Students love watching movies. YouTube is watched and enjoyed by many students. However, in the classroom this site is usually blocked and requires an override password to view the videos. This can be frustrating and tiresome for the classroom teacher. So SchoolTube and TeacherTube are the sites that educators need to utilize.
Let's first look at SchoolTube. SchoolTube offers videos made by students and schools about certain topics. These videos are educational as well as very appealing. Students enjoy watching other students share information on videos. Students also enjoy creating these videos to share. SchoolTube allows students to be creative in sharing their knowledge. This site also provides contests the students and schools can enter. Schools can register on SchoolTube. SchoolTube is also on the social networking bandwagon being affiliated with Facebook and Twitter. This links the videos students and schools create even more by sharing them with other social media sites. SchoolTube is definitely student oriented.
TeacherTube is more from an adult perspective sharing insights and information about topics. These videos have more of a lecture structure as they are designed and usually reported by adults rather than students like in SchoolTube. TeacherTube is also linked to Facebook and Twitter. TeacherTube provides documents, photos, and audio bytes as well. This social media also has an important feature entitled “Keep it safe. Flag all inappropriate content” (2011). This is a terrific feature because it permits TeacherTube to constantly check the content of the submissions and only allow appropriate material. As this site is not usually blocked at schools, it is important that such a filter be in place so videos that are utilized in the classroom are appropriate. The videos still need to be previewed by the teacher before viewing them in class. TeacherTube does have advertisements before each video, but you can begin the video before class starts to skip the ad.
Both of these sites are free to use. However the true benefit to the classroom teacher is the sharing of information with others. Whether the information is done through student or teacher videos, all educators may access these two tools to help aid instruction in the class. From personal experience, when a video is employed in the classroom, engagement in the lesson is higher and the students retain more as they have another way to make personal connections with the material. Of the two tools, I prefer TeacherTube. The reason for this is because the content is more grade level appropriate for my students than SchoolTube.
Key words: SchoolTube, TeacherTube, Facebook,Twitter
First off, thank you for the suggestion. As soon as I finished reading your blog, I went and started searching on TeacherTube to see what type of videos they have. It's truly amazing what the Internet holds sometimes. I would never have known about either of these sits and I begin my student teaching in 3 months. These are the type of sites that, as educators, we need to be aware of and make use of. I agree that students will become more engaged through use of video (and I admit, I would be too). Every now-and-then, it's important to change up the lesson or strategy, and these sits could be exactly what the classroom needs. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYouTube and other sites have merit in the classroom. Even when I go to church there are youtube videos that play during the sermon. I think that it is fascinating when teachers use these technologies to benefit the student. It the end of the day however, not everything is appropriate on YouTube. I think it is great that there are other tools out there that teachers can use which are safe for students. I liked your comments about the teacher connecting students with information. That truly is the essence of education. Great work!
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