When Students Ask, "When Will I Ever Use This?" the Answer May be Video

The Futures Channel brings real world applications of math and science into the classroom with its latest movie, "Food in Space," which takes students inside the Space Foods Systems Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Watch the movie: http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets/realworld/food_in_space/index.php

Burbank, CA (PRWEB) May 22, 2007 -- Most adults can recall sitting in a science and math class and thinking, "When will I ever use this?!" Students still voice the same complaint, but today their teachers are inclined to answer it differently - by using video.

When it comes to bringing the real world into the classroom, those teachers often turn to
The Futures Channel. The company was founded in 1999 with the goal of "using new media technologies to create a channel between the scientists, engineers, explorers and visionaries who are shaping the future, and today's students who will one day succeed them."

Since then, they've produced and distributed scores of micro-documentaries on subjects ranging from wildlife biology to robotics engineering to car design. The movies are available on The Futures Channel website.

"More than half the teachers we have surveyed show the movies to students to inform them about interesting careers," said company founder and executive producer, Steve Heard. "In California, it's higher with 79 percent of educators using the website to enlighten students about different career opportunities."

Some of their most popular videos are on space exploration. This week, The Futures Channel's latest movie is "Food in Space," a behind-the-scenes tour of the Space Foods Systems Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center. It is here that Dr. Michele Perchonok and a team of food scientists are developing the food for missions to the Moon and Mars. Dr. Perchonok explains in the movie they that have to solve many problems including creating a good variety of food that has a five-year shelf life.

"This is an amazing website," said Melissa Herrera, an educator from Pasadena, Texas. "It really gives students an opportunity to see real life jobs and activities that apply to lessons they are learning. The NASA videos always give students a representation of a wonderful role model and career."

Sandra Thomas is another educator who uses The Futures Channel's movies in her classroom. "I am a 54-year-old first year teacher," she explained, "and have struggled this entire year to teach math to 170 seventh graders who want to be anywhere, doing anything other than sitting in my classroom working on math problems! Thanks to the videos available on the site, they are going to be able to see people using math."

This month The Futures Channel was awarded an A+ by the prominent Internet destination, Education World, for both content and site design categories. "These short video clips that go behind the scenes with professionals from a wide range of careers put the learning into context and help answer the question, 'Why do I need to learn this?'" said their review.

Watch the movie:
http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets/realworld/food_in_space/index.php

For more information, contact:
Jenna Bowles
818.557.3300

Since 1999, The Futures Channel has been producing online micro-documentary videos that connect mathematics, science, technology and engineering to the real world of careers and achievement, so that students can envision a context and purpose for what they are learning, allowing them to envision their own successful futures.

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