Youtube - GOOD WATER

What benefits does youtube hold for its use in classroom learning?

Youtube allows anyone to join, upload podcasts and vodcasts, and view these posts and comments. It also allows users to download videos or embed them into other sites such as blogs and websites. So if anyone can upload anything they like, and anyone can view these, is it beneficial or reliable for a professional learning environment?

Firstly I jumped onto youtube and typed in the topic that my learners are currently studying, water and conservation. When I searched this, I was able to access hundreds of clips at the click of the mouse, however, as I continued to browse, I found this was not necessarily helpful to me. Out of the first 20 or so clips I selected to view, only about two was suitable or relevant to what I was looking for. This for me was quite a time consuming process. Possibly I need to research more effective searching techniques.

Below is my short analysis of using youtube clips for teaching in the classroom:

Advantages:

• Anyone can access clips and view them
• Clips can be downloaded to a computer or embedded in a website
• Can provide an engaging hook for learning when chosing for a purpose
• Caters for a variety of learners
• Engages learners by providing an alternative to 'chalk and talk'
• Can give an alternate perspective which can link students to higher order thinking

Disadvantages:

• Anyone can upload anything
• Many clips are useless or irrelevant
• Clips can contain explicit material, they need to be viewed prior to showing them to children
• Youtube access is normally blocked at school
• Takes time to find an appropriate clip

This is a youtube clip that I found which I consider relevant for a lesson I will be teaching on my prac.


I would use this clip at the start of my lesson to get learners to think about how they use water. As a class we would then brainstorm a list of things in our day that require the use of water directly, then link into indirect uses, such as eating fruit which required the water to grow. I would then link into a lesson about eco footprints, with a water focus and use groupwork to collate ideas.

As you can see, using a youtube clip, such as this, can provide students with a visual link into the content of a lesson. For different learning styles, this can be the engagement tool that will allow a learner to now make links to the learning from the stimulus.

On the other hand, there are a few things I would consider before using a youtube clip in my classroom.

1. Firstly, I would ensure that the clip was suitable by watching it through before showing the students
2. I would prepare my lesson in advance so that I could download the clip into a format so that it would play at school and be ad-free
3. It is important to ensure the material is suitable for the age group and learning cohort, making consideration for reading level, complexity and even consider religious or family beliefs of learners
4. Play the clip on school computers before the lesson, just to make sure it works
5. Plan for a backup if all else fails. Sometimes technology at school can be unpredictable

Let me know your thoughts on youtube in your classroom!