A Touch of Greatness

Class of Her Own

April 2024 •English

A teacher in a disadvantaged community rebels against a system that neglects many of its vulnerable students. Gloria Merriex transforms into a trailblazer, using rap, dance and other innovations to enable children to thrive in school—and beyond.

Looking for Ms. Locklear

July 2008 •English

We met in first grade in Ms. Locklear’s class. During the summer of 2006, we decided to search for our beloved teacher. We chose not to use the internet or the telephone, but instead to rely on face-to-face contact with people. Looking for Ms. Locklear is a documentary chronicling our search, which led us far from home and into the company of a host of characters.

The Standard Deviants: The Dangerous World of Pre-Calculus, Part 1

January 1996 •English

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ACE PRE-CALCULUS IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: functions, polynomials, f(x), RATIONAL FUNCTIONS, standard form for rational functions, disguised rational functions, multiplying rational functions, FOIL (review), dividing rational functions, invert & multiply, compound fractions, adding rational functions, common denominators, subtracting rational functions, all four operations together, graphing rational functions, discontinuities, removable singularity, vertical asymptotes, horizontal asymptotes, finding asymptotes, finding roots, word problems, SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS, solving graphically, algebraic substitution, algebraic elimination, SYSTEMS OF INEQUALITIES, inequality basics, graphing linear inequalities, SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS WITH MORE THAN TWO VARIABLES

The Standard Deviants: The Candy-Coated World of Calculus, Part 2

October 1998 •English

Revised 1998 version. When you're ready to tackle advanced calculus, The Standard Deviants are ready to help! Part 2 covers applications of the derivative, antiderivatives and the definite integral. By combining a relaxed and enjoyable format with computer graphics and animation, the Standard Deviants enhance understanding and increase retention of difficult subjects. The key to a better grade in calculus is only a play button away.

The Standard Deviants: The Candy-Coated World of Calculus, Part 1

October 1998 •English

Revised 1998 version. Beginning with a review of functions and graphing, Part 1 jumps into the world of calculus by covering limits, vertical and horizontal asymptote, slopes and derivatives. The Standard Deviants take students by the hand and walk them through the most difficult topics with a relaxed and approachable format, step-by-step illustrations and plenty of examples.

No Small Matter

June 2019 •English

A look at the issue of high-quality early care and education in America, from home to childcare to preschool; the tragic cost of getting it wrong; and the huge payoff - for our kids, our families and our country - of getting it right.

Bus 174

October 2002 •Portuguese

Documentary depicts what happened in Rio de Janeiro on June 12th 2000, when bus 174 was taken by an armed young man, threatening to shoot all the passengers. Transmitted live on all Brazilian TV networks, this shocking and tragic-ending event became one of violence's most shocking portraits, and one of the scariest examples of police incompetence and abuse in recent years.

Dance for All

September 2007 •English

To Be and to Have

August 2002 •French

The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two auxiliary verbs in the French language. It is about a primary school in the commune of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France, the population of which is just over 200. The school has one small class of mixed ages (from four to twelve years), with a dedicated teacher, Georges Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.

Memory Books

May 2008 •English

In Uganda, AIDS-infected mothers have begun writing what they call Memory Books for their children. Aware of the illness, it is a way for the family to come to terms with the inevitable death that it faces. Hopelessness and desperation are confronted through the collaborative effort of remembering and recording, a process that inspires unexpected strength and even solace in the face of death.

The Standard Deviants: The Adventurous World of College Algebra, Part 1

January 1996 •English

Required study by high schools and colleges, algebra has been a notorious stumbling block for students. Without a solid foundation in algebra, however, you cannot expect to do well in more advanced math and science courses, such as calculus, physics and chemistry. Suitable for students of all ages, this DVD presents the three basic principles of algebra in a clear, fun and approachable manner: functions, algebraic properties and linear equations.

Fluid

December 2023 •English

A low budget, comedic documentary following a young man trying to take a deeper look into water, its purpose, and how we, as a society have chosen to use it.

The Standard Deviants: The Many-Sided World of Geometry, Part 2

December 1999 •English

Geometry Part 2 goes into detail on perimeter, circumference and area for 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional figures. This DVD is also helpful for students who need extra help understanding the Pythagorean Theorem. Difficult concepts are made crystal clear with easy-to-follow examples and graphic presentations. With the Standard Deviants by your side, you'll be calculating the surface of a sphere or the volume of a cylinder in no time!

Acadia Acadia?!?

May 1971 •French

In the late 1960s, with the triumph of bilingualism and biculturalism, New Brunswick's Université de Moncton became the setting for the awakening of Acadian nationalism after centuries of defeatism and resignation. Although 40% of the province's population spoke French, they had been unable to make their voices heard. The movement started with students-sit-ins, demonstrations against Parliament, run-ins with the police - and soon spread to a majority of Acadians. The film captures the behind-the-scenes action and the students' determination to bring about change. An invaluable document of the rebirth of a people.

The Standard Deviants: The Dangerous World of Pre-Calculus, Part 2

January 1996 •English

This edition includes topics such as exponential functions, common log or base 10, rules of exponents, natural log or base e, applications of exponents, rules of logs, logarithms, solving log equations and converting logs to base 10 or base e.

Joanne

January 2017 •English

Joanne is a model, a teacher, a fighter, a chameleon. But when her private semi-nude photos went public, this woman of many talents came to be simply known as 'the topless teacher'. Together with her former student, artist Simon Fujiwara, she seeks to reclaim her image through social media and branding tactics. Shifting between advertisement and portraiture, this meta-narrative on identity manages to infuse playfulness in its layered commentary on who you are and how you're seen.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?

January 2008 •English

Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.

Miyamoto and the Machine: The Story of KenKen

December 2020 •English

Ten years ago, Tetsuya Miyamoto had a dream to change the world through puzzles. In his classroom in Yokohama, KenKen was born. Enter a world where puzzles matter. From Tokyo to New York, from the classroom to the puzzle page to the tournament floor, Miyamoto and the Machine takes you into the brain of the inventor and the players, all while the machines of business and technology crash into artistry and humanity. Miyamoto believes each handcrafted puzzle tells a story, and if you look hard enough between the rows, columns, and cages of KenKen, you can find the story of the sensei who started a global phenomenon.

Comprehensive School

March 1962 •English

The joys of 1960s modern education - as seen at a not-exactly-typical local comp.

Education and Nationalism

May 2022 •Japanese

A group of uniformed Japanese schoolchildren make their way to class. But what they will be taught when they get there is a subject increasingly under government scrutiny. EDUCATION AND NATIONALISM traces growing government intervention in Japanese history and social science education over the last decade — a process embraced by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.