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BrainPop
Company typeCurriculum based websites
FounderAvraham Kadar, M.D.
ProductsBrainPop, BrainPop Jr., BrainPop UK, BrainPop ESL, BrainPop Educators, MyBrainPop, Brainpop Espanol, among other languages
Websitewww.brainpop.com

BrainPop (styled BrainPOP) is a group of educational websites with over 1,000[1] short animated movies for students in grades K-12 (ages 6 to 17), together with quizzes, supplemental information and related materials, covering the subjects of science, social studies, English, mathematics, engineering and technology, health, and arts and music. BrainPop is used in more than 25% of U.S. schools and also offers subscriptions for families and homeschoolers.[2] It is also used in schools in Mexico, the UK, Israel, France, Spain and several other countries, where it offers videos in local languages that are designed for students in those countries. BrainPop is available by subscription but has some free content, including a movie of the day. Its free smartphone and tablet application accesses BrainPop's free and subscription content.

Most of the videos feature the characters Tim and Moby.[3] In addition to BrainPop.com for older children, there is BrainPop Jr. for younger children (grades K-3), BrainPop Español, BrainPop Français, BrainPop UK, BrainPop ESL for non-native speakers learning English, BrainPop Educators, a free site for teachers, and MyBrainPop, a tool for students and teachers to record learning accomplishments. The sites are owned by FWD Media, Inc. and its affiliates, based in New York.

Description of the sites

History and products

Founded in 1999, the BrainPop websites display animated, curriculum-based content that supports educators and are intended to be fun and motivational for students to watch.[4][5] The sites' movies cover the subjects of science, social studies, English, mathematics, engineering & technology, health, and arts and music. Since 2007, the movies have been closed captioned. BrainPop is used in more than 25% of U.S. schools.[2] The company was founded in 1997[6] by Avraham Kadar, M.D., an immunologist and pediatrician, to explain medical concepts to his young patients using animation.[7] As of 2011, BrainPop hosted more than 11 million unique visits each month, from thousands of schools and individuals worldwide.[8] BrainPop uses an in-house team of educators, animators, and writers to produce and continually update the sites, incorporating teacher and parent input.[9][7]

The online resources include BrainPop.com, for grades 3 and up (over age 9) and BrainPop Jr., for grades K-3 (ages 5 to 9). The sites also offer movies in three different languages for regional markets: BrainPop Español for Spanish-speakers, BrainPop Francais (French) and BrainPop UK (English with UK-centered topics) aligned to local educational standards.[10] The site's free resource for teachers and home schoolers, BrainPop Educators, features free tips, tools and best practices by and for teachers and homeschoolers.[11] MyBrainPop is a tool for students and teachers to record learning accomplishments. In 2009, BrainPop introduced BrainPop ESL, targeted at students learning English as a second language. Schools and parents can use the site to help shape the student's curriculum.[7] BrainPOP's free GameUp website contains online games from third-party game publishers that coordinate with the BrainPop, BrainPop Jr. and BrainPop ESL curricula.[12]

BrainPop movies may be used to introduce a new lesson or topic, for illustrating complex subject matter or to review before a test. Content is aligned to USA state education standards and is searchable by topic or state standard.[9] In addition to movies, the site displays quizzes, games, experiments and other related content that students can use interactively to reinforce the lessons in the movies.[13][14] BrainPop products are compatible with PCs, Macs, projectors and interactive whiteboards. No downloading, installation or special hardware is required. There are also applications for tablets and smartphones.[15] The movies feature recurring characters such as Tim, Moby and Annie.[7] Most of the movies begin with the characters responding to correspondence and end humorously, often with Tim getting annoyed at Moby or vice versa.

Reputation

BrainPop and its products have won numerous awards: 2013 Teachers With Apps Certification (Featured Movie App); 2013 Common Sense Media ON for Learning Award (BrainPOP Jr.); 2013 KAPi Award for Best Educational Technology (GameUp); Apps for Homeschooling's Reader's Choice Award 2012 (Featured Movie App); Tech & Learning Magazine Award of Excellence 2012 (GameUp); 2012 International Serious Play Award; 2012 CODiE Award for Best Educational Use of a Mobile Device (Featured Movie App); 2012 International Serious Play Award Gold Medal; Learning Magazine 2012, 2011 (BrainPop) and 2010 (BrainPop Jr.) Teacher's Choice Awards; a 2012 eSchool News Readers' Choice Award,[16] Tech & Learning Magazine Award of Excellence, 2012 (GameUp), 2011, 2009 and 2007; 2010 Association of Educational Publishers' Distinguished Achievement Awards (BrainPop Educators and BrainPop ESL); District Administration Readers' Choice Top 100 Products of 2010; Homeschool.com's Top 100 Educational Websites for 2009, 2008 and 2005; Apple Education: Recommended Curriculum Collections; Interactive Media Awards: Best in Class, 2010, 2009 and 2007 and Outstanding Achievement, 2008; Association for Library Service to Children: Great Web Sites for Kids, 2006; Association of Educational Publishers: Distinguished Achievement Award, 2005; Media & Methods: Awards Portfolio Winner, 2005; Forbes Magazine: Best of the Web, 2004, 2002 and 2001.[17] A 2009 multi-grade study by SEG research, entitled "A Study of the Effectiveness of BrainPop", involved over 1,000 students in schools in Palm Beach County, Florida and New York City. The BrainPop-financed study concluded, "Students in classes using BrainPop made significant improvements compared to students in classes not using BrainPop."[18][19]

Reviews for the websites and movies have been favorable. A review in Common Sense Media commented: "BrainPOP is a standard-bearer for quality, self-directed online educational content. ... A year's subscription is worth it because there's at least a year's worth of content for a kid to explore on BrainPOP."[20] A review in The Reading Matrix stated:

These presentations provide meaningful, standard-driven instruction and assessment [due] to the exceptional quality. ... One of the best features that teachers like about BrainPop is its ease of use. ... [T]he layout, webinars, and free tutorials make navigating through the tremendous amount of information a cinch. ... [A] State Standards Tool ... allows educators to search their state standards in order to fit different activities with appropriate standards. ... [The] interactive characters ... help explain concepts, design experiments, and show students how to acquire a particular skill or use the information given. ... Tim and Moby have personalities of their own and are relatable, trustworthy friends to their viewers. ... [the] site allows students to teach themselves.[21]

Schools recommend the product.[22] A teacher wrote to eSchool News, "This product has made my students excited to take the quiz after the video. How many teachers can say that about their students?"[16] Praising a BrainPop video about Ada Lovelace, Wired magazine wrote, "After reading more about her life and her work, I still feel it is best summarized by BrainPop’s Ada Lovelace video, which is designed for kids."[23] Another reviewer felt that a good feature of BrainPop's movies is their brevity: "just enough to capture and engage children."[24][25]

The educational site connexions.org wrote: "I recommend this site to teachers who want to inform and entertain their students. The videos are a unique educational tool with loveable characters. ... BrainPop will not only enliven the classroom, but the site is dependable with lessons following state and grade-level standards."[26][27] Teach Magazine noted, "Tim and Moby ... illustrate often difficult concepts in a fun format uniquely suited for the 21st-century learner."[28] In 2010, The New York Times wrote of the company's smartphone and tablet application: "BrainPop is a worthy app, featuring a new brief educational cartoon every day. The cartoon is followed by a quick quiz that will at times challenge even a grown-up."[29] The Epoch Times featured the application as its "iPhone App of the Week" and called the movies "usually funny, if somewhat corny, and always engaging".[30] In 2011, Canada's TEACH Magazine wrote that the movies are presented "in a fun format uniquely suited for the 21st-century learner. ... BrainPop movies are ideal for both group and one-on-one settings and can be used to introduce new lessons or topics or to illustrate complex themes as review before a test.[14] The Explore Knowledge Academy, the first public charter i-school in Nevada, has recommended BrainPop's phone and tablet application,[31] as has ChanelproSMB[32] and Family Circle.[33]

BrainPop characters

Tim and Moby are the main characters in most BrainPop movies.

Tim

Tim is a teenager who does most of the talking in the movies and understands what Moby says. The design on his shirt usually matches the topic being covered. At the beginning of each video, Tim reads a letter from a student asking about the topic.[34] Often at the end of the movies, Moby will get Tim in trouble, or vice versa.[35]

Moby

Moby Calrassian is an orange robot who communicates in beeping noises. The three lights on his chest light up when he beeps, and Tim usually translates what he's saying. Moby is Tim's friend but loves to drive him crazy. Moby helps out by fetching things for Tim and asking questions about the topic they are discussing. As a robot, he can do things that people are unable to do, such as changing his hand into a freeze-ray, sending himself back in time, throwing garbage into a black hole in space, removing his head, and using lasers. Some of the movies, such as the Earth, Radar and Milky Way videos, imply that Moby is of an extraterrestrial origin. However, the Leonardo da Vinci movie implies that he was invented by da Vinci.[35]

Other characters

Cassie and Rita are two teenage girls, who are best friends and are mainly featured in comics that accompany many of the movies in the "FYI" section. They also occasionally appear in the main movies and even narrate a few of them. Rita tends to be more composed and intelligent, while Cassie tends to be more absent-minded. Like Moby, Cassie enjoys annoying Tim, while some of the movies imply that Rita has a romantic interest in Tim and that he returns her feelings.

Bob is a rat with a broken tail and a patched chest. He is featured in, and often conducts, experiments called "Experiments with Bob the Ex-Lab Rat", which relate to mostly science movies.[34]

Gary and gary are a father and son featured in comics called "How To With Gary and gary", which show how to do something safely. The capitalized "Gary" is the father, and the lowercase "gary" is the son.

BrainPop Jr.

BrainPop Jr. was launched in 2006.[36] It is similar to BrainPop in subject areas, but the movies are geared towards grades K-3 (age 5-9). They star Moby and a little girl named Annie. Like the regular BrainPOP, the site offers a free "Movie of the Week", as well as several free movies in the different curricular areas.[37]

Characters in BrainPop Jr.

Annie is a young girl who narrates the movies. She wears red framed glasses and also works with Moby. She has a sister named Mia who talks on the cell phone too much, is allergic to dust and gets angry when Annie says something embarrassing about her. There are many hints in BrainPop Jr. that Annie is Mexican. For instance, her dog's name is Señor Maurice, and she sometimes refers to her father as "Papi".

In BrainPop Jr., Moby shows his emotions more often, like crying or getting excited. Moby is more kind-hearted in BrainPop Jr. than in BrainPop. He can also do things the other Moby can't do, like sneeze, sweat, and drink things, like water. He can also be sick and smell flowers.

Frank and Joey are two fish that star in the comic strip "Belly Up."

BrainPop Educators, BrainPop ESL and GameUp

BrainPop Educators was introduced in 2008.[38] It is an online community of 125,000 teachers,[39] and parents who use BrainPop. This free site offers answer keys to activity pages, graphic organizers, professional development materials, posters, clipart and other resources for educators.[14] It also allows educators to collaborate and share resources, such as lesson plans, organizers and activities for students. The site also offers video tutorials and webinars.[9][11] MyBrainPop, added in 2013, is a tool for students and teachers to record learning accomplishments from game play, activities, quizzes and other content.[40]

BrainPop ESL (English as a second language) is a website launched in 2009[41] that displays animated videos providing grammar and vocabulary instruction and interactive exercises for non-native English speakers of all ages. Each video contains an animated story, an introduction to new vocabulary, and an illustration of relevant grammar topics. The narrator is a boy named Ben, who is accompanied by Moby the robot. The videos provide a series of increasingly challenging contextualized language and content exercises for English learners, starting with beginner levels and progressing to advanced levels.[42] Students may select review activities, such as “Words, Words, Words”, a vocabulary exercise that uses flashcards and includes a pronunciation guide; "Hear it, Say it", to reinforce vocabulary and speaking; "Read it", for reading comprehension; and "Write it", for writing practice. There are also games and quizzes to review ideas from the videos.[43] Internet-based websites have been shown to be useful tools to supplement in-class instruction for ESL students.[44] Education Week recommends BrainPop ESL.[45]

In 2011, BrainPop launched its educational games site, GameUp, which contains a collection of free online games from third-party game publishers that help teach a variety of subjects and coordinate with the BrainPop, BrainPop Junior and BrainPop ESL curricula.[46][47] BrainPop partners with developer organizations and community developers to continually expand and improve the site's content and align the games with academic standards.[8] The site also aims to help teachers use educational games in the classroom to engage and motivate students. It is supported by BrainPop Educators. New Media Consortium wrote: "GameUp features top online educational gaming titles as well as support and supplementary materials to educators. GameUp titles come from an impressive collection of organizations such as Nobelprize.org®, iCivics, JASON Project, Mangahigh, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, to name a few.[12] Edutopia, among other review sites, recommends GameUp.[48] In 2013, The Wall Street Journal recommended one of the math games for teaching fractions.[49] Education Week wrote: "We recommend teachers go to BrainPOP, which curates a portal of great games that are carefully vetted".[50]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hilldale Elementary School receives technology grant", NorthJersey.com, January 20, 2012
  2. ^ a b "Free Animated Movies for Black History Month". Newsday, February 4, 2007
  3. ^ "Seen on Saturday - September 29th, 2007". ABC News, September 27, 2007
  4. ^ BrainPop profile at Education World, August 2006
  5. ^ Web Resources. Columbia University Teachers College. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  6. ^ Certificate of Incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York
  7. ^ a b c d Seltzer, Sarah. "'Pop' Movies that Educate", New York Family magazine, May 2007, pp. 108–09. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  8. ^ a b BrainPop: About Us. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  9. ^ a b c "Interview with BrainPop's Allisyn Levy". Teachhub.com. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  10. ^ BrainPop profile at Web100.com
  11. ^ a b "BrainPop Educators: A New Resource With Free Tips, Tools & Ideas". Ed Tech Show Daily, January 22, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  12. ^ a b Estrada, Victoria. "GameUp with BrainPOP", New Media Consortium, August 3, 2012
  13. ^ "BrainPop Turns Dads Into Geniuses", Rare Bird Articles, August 18, 2003
  14. ^ a b c "BrainPop". TEACH Magazine, January 24, 2011
  15. ^ Dawson, Carolyn J. "Apple iPad Gets Free Educational App from BrainPop". TMCnet, April 6, 2010, accessed August 20, 2010; Smart, Gavin. "Students learning independently using the BrainPOP UK App", Smarter Learning, November 2, 2012; BrainPop Tour
  16. ^ a b "Our readers’ top ed-tech picks for 2012", eSchool News, January 3, 2012
  17. ^ BrainPop's Awards page
  18. ^ "A Study of the Effectiveness of BrainPop". SEG Research, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  19. ^ See also Rosen, Yigal (Faculty of Education, University of Haifa). (2009). "The effects of an animation-based on-line learning environment on transfer of knowledge and on motivation for science and technology learning", Journal of Educational Computing Research, Vol. 40(4) pp. 451–467
  20. ^ Villamagna, Dana. "BrainPOP", Common Sense Media, November 13, 2012; Villamagna, Dana. "BrainPOP, Jr.", Common Sense Media, August 30, 2012
  21. ^ Nichter, Nicole, BrainPop review. The Reading Matrix, Volume 10, Number 1, April 2010
  22. ^ "BrainPop offers learning opportunities at school and at home", Dawes Middle School, Lincoln, Nebraska, accessed February 10, 2012
  23. ^ Williams, Jenny. "Ada Lovelace Day: Celebrate Women in Technology". Wired magazine, March 24, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  24. ^ Bray, Oliver. "BrainPop UK: Fantastic, Engaging Flash Animation Videos for your Classroom". Olliebray.com, January 6, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  25. ^ Fukunaga, Yuji. "How Do You Explain Autism to Your Son?", Winnetka-Glencoe Patch, January 17, 2012
  26. ^ Bartlett, Emily. "BrainPop in a secondary classroom". Connexions.org, October 29, 2009 accessed August 20, 2010
  27. ^ See also this 2009 review and following comments at the Educational Technology Weblog.
  28. ^ "Brainpop". Teach Magazine, January 24, 2011
  29. ^ Tedeschi, Bob. "Top Picks for Apps to Help You While Away the Minutes". The New York Times, December 22, 2010
  30. ^ "iPhone App of the Week: BrainPop". The Epoch Times, 28 June–4 July 2011, p. A8
  31. ^ "10 educational iPad apps recommended by Explore Knowledge Academy", eSchool News, February 22, 2012
  32. ^ "25 Best Education Apps for K-12 Classrooms: iOS and Android", ChannelproSMB, 2013, accessed January 15, 2014
  33. ^ "Best Educational Apps for Tweens and Teens", Family Circle, 2013, accessed January 15, 2014
  34. ^ a b "Ways to Use BrainPop at Home", Brainpop, 2007, accessed March 31, 2012
  35. ^ a b Brainpop movies and profiles of Tim and Moby at Sparktop.org
  36. ^ Jarrett, Kevin. "BrainPop Jr. has launched!" September 5, 2006, accessed July 27, 2011
  37. ^ Maple, Sandy. "ParentDish's 27 Top Web Sites for Kids". Parentdish, February 27, 2010
  38. ^ "BrainPop Introduces BrainPop Educators". BrainPop press release, September 17, 2008, accessed July 27, 2011
  39. ^ Joseph, Dawn. "Get Involved in the National STEM Video Game Challenge Today!" White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, December 20, 2010
  40. ^ "MyBrainPop FAQ", Brainpop.com, accessed January 15, 2014
  41. ^ "BrainPop Announces Launch of English as a Second Language Program, BrainPop ESL". BrainPop press release, September 8, 2009, accessed July 27, 2011
  42. ^ About Us. BrainPop.com. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  43. ^ Kim, Yunjin (June 2011). "BrainPop ESL". The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language. 15 (1). Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  44. ^ Kung, Shiao-Chuan (June 2002). "Students' Perceptions of English Learning Through ESL/EFL Websites". The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language. 6 (1). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  45. ^ Davis, Michelle R. "Schools Face Shortage of Digital Curricula for English-Learners", Education Week, May 20, 2013, published in print as "English-Learners Going Digital", May 22, 2013
  46. ^ "New! GameUp Top Offerings from Leading Educational Games Publishers", BrainPop.com, June 26, 2011, accessed April 19, 2012
  47. ^ Miller, Andrew. "Free Tools to Incorporate Game-Based Learning", Edutopia, February 20, 2013
  48. ^ Miller, Andrew. "Free Tools to Incorporate Game-Based Learning", Edutopia, February 20, 2013
  49. ^ Shellenbarger, Sue. "New Approaches to Teaching Fractions", The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2013
  50. ^ Molnar, Michele and Sean Cavanagh. "Consumer Demand for Digital Learning Games, Simulations Growing Worldwide", Education Week, September 17, 2013
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