My Learning UK LtdMy Learning UK LtdJULY 2016 - Issue 1JULY 2016 - Issue 1

Inspire Learning With Tech:Inspire Learning With Tech: Simple ways to teach with tech Simple ways to teach with techFeature Focus:Feature Focus: Creating Audio Memos Creating Audio MemosThe EdTech Revolution:The EdTech Revolution: Have you tried it yet? Have you tried it yet?SPOTLIGHT ON:SPOTLIGHT ON: Primary Languages Network Primary Languages Network

VIRTUAL REALITYVIRTUAL REALITY

The future ofThe future ofclassroomclassroom

technologytechnology

Welcome to Virtual Horizon!

Virtual Horizon is a bi-monthly publication featuring articles from the My

Learning UK team as well as guest contributors. The team at My Learning UK

are passionate about edtech and specialise in the development of truly

engaging educational resources, content and systems. Our magazine aims to

bring you interesting and exciting news from the world of educational

technology.

Enjoy!

The My Learning UK Team

ABOUT THEPUBLISHER

EDITORS

Send us your ideas!We would love to hear your ideas for future issues. If you have anything youwould like us to write about or you want to contribute to/be featured in ournext issue then email lydia@mylearningltd.com

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ALAN SAWYERSBusiness & TechnicalDirector LYDIA FARNHAMEducation Client CareAdvisor

ADAM STEPHENSONCreative & WebDevelopment Director STEPHANIE WOODSEducation SupportManager

This month

Inspire Learning With TechSimple ways to cultivate passion forlearning through technology.

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VLEs ExplainedWhat is a VLE and what is itspurpose?

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5-6 Mobile Technology in the Classroom The benefits of educationaltechnology in the modern classroom.

7-8 Feature FocusThis month we focus on Audio Memosand our brand new Help System.

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9-12 Customer Spotlight17-18 MLTV in Action In this issue read about the work of the

Primary Languages Network; who theyare, what they do and how they areusing edtech on a daily basis.

Schools in the Netherlands discusshow MLTV has transformed the waythey work.

13-16 Horizons: Virtual RealityPygmalion's Spectacles: A glimpse around the corner into a new virtual world forstudents.

CONTENTS

Interact Whether students are typing out thoughts and ideasor using a smart pen, physically interacting withtechnology can be captivating for students. It canenhance their digital experience and help them feelconnected to their work as well as allowing them tobecome accustomed to and confident with usingevolving technology, a key skill for success in laterlife. Capture Capturing and sharing videos, photos and audio isnow as simple as pressing a button or two on amobile device. This allows students to share theirown viewpoint as well as giving them a chance toteach others by talking about something thatinterests them or capturing something they findengaging. Discover Using technology for research purposes has becomethe standard in education. Students who are taughtto research well by finding and using authenticsources are more prepared for harder researchprojects as they get older; they are also providedwith a tool to discover their passions. When studentsfind a topic they are passionate about they are morelikely to continue learning about it; teachingstudents how to take advantage of the vast resourcethey have at their fingertips (the internet) inspiresthem to keep learning.

Collaborate Collaboration via a virtual classroom is a growingtrend across the world. Classrooms full of studentsare using video conferencing to connect withschools in foreign countries to compare differencesand find similarities, as well as exchanging ideas withother children worldwide. Enabling students tobroaden their perspective allows them to realisehow interconnected the world is. Learning from andinteracting with others helps students to open theirminds, encouraging lifelong learning. Travel Technology gives students access to remote cornersof the universe. Send them on a virtual field trip toMount Everest, Ecuador or even the InternationalSpace Station! This allows students to explore newplaces and cultures around the world (and beyond)without leaving their seat. This level of engagementcan inspire students to continue discovering andlearning about the world around them.

"Teaching students how totake advantage of the vast

resource they have at theirfingertips inspires them to

keep learning."

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Inspire Learning With Tech BY LYDIA FARNHAM

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VLEs Explained BY LYDIA FARNHAM What is a VLE? A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or Learning Management System (LMS) is a web-based systemfor delivering materials to students. This includes assessment, resources, student tracking,communication and collaboration tools. VLEs allow users to be sorted into cohorts, groups and rolesand many have the capability to integrate with a school's MIS (Management Information System) toeasily retrieve and organise this information within the platform. VLEs can be accessed anywherewith an internet connection and so are able to support learning 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What is its Purpose?

VLE platforms commonly provide:Content management – creation, storage, access to and use of learningresourcesCurriculum mapping and planning – lesson planning, assessment andpersonalisation of the learning experienceLearner engagement and administration – managed access to learnerinformation and resources and tracking of progress and achievementCommunication and collaboration – messages, notices, chat, blogs, forums

Many also offer a Parent Portal to allow parents to monitor their child's activity and progress.For more information visit www.mylearningltd.com/view/learning-platform-features

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Have you been considering bringingmobile technology into the classroom? More and more schools are getting on board withthe ‘mobile revolution’ and there are many benefitsof doing so. Today’s students are tech-savvy, theybecome more engaged and often thrive when usingmobile devices in the classroom. Whether you gofor a one-to-one tablet initiative or a bring yourown device policy make sure you integrate mobiletechnology into your classroom. Preparing Students for the Future Mobile devices have become so ingrained in ourday-to-day lives that it seems counter-intuitive toban them from the classroom. Not only are youpreparing your students for daily life but also forpotential career paths. Your students may end upworking in jobs that don’t even exist yet, such isthe rate of technological advancement. Knowinghow to appropriately use devices is an importantaspect in this increasingly connected world. Up-to-Date Learning The days of looking for information inencyclopedias are over. Having mobile devices inthe classroom provides students with instantaccess to the latest news, information, research,statistics etc. The answer to virtually everyquestion they have is at their fingertips, keeping

them connected with what’s going on around themand around the world, ensuring they are always wellinformed with the most up-to-date information. Alternative to Textbooks While there is an argument that textbooks remaina key learning tool in the classroom many are notthe most relevant sources of information. Today’sstudents have become accustomed to instant, up-to-date information and textbooks can’t providethis in the way a mobile device can. Having digitaltextbooks available on their mobile devices keepsstudents more organised and gives them easyaccess to the materials without having to lug aroundbig textbooks. Learning Outside of the Classroom By allowing mobile devices in school you canexpand learning beyond the classroom. Studentswill have access to information wherever they are,as opposed to being restricted to a computer suite.This increases collaboration as students usedevices as research tools during projects and groupwork. Students love technology and are likely to beexcited about it, continuing their learning outsideof school hours. Having those learning apps, digitaltextbooks etc. on mobile devices enables them toget in extra studying and learning during downtime.

The EdTech RevolutionWhat are the benefits of mobile technology in the classroom?

BY LYDIA FARNHAM

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Technology cannot ever replace greatteaching, but it can make great teachers

even better!

""

Challenges Of course there are challenges associated withusing mobile devices in the classroom. Teacherauthority being undermined, students displayingunethical behaviour or being distracted, cost,potential for theft and privacy issues are all thingsto take into consideration. A ‘Bring Your OwnDevice’ policy, while saving money, can causedivisions and embarrassment for some studentswho may not be able to afford the latest technology.A further issue of little, if any control over whatapps are installed on a student’s personal device(leading to the temptations of unregulated socialmedia use within lessons) shows that it is notnecessarily easy to enforce. Research However, research has found that the benefits areconsiderable. A Pew Research Centre survey statesthat 78% of teachers use mobile technology intheir classrooms and 91% of teachers agreed thatstudents need digital literacy courses to achievesuccess academically and beyond. Other studieshave found that the use of tablets both in class andat home led to improved learning experiencesacross the board with 54% of students saying theygot more involved in classes that used technologyand 55% wishing their teachers used moreeducational games and simulations.E-readers, educational apps and games and text-

response programs are all readily available for usein the classroom and at home. The use of the cloudmeans that students can transition seamlessly fromworking in the classroom to working at home - oranywhere else – as long as they have access to adevice and an internet connection. Virtual learning environments or learningmanagement systems are the perfect tool forencouraging and enabling easy and effective useof technology across a wide range of devices. Cloudbased platforms are easy to access and provide asafe but powerful tool for staff and students alike.Technology cannot ever replace great teaching, butit can make great teachers even better! More informationhttp://www.mylearningltd.com

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Audio memosCreate an audio memo or sound file

Feature FocusA quick look at some of the features of the My Learning platform.

My Learning now has the ability to allow instant, on-demandsound recording. This can be used to create recordings directlywithin My Learning, and can also be used to store voiceannotations and comments directly within files. This is a really exciting feature, as not only can audio recordingsbe created and saved into the My Files area but audio memoscan also be pinned to any file type within the VLE. Great forteachers creating a commentary; students presenting theirthoughts and opinions; demonstrating correct pronunciation inlanguages and much more.

Watch this video to learn how to create audio memos and sound files or visit http://wiki.mylearningltd.com.

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Feature FocusA quick look at some of the features of the My Learning platform.

My Learning recently released a brand-new, dedicated help and support service websitehttp://wiki.mylearningltd.com. This is a separate site devoted to training, support, help and videos.It is a brilliant way of being able to find the answer you are looking for on any device, with articles,notes and feedback options. The service has been so popular that we have now linked this directlyinto My Learning and tagged over 320 videos and articles! The latest edition of My Learning, v32.1, now allows youto click “Help” at the top left of any page, and accessdetailed articles and videos which relate to that page.You can also ask your own questions and the VLE willattempt to deliver help based upon your question. The most popular requests currently appear to be“How do I change my password?”, “How do I change mytheme?”… and “Help me with my homework”…(we’re still working on that one - seriously!). Remember, you will also find many types of help at the bottom left of your platform.

Knowledge HubA new context sensitive help system

SpotlightPrimary Languages Network

BY JANET LLOYD

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Primary Languages VLE for Schools

Exploring how a VLE is a perfect tool for communicating, sharing and disseminatingresources between our network of Primary Schools.

Since 2011, Primary Languages Network hasendeavoured to build a dynamic community ofschools and classroom practitioners, both classteachers and visiting teachers or PPA teachers,wishing to build a primary language teachingand learning community. The VLE provides thiscommunity with an excellent platform todisseminate, share and develop outstandingpractice in primary language teaching andlearning. Supporting All Primary LanguageTeachers Supporting non-specialist teachers to becomecompetent and often excellent primarylanguage teachers is a major challenge that thesystems of the VLE allow us to successfullyovercome. Working with our native speakers,who themselves are primary language teachers,we are able to offer all our schools immediateand reliable access to a core SoW in French,Spanish and German. The VLE platform is idealto host clear, authentic native speaker shortsound files to both upskill the non-specialistteacher in the key language for each lesson andalso for teachers to be able to offer children inany learning environment immediate access tonative speakers and authentic pronunciation.

Share Authentic Story and Song, Videoand Audio The VLE allows us, as users, to store and shareauthentic story and song clips and to create linksto websites and materials that can enhance thecore learning of primary languages. The VLEallows us to be proactive and to be able to updateour support effectively for the users, so forinstance this year we have created Ready MadeFrench and Spanish, which is a new approach toour SoW and brings together components fromall areas of the VLE to create condensed, creativeand one click away lesson planning for busyclassroom teachers. Organised Folder Structure for EasyAccess Our Primary Languages Network endeavours tooffer teachers current and bespoke materialssuch as our 19 thematic folders in the CrossCurricular area of the VLE, the half termly foldersof Seasonal Specials with activities to link tospecial events throughout the school year andthe KS1 packages of learning offering dynamicand creative language leaning for EYFS, Year 1and Year 2.

SpotlightPrimary Languages Network

BY JANET LLOYD

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Customised Homepage for All Users The opportunity to organise 5,000 resourcesplus guidance on the implementation ofprimary languages on the VLE offers ournetwork huge gains. From the homepage wecan access comprehensive lesson planning,assessment tools, record keeping, trackingsheets and assessment spreadsheets, anetwork blog to keep us all up to date and asearch button, should we fail to find what wemay be looking for! The user files are becomingincreasingly important as subject coordinatorscan, within seconds, clipboard documents,planning and assessment data and copy themto the secure school user files to share withtheir own school community.

Share Content and Recordings ofTraining Our primary languages learning community ismade up of native speakers, specialist primarylanguage teachers, non-specialist primaryteachers, experienced and new subjectcoordinators, schools with already outstandingprimary language practice and schools newlyembarking on this journey. The VLE provides acommunication, linking and sharing platformso that each type of school or teacher/practitioner can benefit remotely from otherschools and their real practice. When a school,for instance, cannot attend a meeting or aconference we can share the content of themeeting with the school after the event so thatthey can access virtual information andpedagogy updates.

"Subject coordinatorscan, within seconds,

clipboard documents,planning and

assessment data andcopy them to the secure

school user files toshare with their own

school community."

SpotlightPrimary Languages Network

BY JANET LLOYD

SpotlightPrimary Languages Network

BY JANET LLOYD

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Primary Languages VLE for Schools

Exploring how a VLE is a perfect tool for communicating, sharing anddisseminating resources between our network of Primary Schools.

Each School Has Their Own Locker As CPD providers we can load up virtual lockersof key information that we may share forlanguage we practise at the staff CPD, meaningstaff can listen, join in and reflect during theCPD session in the knowledge that theinformation is all going to be there for themlater in their staff CPD locker. Being able toupload evidence of progress as a schoolcommunity to your own secure school user filesalso means that the subject coordinator isconfident that a clear record is being kept fordiscussion or sharing with SLT, governors andOfsted. The ability to upload and sharedocuments and evidence securely on the VLEwill help schools maximise their own potentialsuccess with the Primary LanguagesDevelopment Award, launched in Summer2016 .

Organise Secure Private Folders forSpecific Groups of Users Within our community we have sub communities,transition cluster groups, an associate teachergroup, a KS1 learning community, Germanprimary language learning and local networkcommunities. Each community is able to developits own dynamic dialogue via the VLE and tobenefit from the support and resources of thelarger dynamic primary language learningmachine.

SpotlightPrimary Languages Network

BY JANET LLOYD

SpotlightPrimary Languages Network

BY JANET LLOYD

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"Each community is able to develop its own dynamicdialogue via the VLE and to benefit from the support

and resources of the larger dynamic primarylanguage learning machine."

Ongoing Development of the VLE We are using many great features of the VLE; easy uploading and editing of content in variousformats, posting to the “Network Blog” for schools, saving YouTube clips locally on the VLE allowingall schools to access these language videos to name a few. As the VLE is being continuously developedby MyLearning, we learn the new functionality and where applicable integrate it for our users. Somerecent developments have been very well received; viewing and editing of native Microsoftdocuments online, particularly the latest Powerpoint functionality allows us to share language storieswith built in audio (to help non-specialist teachers) and as each new version of MyLearning VLE isreleased we can add to and improve our functionality.

The Primary Language Network Annual Conference is being held on 30th June 2016. You can find out more at www.primarylanguages.net

The VR Revolution In 1935 Stanley Grauman Weinbaum wrote ashort story entitled “Pygmalion’s Spectacles” about a man who left a New York party for somefresh air and met a strange bearded professor inthe park who asked him to try out some goggleswhich could show pictures, sound, taste and smellonce the wearer adorned them. The bearded professor in the story wasattempting to sell his contraption to a cameracompany, who advised “Only one person can useit at a time. It’s too expensive!”. Modern VR Indeed, in 2016 – the most advanced anddeveloped commercial VR solution publicallyavailable is the HTC Vive, and that comes in at£540 GBP. All new technologies are expensive,but we measure them on capability not cost. In 2000 we had the digital revolution; in 2016and beyond we’ll be entering the “Virtualrevolution”. Costs will decrease, adoption willincrease – but what will happen to capability andcapacity? Just exactly what will we be able toachieve with such immersive and realistic VRdevices?

VR Applications At the moment, present day VR is a solutionlooking for a cause. It’s like the Wright Brotherswho went into full scale aircraft manufacture butno-one was building airports. By far, the largest audience will be gaming andexperiential activities – since these represent thewidest commercial audience. But let’s not forgetthose who have been pioneering and using VRtechnologies since the 1980s in military, medical and engineering for which the modern day VRrevolution was borne from. How can we apply such technology to education? An Example VR Lesson Palmyra ( ) is a long-lived and ancient city inHoms (Syria) which has been ruled by Greeks,Romans and Persians. It is a city rich inarcheological, cultural, religious and ethnic traitsand is known in the modern day as "Tadmur". It isalso a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pygmalion's SpectaclesA glimpse around the corner into a new virtual world for students

BY ALAN SAWYERS

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Virtual Reality will change the way inwhich we learn. For better and worse." "

Unfortunately, in 2015 this ancient treasure wasdestroyed and has since been re-taken by theSyrian Army. Little now remains of this historicaltrove. Thankfully a global project is rebuilding avirtual Palmyra. Imagine a Virtual Reality experience which wouldallow students to walk around this great city,explore buildings, make notes and participate inmini-quests and challenges? Students could time-travel to different eras of thecity's past, walk down streets and meet with Greekmerchants or travel forwards to watch the Romansdefend the great city against attackers. 30 minutes of VR "experience" would equate to4 hours of traditional learning. This concentratedform of learning involves almost all aspects of astudent's senses, sight, sound, interaction andcognitive learning. Students are entirelyimmersed within the multi-curricular subject asreal as it can be portrayed. Time-Stretching This "time stretching" effect of cognitive learninghas the capability to ensure that even themethods by which we traditionally learn are beingdirectly challenged and bypassed.We can guarantee that students can recall whathappened on their most popular soap series theprevious evening.... but can they remember lastnight's homework answers? Why is this? It's because the student is natually immersedwithin an enviroment which they enjoy and arecomortable with. An environment that we canchoose to emulate, re-create and enhance.

Reflecting On Knowledge How would students reflect upon a 30 minute "VRexperiential lesson"? What subjects were they immersed in?• History • Geography • Mathematics • Science• Religion What senses did they use?• Touch • Sight • Sound • Movement • Haptic What happens in their brains? Students are cognitively mapping theirexperiences of the spacial and temporal world asif they were memories in the real world. In otherwords, the learning experience is strongerbecause we have used more sensory tricks thanreading a book, or watching a video. This means that the way in which the memoriesof our learning are stored, are much more long-lived than traditional methods of learning. VR in the educational arena has the potential torevolutionise what we learn, and how we learn.

VR Headsets for EducatorsA mini-review of some of the most interesting headsets out there.

BY ALAN SAWYERS

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OCULUS RIFT

£400 £540

HTC VIVE

The Oculus Rift is a perfect example of crowd-funding development of future technology; ithas been in development since 2012 and wasrecently acquired by Facebook. The headset is packed with sensors, displays foreach eye and built in headphones. There is abuilt-in camera for motion detection andaugmentation. Like all top-range headsets, a fairly high pricetag also requires that you own a rather powerfulgaming PC to handle all the processing. The system has a mature development base,with plenty of applications, games andexperiences being produced and commonlymade available on Steam and other distributionplatforms.

The HTC Vive comes from a very differentbackground. A joint partnership with Steam andHTC has created a very powerful and wellsupported headset. With an equal feature-set to the Oculus, andenhanced specification - the real difference isthat the Vive allows "Room Scale" VRexperiences upto 5m x 5m. This really does radically change the way inwhich you can interact with your environment.Naturally this requires that you need the spaceto install some additional sensors, so it can bea little tricky to configure. Being naturally distributed by a very activeSteam community, there are a wealth ofimmersive and interesting applications. Mostcertainly recommended.

Good price.Requires high-spec PC.

Higher price, higher spec.Requires high-spec PC.

First generation technology of anynew device will always hurt your wallet." "

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PLAYSTATION VR

£350 £TBC

PLAYSTATION VR SULON Q

Originally known as "Project Morpheus", Sonyhave finally produced their VR technology, nowentitled "Playstation VR". This device is actually a PlayStation 4 accessory,so will currently only operate if you own sucha console. This may limit adoption of the unit,but does mean that the cost will be slightly lowerthan other devices. The appeal of this headset may be aimed slightlytowards the gaming market, with over 50 titlesbeing supported by October 2016. Currently, there is limited "Room Scale" supportof 2m x 2m, which is good considering the price.The unit will require additional accessories tooperate such as PlayStation Move cameras andcontrollers.

Sulon Q is a new headset which has the"processing" built-in to the headset. This isn'ta new idea, and is commonly seen on lowerpriced VR such as units where you place asmartphone into the display. The major interest here is that the headset isn't'tethered' to a console or powerful PC. RunningWindows 10, with an AMD processor and camerawill allow augmentation too. Built-inheadphones and microphone provide for a veryinteresting new type of entry into the market. For education, this could be worth watching;especially if Microsoft enact their ideas torelease HoloLense technology soon. At the moment, there is no price for thishardware and availability dates are still to beconfirmed.

Low price.Locked to Playstation console.

Tether free, no PC needed.Price may be an issue.

MLTV in ActionEnabling Inter-School Communication in The Netherlands

BY KEES VAN DER PLAS

The Stichting Nutsscholen Breda (SNB) in the Netherlands has been a user of My Learning since 2011, with our schools regularly using theVLE. Although we have five schools in our groupwe actually use six platforms, the sixth being forour teachers for human resource information andinternal communication. Two of our larger schools, NBS De Hoogakker andNBS Burgst, each have two separate schoolbuildings, which are located about one mile fromeach other. Historically teachers would travelfrom one school building to another for trainingor peer meetings with other teachers from thesame year groups. We measured their travellingtime and realised that these teachers losingaround 30-60 minutes per week travelling toother buildings, time that could be spent oneducational activities etc.

We trialled using Skype for video meetings andwhile this was fun it was not so useful. Skype canallow groups of users, however, the teachers haveto be disciplined to follow the meeting. Althoughteachers were happy that they didn’t have totravel any more, the meeting was not very usefulbecause of the noisy and disruptivecommunication. We then started to use My Learning TV (MLTV) asa new possibility to communicate via videoconferencing. In MLTV the owner of the room isalso the chairman of the meeting. The chairmanis allowed to switch on and off the microphonesof all other members of the video conference.They are also able to upload files andpresentations and share their desktop, as well asgiving other users the ability to upload files.

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After a short training session teachers were ableto use MLTV effectively and we have nowprovided all our classrooms with webcams sothat every teacher is able to set up an MLTV room.In our teachers’ VLE, teachers from all of ourschools can join a video conference, however,MLTV also allows you to invite users outside theVLE which is awesome! Our teachers are now starting to try out new andexciting ideas; as one teacher gives a splendidlesson in Dutch history, we can broadcast this toother classes. We are also experimenting withletting students communicate using MLTV, witha teacher as a moderator a group of students cancollaborate and use their new learned skills. Using MLTV saves time, makes communicationeasier and lets managers, teachers and studentswork together across all of our schools. Asplendid way to make our education targetseasier to reach and to work innovatively with21st century skills.

About SNB Stichting Nutsscholen Breda (SNB) is a group offive schools for Primary Education in Breda (Southof the Netherlands). There are over 2000 studentsand 150 teachers and managers across the fiveschools. Principal: Drs. Ben SandersDeputy Principal: Mr Frans Joseph de Graaf MLEICT Manager: Kees van der Plas Our Schools NBS Boeimeer www.nbsboeimeer.nlNBS Dirk van Veen www.nbsdirkvanveen.nl NBS Burgst www.nbsburgst.nlNBS De Hoogakker www.nbsdehoogakker.nlNBS Teteringen www.nbsteteringen.nl For more information on SNB visit www.nutsscholenbreda.nl

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WEB GALLERY - Useful web links forteachers, students and parents.

www.shaunsgameacademy.co.ukChildren can design their own game, learn how to code and even winprizes on this brilliant new website from Aardman Animations and NominetTrust. Ages 8+ www.ngkids.co.ukPlay games, watch videos, learn about animals, and places, and get funfacts on the National Geographic Kids website. National Geographic Kidsexplores the fascinating world we live in. Have loads of fun discoveringincredible facts and information about our planet. www.oxfordowl.co.ukOxford Owl is an award-winning website to help support children’slearning, both at home and at school. For Schools: Find effective supportfor school improvement, eBooks and inspiring teaching resources. ForHome: Enjoy helpful tips and activities to support your children’s learningand discover 250 eBooks. whatshouldireadnext.comEnter a book you like and the site will analyse their huge database of realreaders' favourite books to provide book recommendations andsuggestions for what to read next. www.edx.orgEdX is an online learning destination and MOOC (massive open onlinecourse) provider, offering high-quality courses from the world’s bestuniversities and institutions to learners everywhere. www.atlasobscura.comA compendium of eccentric places, with an accent on the macabre, thatwon’t make it into traditional travel guides. If you're searching for miniaturecities, glass flowers, books bound in human skin, gigantic flaming holes inthe ground, bone churches, balancing pagodas, or homes built entirelyout of paper, the Atlas Obscura is where you'll find them. unplugthetv.comThis website is meant to replace mind-numbing television. Instead ofwasting your life watching TV, watch something mind-opening andeducational. The site has hundreds of educational videos to help you learnor gain a new perspective. www.howstuffworks.comThe creation of one Marshall Brain, aims to explain everything from DNAcoding to car transmission problems in simple articles and videos. Theyare an award-winning source of unbiased, reliable, easy-to-understandanswers and explanations of how the world actually works. Writers, editors,podcasters and video hosts share all the things we're most excited to learnabout with nearly 30 million visitors to the site each month.