Getting started with Clipbank

Jo Garvey, AST, Science teacher: Clipbank is a resource where material has been archived from Channel 4 Learning and other programmes. Pupils and teachers can access it, and use the resource either as a whole class learning experience, or for something that pupils can interact with individually on an independent learning basis.

David Salt, Head of Science: Clipbank allows us to show students practicals that we couldn't do easily in the lab, things like oil chemistry for example. And it allows us to show them clips that are engaging.

Jo Garvey: Previously you might have sat children in front of a video that would have lasted twenty minutes, and they'd have been engaged with it for maybe five, maybe ten at the most.

Pupil 1: Watching the clips was really realistic. If I was in that situation, I'd make sure that I knew what I was doing.

Pupil 2: The rocket went up and then you see them actually getting off.

Neil Armstong (from clip): That's one small step for man…

Pupil 2: It makes me feel amazed because it shows what people can do.

Pupil 3: It gives you information on the topic as well as other people's opinions.

Pupil 4: I think the clip is trying to make it funny so that other people will laugh.

Nic (from clip): So ein böser Junge.

Sascha (from clip): Der Typ fliegt raus!

Pupil 4: I think it will help me learn German, because I am enjoying myself watching that video.

Lauren Duche, MFL teacher, primary co-ordinator: In French I use them, usually as a starter, because it gives them a visual of what I want them to achieve.

Jo Garvey: Children are often very confident in using ICT, and because Clipbank is cross-curricular, it means that any activities they do in one lesson, where the teacher is very well able to support them, they can transfer their skills into other curriculum areas and continue to use the resource, and continue to use ICT.

I've worked with Modern Foreign Language teachers using the Clipbank resource. Students used the clips, watched them, and then using the key words and the vocabulary that were provided, they then uploaded the movies into Moviemaker and edited them and put their own voiceovers and subtitles underneath, and the pupils themselves said how fantastic it was.

Elizabeth Emms, English teacher, English KS4 co-ordinator: Clipbank is a really exciting resource for students. They like to start lessons with something visual. It stimulates discussion, which really promotes the higher level thinking skills.

Teacher: Did anyone hear how much it cost for that tool kit that got lost?

Pupil 5: With the hundred thousand they should buy another person, that's not clumsy.

Pupil 6: And she should pay for the toolkit what she lost.

Elizabeth Emms: Most students are not used to using formal language, or have very much contact with formal language and formal situations, so it gives them a really good model for their own speech.

Pupil 7: A long time ago there was a declaration called the Declaration of Independence.

Pupil 8: Freedom of speech.

Pupil 9: Not for some people to have more rights than others.

Teacher: OK, very good.

Luke Salkeld, RE teacher, assistant achievement co-ordinator: Too much teacher talk, I think we all know, is a fundamental problem, so removing myself from the scenario or the situation is really good for the pupils.

Eleanor Roosevelt (from clip): We stand today at the threshold of a great event.

David Salt: The quality of the science is very good, it's very reliable, it's vetted, it's pitched at the appropriate level. Whereas, if you let students just loose on the internet, they find stuff maybe at degree level, they find a lot of stuff that they don't understand, and they just copy and paste it into, maybe, project work. And the advantage of Clipbank is its targeted directly at the key stages.

Jo Garvey: My year sevens have come to the end of their topic on solids, liquids and gases, so we've used the learning path as a whole class resource, looking at the video clips, and then producing a PowerPoint presentation to summarize what they've learnt.

David Salt: The lesson plans on Clipbank as well, give a really good starting point, whether you want to use them as they are, or adapt them.

Jo Garvey: Because of the lesson plans that they've pre-prepared for you with learning objectives and links to the National Curriculum, this takes a lot of the hard work and a lot of the searching that you would normally have to do. And it's a really good resource, it's really really fun to use.