Thomas Carruthers once said, "A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." With the advent of the Internet, YouTube, blogs, and many other forms of information sharing, it appears to some extent that Carruthers' quote may come true.
While YouTube and other video sharing websites grow in content, it won't replace the classroom teacher. What YouTube WILL do, is replace the old ideal that the classroom teacher is the only source of knowledge in the classroom. YouTube will be the driving force in the movement to make classrooms a collaborate environment where students work together to solve problems with the help of the facilitator who uses prior knowledge and experience to guide students in the best direction for learning and inquiry, with technology to aid the process.
Teachers are not the gatekeepers of knowledge. They do not have the authority to demand students sit quietly and listen to lectures as the teacher pours valuable knowledge into their empty vessels. There are too many outlets for learning that are becoming more easily accessible to all.
Instead of fearing, ignoring, or degrading everything that happens on YouTube, teachers should embrace it's power, and harness it for the good of their students. If movements like Khan Academy and the flipped classroom are any indication, students want to learn at their own pace, from a trusted source, and with the opportunity (and NOT the obligation) to speak up and out on what they've learned.
Students want to connect with likeminded individuals who share the same beliefs and passions. Students don't want to be forced into talking about topics they don't understand in front of people they're not completely comfortable with.
Tools like YouTube allow students to 'rehearse' their knowledge. If they make mistakes, editing is available to take out the inessentials. It also allows for self evaluation and assessment. Before uploading their work to the web (and the world), students look over what they've done and make judgements on their work. We are often our own worst enemy and harshest critic. A teacher can step aside from being the grader of work, and into a guide or consultant that helps students make their work better.
To ignite collaborative learning and help students become 21st century learners, teachers can try some of these suggestions for using YouTube with students:
- Use Diigo or Delicious to create a list of YouTube videos that teach students important content
- Create a class YouTube Channel to upload student created videos
- Find videos to use as Bell ringer activities to start class
- End class with a video that introduces tomorrow's activities
- Use YouTube to play music while students work (classical, jazz, instrumental, etc.)
- Have students create their own music through GarageBand and make a playlist out of it to play while students work
- Students can create videos that introduce the next unit of study
- Create Public Service Announcements that inform next year's students what to expect from being in the class
- Students create videos that highlight the classroom procedures (what to do when you need to use the bathroom, need to sharpen a pencil, how attendance is handled, etc.)
- Use tools like SaveVid to download YouTube videos for students to use within a Powerpoint/Keynote presentation
There are many more ways to use YouTube in the classroom. We hope this list gives you some ideas for using it in your room! If you're still not inspired, take these teachers' word for it:
