What is it? Commoncraft is certainly not new to many teachers but they are still producing some of the best content on the web for explaining complex concepts in simple and plain English.  They make 3 minute films explaining concepts such as 'Money, The Environment, Technology and Society and have a multitude of films within these categories.  The Commoncraft crew use a really effective paper and pen "South Park" style to animate their ideas to great effect. 

How can I use it in my teaching and learning?  Next time you get tongue tied on trying to explain the stock market, what Twitter is, or how to elect a president then this might be a great starting point.  3 minutes later you'll be an expert and hopefully so will your students.  I have found these really effective in explaining technology to my staff during training sessions.  They are also a great introduction to instructional texts to students.

below is an explanation of how to elect a President and how it works  and and here is a  link to their site.