This program examines what stands between our children becoming literate adults or school dropouts. It explores the experiences of students on the edge of success or failure in school, shares the feelings of students who fail and those who triumph, visits classrooms around the country where teachers encourage literacy across content areas and promote cognitive development for all their students, and— above all—provides hope that the literacy crisis facing our schools can be solved. (58 minutes, color)

Plato’s academy was the first formal arena for education, where young men were tutored in the rigors of logic, philosophy, and mathematics. Prior to this, societies transmitted knowledge from one generation to the next orally, and after the advent of writing, through texts. Although education throughout history has been predominantly a privilege of the elite, universal education is currently seen as a basic right, necessary for a country’s prosperity. This program traces the evolution of education through the ages, from oral traditions to its role in today’s ever- changing society, where the need to learn new job skills is a constant necessity. (53 minutes, color)

Since the 1830s, public schools have spread into every corner of America. Then and now, what kind of people have been called to teach in these schools? This program explores the importance of educators in the lives of their students, emphasizing a teacher’s influence as role model, as upholder of society’s norms, and even as agent of social change. Dedicated women who spent their careers teaching newly freed slaves and turn-of-the-century teachers of immigrants are profiled, as well as exemplary instructors of today’s struggling teenagers. Education reformer Theodore Sizer, education historian David Tyack, and author Frank McCourt are featured. (56 minutes, color)

This ABC News program considers the higher education endgame where the applicants, once so keen to pitch themselves to top colleges and universities, are now wooed by those who accepted them as the schools seek to close the deal. Several Georgetown University staff members, one candidate who is Georgetown-bound, and two who choose to turn the university down share their perspectives on a variety of key topics: affirmative action, financial aid, and campus culture, to name only three. (23 minutes, color)

Reading to children is the most important literacy activity. This module shows teachers reading picture books to children in large and small groups and to individual children. Story time is varied by the use of flannel board stories. Children are seen demonstrating their understanding of stories through dramatization and puppet plays. They retell stories using flannel board figures and draw and dictate stories to their teacher. The video continues with a look at real children engaged in a variety of activities which increase their vocabularies and understanding of print and which support their knowledge base in other curriculum areas. These efforts include looking at picture files, studying environmental print, referring to recipe charts, keeping journals, writing books, and creating and painting a mailbox. A teacher describes why and how she set up a classroom library and then children are shown borrowing books. An important section of this video includes a teacher’s explanation and demonstration of taking dictation from a child. Then producing an experience chart to hang on the classroom wall and also making it into a book for the child to take home.

After the grades, test scores, essays, and other credentials of students seeking early admission reach the colleges and universities of their choice, the waiting game begins. In this ABC News program, correspondent Michel Martin goes inside Georgetown University’s admissions process to take an in-depth look at how that august institution makes its rulings on the many hopefuls who apply—ten for each available slot. Representative committee participants, including a member of the admissions staff, a dean, a faculty member, and an undergrad, give their views, as do some high school students hoping to make the cut. (23 minutes, color)

Creating a successful print ad involves a dynamic mix of visual theory, consumer psychology, and nuts-and-bolts tinkering. This two-part series provides a thorough grounding in all of the above, familiarizing students with the terminology and working concepts that successful graphic designers and advertising creatives make use of on a daily basis. Although both episodes are rich in detailed guidance, their class-friendly run times make them ideal for coursework in marketing, advertising, design, and commercial art. 2-part series, 19 minutes each. 2011

This program helps students understand the proper space allocation for the main elements of a two-dimensional advertisement, including the illustration, headline, copy, and logo. The discussion covers the question of whether to use a photograph or original art for the illustration, as well as text issues such as overprinting, reverse type, and typefaces. It also provides examples of symmetrical and asymmetrical balance as well as the Kodak rule of thirds. Viewers are introduced to the layout concepts known as vertical half, horizontal half, corner half, white space, bleed, and borders. The conclusion features examples of simplicity, unity, and harmony in layout design. A part of the series Advertising Layout. (19 minutes) DVD is Subtitled

Once advertising students have assimilated a basic knowledge of visual principles, they can move on to more advanced working methods—the ones that garner awards as well as customers. This program shows how to attract a reader’s attention with the layout concepts commonly known as picture window, silhouette, square zero, Mondrian, closure, oversizing, juxtaposition, surrealism, and shock. Examples show how graphic designers direct attention within an ad by using various compositional techniques—such as diagonal, standard, “C,” “Z,” overlapping, and spatial progression. The video concludes with a section on the importance and practical use of headlines and sub-headlines. A part of the series Advertising Layout. (19 minutes) 2011

Amy, a sixteen-year-old expelled from her high school, thinks alternative education is the best thing to happen to her; Lolita takes her daughter, Jana, to a charter school, despite the inconvenience, because she believes in the curriculum. The first half of this NewsHour program on new patterns in education looks at a special breed of alternative school where disruptive students benefit from low teacher-pupil ratios and an emphasis on individualized study using computers. The second half explores the popularity of charter schools—from just one in 1992 to over 1,700 in 25 states today—and the battles that have arisen over them. Talks with students, parents, and teachers illustrate the educational frustrations that prompted these innovative strategies. (22 minutes, color)

Bob had been a lifelong athlete until knee trouble began to keep him off the basketball court. Like millions of aging but still active adults, he confronted the pain when it started restricting his daily activities, too. This program examines deterioration of the knee joint and the options for partial or total replacement when nonsurgical interventions fail to bring relief. Medical experts outline the basics of the procedure along with its risks, stressing the importance of sticking to a post- operative rehabilitation plan. In addition, a hiker discusses her decision to have surgery—now much less invasive than when the procedure was first developed—and how it eventually improved her life. (26 minutes) DVD is Subtitled

Understanding: Bacteria — Explore how bacteria aid in meal digestion, help control air- and water- pollution, and even how they treat wrinkles and muscle disorders. Learn more about evolved strains of bacteria like E. coli making news headlines. Understanding: Viruses — Learn how viruses operate and how your immune system defends you against an enemy that's patient, invisible, adaptable, and potentially deadly. See how scientists are transforming invading viruses into agents of healing.

Most young people acknowledge the need for fuels that won’t harm the planet—but do they realize that also applies to fueling the body? This program guides students through the basic concepts of healthy eating and the principal nutrients that keep the human anatomy functioning properly. Outlining the properties and benefits of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals, the video explains the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients, illustrates the functions of monosaccharides and disaccharides, highlights the virtues of whole grains, pinpoints the dangers of dehydration and vitamin deficiency, and presents eye-catching animation and in-depth commentary from nutrition experts clarifying each topic. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. To ensure compliance with the 2011 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the new "plate" food guidance logo, delivery may be delayed until April 2011. A Meridian Production. Part of the series Healthy Eating: A Guide to Nutrition. (30 minutes)

School is over and it’s time to go out and get your dream job—but what is that, exactly? Determining a career choice, or a career path, is one of the hardest things to do in life. This video helps new graduates and beginning jobseekers clarify their professional goals and find jobs that fit their skills, passions, priorities, and long-term plans. Viewers learn how to use assessment tests—focusing on values, interests, or aptitude and achievement—to identify strengths and challenges; how to make the most of occupational classification systems that describe industries and labor markets in detail; how to obtain references and letters of recommendation that underscore past experience and future potential; and how to explore job training options, whether they involve on-the-job instruction, further academic coursework, or a combination of both. A Cambridge Educational Production. Part of the series Get Hired and Go: The Complete Guide To Getting a Job and Doing It Right. (26 minutes)

Job hunting is about selling yourself—but to make a sale, you have to advertise. From traditional paper resumes to new-media methods of self-promotion, this video explores the best ways for applicants to showcase their talents, accomplishments, and potential value to employers. An in-depth discussion of resume strategy highlights objectives, structure, formatting (both hard copy and electronic), and proofreading, followed by read-aloud examples that help clarify what employers do and don’t like to see. Next comes a detailed look at creating work sample presentations, from basic notebook and photo-album layouts to digital and online portfolios. Visual demos show what might work in industries such as marketing, construction, and culinary arts. Finally, viewers are reminded that social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn are powerful promotional tools, if used wisely and professionally. A Cambridge Educational Production. Part of the series Get Hired and Go: The Complete Guide To Getting a Job and Doing It Right. (28 minutes)

This program presents the best of the CLIO gold and silver winners for the year 2010. Entries include “Antiquing” and “Strolling” (Viagra), “Bird” (MTV), “Cinema 21:9” (Philips), “Destiny” (Axe), “Double Take” (Monster.com), “Going West” (New Zealand Book Council), “Invocation” (SOS Atlantic Forest Foundation), “Local Radio” (BBC), “Monkey” (Tierschutzbund German Animal Protection Federation), “New Kid” (Luvs Diapers), “PC Folders” and “Mac Folders” (UNICEF), “Pure Waters” (James Boag’s Draught), “Tag” (Nike), “The Life” (Microsoft Xbox 360 Halo 3: ODST), “Trigger Happy” (Canon Cameras), and more. Contains mature themes and nudity. (45 minutes)