Is Youtube in the Classroom Evil or Aiding?

*this is a response to Kelsey’s post*

I can assure you that we are taking the necessary precautions associated with using Youtube in the classroom. Each video will be screened and evaluated before the class even has a chance to view it. In class, we will be using extensions that block ads and comments. I agree that some of the videos can be misleading, but that’s why only the most relevant will be used in the classroom. For our English outcomes, we will need to be viewing and listening as types of literacies and Youtube really aids in this process. To keep students on track, we will be using different viewing activities. For example, each student will receive one aspect of the video to watch out for such as exaggerations made when someone is speaking. This is not too overwhelming for the student and keeps them engaged in the video! Even though it is a public website, it has huge learning potential to plug into different perspectives while minimizing the public content.

In terms of posting on Youtube, students who create an account will only be identified by first name. This helps to ensure student privacy while still allowing them to showcase the work that they have completed. We can also make the videos that they post only viewable by certain links and then we can send the link in an email to the parents.

Hopefully, this helps show the learning potential of using an online tool in the classroom!