The internet. Boon to freedom, productivity, communication... and timewasting.

Published: 06 October, 2009

There's no doubt that the internet has made a major contribution to the advance of human civilisation. It's built networks that connect people around the globe. Enabled the free dissemination of opinions, information and news. And broken down barriers and borders to allow new ideas, communities and cultures to flourish.

Of course, it's also massively increased the number of opportunities to spend time doing nothing remotely productive.

Whether it's updating your status on Facebook twelve times a day, playing bingo at four in the morning, or spending your lunch hour watching clips of silly animals set to pounding techno, we've all experienced the endless possibilities of the internet to simply eat up the day.

Got fifteen minutes? Don't waste it.

Educational expert John Bayley, works with teachers to improve their classroom management skills. (Picture by Andrew Stewart) It's a familiar scene. The dinner's on. The house is quiet. You've got fifteen minutes to spare. You check your Facebook. Read a couple of emails. Follow a link to a YouTube clip forwarded by someone you barely know. Idly browse through holiday offers or bookshop recommendations. Then the ‘ping' of the microwave brings you back to earth and you've achieved... nothing.

This ‘in-between' time is exactly the slot that the redesigned website at www.teachers.tv can help teaching professionals fill - only more productively. With thousands of video clips coming in at around fifteen minutes, it's a simple way to get bite-sized pieces of CPD at any point during the day.

From channel surfing to web surfing.

The new Teachers TV website gives you recommendations on what to watch next. Originally developed as a TV channel, Teachers TV is increasingly being watched online. The benefits to busy teachers are clear - there's no schedule to follow and learning can fit into hectic lives. The thousands of short videos are searchable by topic, key stage, subject or role. So teaching assistants in primary schools can find behaviour tips just as fast as secondary heads can get advice on saving money in next year's budget. And both can get ideas, advice and inspiration whenever they've got fifteen minutes to spare - whether that's during a break, at lunchtime, or with a laptop propped on the arm of the sofa at the end Lessons from abroad: Children learn about Empire in India in the Teachers TV video ‘Teaching Empire: how do they do it in India?’ of the day. The option to download videos to iPods also means they can be watched on the move - turning a boring commute into a chance to advance a career, get inspiration on a subject that's become stale, or see how other teachers deal with common classroom issues.