engaging videos are listed in order of difficulty and Snr Jordan has added a statement encouraging teachers to use his content with their classes.
(French) Grades 3-12
A comprehensive collection of videos created to improve your French, grammar and pronunciation. Tips are presented in an easy way and the script of each lesson is on the main website http://www.frenchspanishonline.com.
(Science) Grades 5-12
“Veritasium is a science video blog featuring experiments, expert interviews, cool demos, and discussions with the public about everything science”
This amazing site offers exceptionally well produced, high quality videos designed to challenge student thinking. Before using the videos in Verso, I would recommend watching Veritasium Creative Director, Derek Muller’s Ted Talk or reading my previous blog post which shares his remarkable research about the use of video for teaching science.
If you like Veritasium, you will certainly appreciate this collection of Science Channels. We recommend subscribing to these if you have a YouTube account as they can then be added to your favorites for instant use in Verso. Otherwise, use the URL to connect your students to some of the greatest Science content on the web.
(Science) Grades 4-12
Over the last two centuries the Ri has been home to eminent scientists whose discoveries have helped to shape the modern world. For high quality teaching resources I recommend heading straight to their RI Channel.
The Ri Channel is an online project by the Royal Institution of Great Britain showcasing the very best science videos from the Ri and around the web.
Alongside highlights from recent Ri events, the Channel features re-digitised footage from the Ri archive and a range of high-quality videos from filmmakers and scientific institutions across the UK and beyond. The project continues the Royal Institution’s charitable mission to “connect people to the world of science”.
(Science) Grades 4-12
Over the last two centuries the Ri has been home to eminent scientists whose discoveries have helped to shape the modern world. For high quality teaching resources I recommend heading straight to their RI Channel.
The Ri Channel is an online project by the Royal Institution of Great Britain showcasing the very best science videos from the Ri and around the web.
Alongside highlights from recent Ri events, the Channel features re-digitised footage from the Ri archive and a range of high-quality videos from filmmakers and scientific institutions across the UK and beyond. The project continues the Royal Institution’s charitable mission to “connect people to the world of science”.
(STEM, Engineering, Art, Design and Technology, English, History, Geography) K-12
The Science Museum has an incredible Online Science site designed for schools. It also allows teachers to filter content by age, subject and area of learning. I really recommend the museum’s Punk Science Video Channel.
where you will find flippable content designed to cultivate curiosity and stimulate inquiry.
(English, Art, Math’s , History, Science , Geography, Social Studies and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures) K-12
This superb educational resource from ABC Australia has a wealth of high quality content covering all aspects of the Australian Curriculum.
dust echoes.jpg
The content can be searched and filtered by primary / secondary and subject areas. I would recommend the phenomenal Dust Echoes, a series of twelve beautifully animated dreamtime stories from Central Arnhem Land, telling stories of love, loyalty, duty to country and aboriginal custom and law.
(Science, Math’s, History, Geography, Social Studies, English) K-12
Neo K12 offers a range of educational content arranged by subject and topic. The video content is a collection of YouTube clips but it is heavily supplemented by educational quizzes, games, puzzles,, presentations and classroom resources. NeoK12 is a great first place to look for content. Once I locate a video that I like, I click through to the actual YouTube channel that it was selected from and take a look at other content by the same contributor or on the same theme. A really useful repository and a fantastic archive of material for use as provocations in Verso!
(History, Performing Arts, Art, English, Links with Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures) Grades 6-12
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is the nation’s living archive, collecting, preserving and sharing the country’s rich audiovisual heritage. The collection includes films, television and radio programs, videos, audio tapes, records, compact discs, phonograph cylinders and wire recordings. It also encompasses documents and artifacts such as photographs, posters, lobby cards, publicity items, scripts, costumes, props, memorabilia, oral histories, and vintage equipment. Its Australian History Timeline allows users to search the catalog via people, place and decade. Other highlights include Screen Asia, in support of the development of Asia literacy in the middle years and “Australian Biography”, where extraordinary Australians talk about their lives.
(History, Geography, English, Arts, Science) K-12
The Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States, and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It presents a fascinating source of primary historical evidence. Each item has its own unique URL, making them perfect for use as part of a Verso provocation.
The Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States, and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It presents a fascinating source of primary historical evidence. Each item has its own unique URL, making them perfect for use as part of a Verso provocation.
(English, History, Geography, Civics, Social Studies) Grades 4-12
The National Archives Office has selected primary source documents to bring the past to life as classroom teaching tools from the billions preserved at the National Archives. Use the search field above to find written documents, images, maps, charts, graphs, audio and video in our ever-expanding collection that spans the course of American history. Each artefact has its own unique URL, making them ideal for use in Verso.
(History, Maths, Geography, RE, Statistics) Grades 1-12
An award winning archive of more than 1000 years of primary historical artefacts, including statistics and census materials arranged in historical periods in line with the UK curriculum. The site can be searched and has an excellent area for teachers
(Civics & Citizenship, History, Geography, English) Grades 8-12
NAALogo.gif
All content in Vrroom, the NRA’s educational portal, is informed and directed by major curriculum areas for Years 9 to 12. It is highly relevant to 20th-century Australian History and to Civics and Citizenship. It is also a valuable tool for senior secondary students of English, Science and ICT.
Each resource and collection has its own unique URL, meaning that each resource can for the basis of a provocation in Verso
History, Geography, Art, Science, Social Studies, English) Grades 1-7
Discover objects in the British Museum from across the world with the Museum explorer for children.
The British Museum g Explorers offers a unique gateway to images, audio files and video showing primary historical artifacts. Children can search by continent and theme. E.g Asia + tools and technology. Each resource has its own unique URL and can be used to create high quality provocations which can then act as gateways to further connected content.
The site also connects to a very useful video channel featuring 5 minute clips on themes such as “A brief history of time”, “A brief history of money” and “A brief history of writing”. These are really useful for initiating thinking and prompting students to develop their own inquiry questions.
If you like the content from the British Museum, it is worth exploring its partner museums in London, all of which have similar content repositories designed for schools and suitable for use in Verso.
(History, STEM, Geography, English, Art, Social Studies) K-12
The museum has a well organized teacher resource area where users can search by subject and age along with content curated by into collections on themes such as Biodiversity, Climate Change, Space and Evolution. I would recommend flipping a provocation using one of the museum’s naturecams. What student wouldn’t love to develop questions about flesh-eating beetles, ants and bees?
(Art and Design, History, English, Performance Arts, Photography) Grades 4-12
The V&A has unrivaled collections of contemporary and historic art and design. It houses some of the world’s greatest resources for architecture, fashion, photography, theatre and performance, sculpture, contemporary design, ceramics, Asian art and design, furniture, textiles, jewellery, metalwork and many more. There is extensive online access to authoritative information and the knowledge of leading experts. The works are available as collections E.g. fashion, glass, furniture etc… and each resource and collection has a Verso-friendly unique URL.
(History, English, Social Studies) Grades 1-12
Their Past Your Future from the Imperial War Museum gives history teachers and students everything they need to explore the course, causes and consequences of conflict from the First World War to today. The museum has a unique collection of images for use in the classroom (or even better, on Verso!) covering themes such as Life in the trenches, Recruitment and Conscription and Art in warfare.
(History, Geography and Social Studies) Grades 6-12
This unique and Bafta award winning site has offered an invaluable free-to-use resource for students, teachers since 2010. It presents high quality videos in a series of interrelated historical timelines allowing connections to be made within and across time periods. Resources focus on British History, including timelines on Nations and Empire and Journeys in the American West.
This BAFTA award winning resource is now available on mobile devices with new resources, including ‘Nazi Germany’, ‘American Voices’ and ‘The Edwardians’.
English language, Photography, Media, Current Affairs) Grades 2-12
Of the BBC’s extensive multi-language content I would recommend two areas that are particularly useful for creating provocations. Firstly, BBC News in Pictures offers banks of high quality photographs from news reports from around the world. These images are fantastic for initiating student narratives, poetry and of course, as a stimulus for report writing and discussion of global affairs.
The other area is BBC School Report, which offers lesson plans and student guidance on report writing and creating multimedia news stories. The site has a section of student reports along with contributions from news editors, journalists and producers.
(English, Media, History, The Arts) K-12
The world’s finest news and entertainment video film archive. Since the invention of the moving image in the 1890’s, British Pathé began recording every aspect of global culture and news, for the cinema. With their unique combination of information and entertainment, British Pathé’s documentaries, newsreels, serials and films changed the way the world saw itself forever.
With it’s unparalleled collection of historical events and vast catalogue of changing social activity, British Pathé encompasses one of the world’s most prodigious and fascinating documents of the modern age. From fashion to warfare and sport to travel, British Pathé is the definitive source for the 20th century in moving images and each YouTube video can be used to create challenging provocations in Verso
All 85,000 newsreels are now searchable and viewable on YouTube. This equates to 3,500 hours of filmed history.
Another challenge with remote learning and blended classrooms is teachers are unable to listen to students responses this is particularly important for english, literacy, modern languages and ELA classes. It also has application for early year students who may not yet be able to respond using text.
This video demonstrates how teachers can use Verso activities to simply enable speaking and listening for students working from home. Teachers can upload a stimulus image, audio or video file and then get the students to respond and then connect with other students and respond to them using audio, video or photos taken directly from a mobile device, iPad or computer.
A common issue for teachers is how to strengthen their professional connections with colleagues and share resources to reduce their workload. This is particularly the case when working remotely and teachers are unable to connect in the school or in breaks between classes.
This short video shows how teachers can connect with their colleagues whilst working remotely or whilst at school. It shows how teachers can share activities they have created with other teachers using the school library function, or how teachers can share their class with colleagues or invite new colleagues to join their class. This is fantastic feature for co-teachers to work together and for coaches and mentors to enable them to review student outcomes and lesson plans of the teachers they are mentoring.
This longer video goes into detail about the importance of clarity when planning to teach remotely and offers some suggestions on how teachers can set students up correctly for success when they are working from home. It goes through strategies that can help teachers to get students to answer the 4 key questions for students identified by John Antonetti and looks at how Verso can support teachers to create and deliver engaging remote lessons.
A key component of Verso Learning has been our commitment to student voice and agency. A belief in the importance of activating student voice as the driver for deeper learning and whole school change has been at the heart of our work, and this has never been more evident than now as we release Verso, Check-in; the result of a close collaboration with students from VicSRC.
Traditionally, Verso has been designed by teachers for teachers and students. What is super exciting about Verso Check-in is that during the Victorian lockdown and the advent of remote learning, we were able to connect with VicSRC, an organisation that exists to empower Victorian learners, and one which is led by students, for students and supports student voice at every level.
Co-Design Workshop 1
We kicked off the collaboration with a series of workshops, which focused on the characteristics of high and low agency classrooms. The students considered research on the relationship between student agency, engagement and wellbeing, they analysed data from John Antonetti’s study of 1700 lesson observations, and shared anecdotes from their own experience , identifying the professional practices that underpinned high and low agency lessons and the impact of these practices on their sense of self.
What quickly became apparent as the two lists developed, was the depth of feeling and the intensity of the language used by all of the students to describe their response to the two very different learning experiences. For each adjective, students could offer multiple examples and elaborations. All students experienced both types of lesson within their individual schools, and the language they used dramatically reinforced the relationship between voice and agency and student wellbeing and engagement. Interestingly, students also consistently made the observation that they were actually challenged to work harder in lessons where they experienced high agency and many commented that their teachers seemed to be happier.
What was challenging to hear was the wide variance in the students’ use of vocabulary. Hearing students talk about their learning in terms of feeling “lost”, “disheartened” and “hopeless” was confronting, and their sense of “desperation” in lessons where they felt a lack of ownership really shone a light on the problem. However, there was a dramatic shift in the atmosphere when asked to talk about lessons where teachers helped them to find and apply their voice, where they felt “respected,” where their voices were heard and where they had clarity and connection to their learning. Negative adjective choices were replaced by language that demonstrated a far more positive sense of self and wellbeing. Students felt that they were “challenged…..in a good way...like my teacher just knew what we all needed and what we were each capable of if we really tried”. They felt “focused”, “willing” and “proud.”
The students were challenged to turn this emotional map into a prioritised selection of just 16 adjectives that their peers in schools around the world could use to articulate how they were feeling about their learning.
Significantly, on seeing the new interface, students noted that if a student was feeling stressed, overwhelmed or just needed to talk to a trusted teacher about their well-being, they should have a discreet mechanism to ask for support. This led to the inclusion of an “Are you OK?” button that sends an email to a student’s teacher to say that they would appreciate an opportunity for a one-to one conversation about how they are feeling.
Looking for something specific? Search the site below.
