My Take
BrainPop is a great tool for teachers with very little technology. You can show the videos to students with just one computer and a LCD projector. You can get a lot of it with just one account. The videos are short enough to keep the students interested, but long enough to provide valuable information and vocabulary. The information is not dumbed down, as you so commonly see in videos with animation. The resources associated with the videos are good and extend the learning. The videos are good for introducing a concept, to get more information, and for review. BrainPop also has teacher units and lessons to integrate all the videos. Not every topic is covered, but the add more all the time.
How I Use It
I use it to introduce science concepts, to give more information about a topic, and to review a topic. I use it as a whole class. We watch via the LCD projector. It is projected on to my whiteboard. I do not have individual student accounts. I just use one account. Although it can be pricey, I think it is a valuable resource. I use it with students from 4th to 8th graders. They all love it. Sometimes I use the resources that go along with videos. However, sometimes we just watch and discuss. Other times we watch once. Then we watch again and take notes. I know that there is a place where students can make their own BrainPop movies. I hope to use this in my class this year.