For those of us without subscription television, Youtube brings us the crap on television that the rest of the world takes for granted. I was introduced to Youtube in 2006 when it was Time's Person of the Year. Now, there is little you can't find there. I was looking to see whether I could find anything about my favorite teacher turned author, and I found an excerpt from his retirement celebration. On the same channel I found a video circa 1985 of two of my classmates mocking the baseball coach, Mr. Pranzo. There are is a lot out there that has been buried for years, and even more that should be. I love Youtube-- where else can you find the original mah na mah na , Wonderama, Honey Boo Boo, Robot Chicken, classic Saturday Night Live episodes, and Gee! Your Hair Smells Terrific commercials all on one website? I could do without the commercials, but somthing has to pay for it.
Youtube is a great source of information for teachers and videos that can be used by teachers. I chose Keith Hughes video, Teaching for Dummies, based on the title, but I found the "facilitator of learning experiences", Mr. Hughes, quite energetic and engaging. His point in this particular video, to communicate with our students using examples that may be relevant in their lives, was one that is often overlooked. We talk at our students, he claims, and often, when speaking to our students in our academic discourses, we sound like aliens. We need to "create a bridge" for communication if we are going to teach them anything.
I would definitely search for informative videos on Youtube, as well as on teachertube, to incorporate on my classroom blog. I think it would be helpful to have it accessible for students who are absent, or those who want to review. It is so easy to embed videos, and there are so many videos that incorporate humor, music, and are truly engaging. And to think we had to watch the Saturday morning cartoons to see Schoolhouse Rock!
What I love about this is that it is just so easy!
It would be fun to make our own videos and start our own channel, just because it is so easy!
I did explore Kideos, which had a lot of childrens' videos. I chose this one because it had a lot of funny animal videos, as well as many classics. This can be a source of some guaranteed clean fun-- I don't think we ever grow to old for the Muppets, Ninja Baby, or baby animals.
Everyone loves videos. Incorporating this media into our practice is guaranteed to engage our students.
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