While the newest consumer gadget typically dominates tech news, technological advancements influence many other facets of daily life, including education. Teachers and administrators use tech devices alongside in-class activities, providing students with interactive, multi-tiered learning. The National Education Association says many educators "see technology as a critical complement to the educational experience, opening more opportunities for the learner." With the number of "wired" classrooms increasing, it's becoming easier for teachers to harness Internet technology, drawing on large virtual storehouses of educational web videos, audio clips and film trailers.

Find trailers that show the "approved for all audiences by the Motion Pictures Association of America" label at the beginning of the clip. Some production companies release alternate clips on the web that are more graphic than MPAA-approved trailers.

Make sure the trailer is well-projected for easy visibility. Film clips are useful as short blurbs; if you have to replay that blurb over and over for students in the back row, you'll lose the convenient, time-saving benefits of film trailers. While YouTube.com makes it easy to find short clips, the small computer screen itself is not conducive to classroom learning.

Don't let the trailer do all the talking. Use some framing techniques to adapt the clip for classroom use. At the beginning, explain what you want students to pay attention to in the film, then recap what they saw once the trailer is over.

Focus on one or two specific elements. If you try to explain every detail from the trailer, the trailer will devolve from a "fun" activity into a "boring" lecture.

Make sure your brief framing lecture makes sense for the subject at hand. Should you have to defend your teaching practices at parent-teacher conferences, you'll need to be able to show definitive links between your discussion of the trailer and the subject. For example, while the lighting in the trailer may be interesting, it is not something to discuss in history class. Likewise, though the trailer's period-specific costumes may be well-designed, it's not appropriate for a photography course.