Soon students may not have to wait until afterschool to use YouTube. The website, blocked by most school districts, has announced its new YouTube for Schools. The popular social networking video site will allow schools to pick the content they want to have available to their students and related links will be customized. So, just how quickly will school districts be joining the new on-line video learning movement?
Google has put together a great on-line promotional video which emphasizes how video enhances learning. From science experiments to historical videos to foreign language learning, teachers and students from all over the world can connect with on-line videos. Chicago Public School's, John Connolly, educational technology director said: ''We're making content and tools available to our teachers to help them increase and enhance their teaching.'' Hopefully, other schools will also see the advantages to using Google's newest educational tool to enhance and engage learning in their district. School budgets are constantly dwindling and schools all over the country are looking for new ways to keep learning fun and engaging while still keeping the electricity on in the building. YouTube for Schools may be the answer many schools have looked for.
Still not sure if videos really enhance learning? Check out this video about atoms created by a 6th grade teacher to the tune of "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5. Currently, the video is accessible to anyone on YouTube. With the new YouTube for Schools, the video would not have comments below or other videos to link to on the side. Therefore, if used in the classroom, students would be completely focused on the video about atoms. Videos like this could have students eventually creating their own videos for school instead of making videos asking their peers if they are pretty or not.
Do you have a child in school? What are your thoughts on using YouTube videos in the classroom?
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