Widely used for killing time, entertainment and procrastination, YouTube is now being used to supplement instruction in the classroom.
As an educator, you can upload, share, view and comment on video clips, ranging from self-produced or professionally edited short films to clips from television and film. For the uninitiated, one of the site’s biggest boons is the ease with which it can be navigated and operated.
Like all emerging technology, the value of YouTube depends on how the content is used to support learning. Chris O’Neal offers guidance on how to effectively use YouTube in the classroom in his piece, “A Teacher’s Tour of YouTube.” O’Neal believes that YouTube is an extremely “robust classroom tool,” and although he’s somewhat discouraged by the vacuousness of certain user comments and video submissions, he feels the negative aspects can be channeled into positive discussion. “One critical issue to keep in mind when sharing and discussing these videos with your students is media literacy, including general Internet reliability. Are the videos truly what they say they are? Might some of these clips violate copyright? What constitutes a ‘good’ video?”
If you’re not convinced yet, look at how other teachers are using YouTube in their classrooms. With more than 70 million videos being viewed, YouTube is a gold mine of educational material, and students will love it.
Jen O’Neill
Education Writer
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