We all know why YouTube
exists. It's so we can watch videos of
people combining Mentos and Diet Coke to create chemical-reaction propulsion that
is both entertaining and unique. But
beyond losing hours of life watching horrible wipeouts on ATVs, what benefit -
if any - does a resources like YouTube offer education?
Instructional Videos
at a Premium Price
As a teacher, I understand that resources are difficult to
come by and even more difficult to afford. YouTube provides educators with a
way of getting video support for classroom instruction for free – as long as you're
willing to search and then preview material to screen out inaccurate or inane
content.
Better yet, since the Technology Department at my school is
always concerned about server space, having all of the content stored "out of
house" permits unlimited video access at no additional cost to the school. Personally, I've used YouTube to find
examples of speeches so that students could see and hear the differences
between some great speakers (Randy Pausch) and those who need some more work
(G.W.B.).
For educators, the major issue with YouTube is that it only
bars people from posting copyrighted material.
Because content is not filtered, students could find videos that would
make hardened criminals shudder and turn away.
And thus, the blocking of YouTube began.
But blocking is blog topic for another day. Let's examine an alternative
to YouTube.
TeacherTube: Same
Niche, Safer Content
TeacherTube was formed by Jason Smith, a veteran educator
who heard the complaints that the beneficial videos on YouTube were blocked from school networks by content filtering
systems that blocked the entire site - and not just specific videos. Smith
launched TeacherTube in March of 2006, and the site now logs more than one
million hits every month.
TeacherTube neither
limits the number of videos that users can load, nor limits the life of a post.
The only restrictions revolve around appropriate content, as it is essential
that the site is not blocked by schools.
Formulated to be a fraternal twin of YouTube, TeacherTube is just as
easy to use and offers many of the same features.
A True Virtual Classroom Anywhere (with a
Computer)
Forget just the
high school or public school classroom! As the number of home-schooled students
continues to rise, TeacherTube one-ups YouTube by providing lesson plans and
resources with their videos for anyone who works with students or wants to
further his or her education. This is
growing content, and users are encouraged to add videos that pertain to
education in any way - from the dangers of posting your picture online
to Mrs. Burk's Perimeter Rap for her math class.
Currently, users are limited only by their imagination and
creativity. As more educators develop the skills to create videos, a training
that most don't receive before becoming educators (and a subject that was only
an elective where I earned my own Master's degree), the usefulness of this free
resource can only continue to grow in its applicability for anyone who wants to
learn.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeacherTube
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6083826/
http://www.teachertube.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BoW7u0ZMLU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBm5ZSWbD14
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