Much has been written about the value of Youtube as a teaching tool in the classroom, however, I have found that there is so much power in using Youtube, not only to provide visuals for students, but as a means of creation for students. Once concepts have been taught, creating content is a nuanced way for students to apply their learning.
Creating Youtube videos can be a valuable tool for many reasons:
1. It is challenging.
Rather than memorizing material and quickly forgetting it after a test, Youtube creation requires learners to apply their knowledge in creating new content. Creating a Youtube video is not an easy task, as there are many steps to the process. During a lesson on media, my 5th grade classroom worked in groups to produce various segments of a news show. Throughout the project they had to research a news story, create a script, delegate tasks, and create graphics. A group of students working on a sports segment found themselves especially challenged when it came to making their story believable. They wanted a way to portray basketball player, Danny Green, it a way that would be obvious. Their solution still makes me laugh!
2. It is rewarding and inclusive of all learners! Youtube in itself is valuable because it allows visual learners to see examples of concepts, visually and audibly. By actually creating a video, further opportunities for learning are established. Everyone is able to play a part and have ownership of their learning. When students were learning about the elements of a play, Youtube was a valuable way for students to learn by experiencing the different roles (narrator, protagonist,etc) and then rewatch their work to identify and remember other roles.
3. It is fun! Students love the opportunity to see and watch themselves on the big (projector) screen! Students use Youtube in their daily lives so to be able to have a part in this media form is actually quite fun for students! For our final end of year project, my students and I created a “songs in real life” style video recapping our year together. While the project allowed them to be challenged creatively and work together in teams, it also allowed them to reflect on their year. The Youtube video now lives on as a reminder of our year together and I love returning to the comment section to find my students saying hello.
Things to consider:
Safety– Youtube can accessed globally so student confidentiality is extremely important. Although I was able to publish some videos after getting student release forms from parents, many times the videos we created were set to private so that only I could access them to share with the students when appropriate.
Access– Because Youtube is a video platform, some kind of recording device is necessary. However, my school did not have access to fancy cameras or computer equipment. Luckily thanks to todays technology and because we were not trying to create cinematic masterpieces, often we found a cell phone cameras worked just fine.
Time– Creating a video for Youtube does take time. While it is a valuable tool, it is definitely not a means I used in every lesson. Typically, I would try to incorporate it once a semester and it would take two weeks to complete.
Rudy! Wow! This is a really cool project that your students completed. Just like you said, there is a lot of preparation that can go into a project of this type, which is an excellent way to provide scaffolding to a project and increase the quality. Some students love the idea of fame and being in front of the camera. I can see how a YouTube video project would automatically provide such students with a lot of motivation to produce a better and more original product.
Dear Rudy,
Thank you so much for sharing your insight, as well as your class’s accomplishments. I am still cracking up/tearing up over the Year in Review. How fun and what a great way for students to apply their creativity and knowledge! I would love to learn more about how you set up the project: who did what, how much students created themselves and how they gathered their ideas, how much you planned or gave them suggestions, who all filmed, if you showed them a previous year’s example, etc. I agree that YouTube’s appeal to the multiple intelligences and differentiation makes it a valuable classroom tool. I appreciate that you acknowledged both the rewards and things to consider regarding YouTube, without labeling them as advantages and disadvantages, positives and negatives. What an exciting endeavor and a positive way to end the year in your classroom community! Although I felt daunted previously by the laborious nature of the YouTube creation project, I now feel inspired to try it in my future classroom.
Rudy –
That year in review video was absolutely adorable and such a great interactive project for students to partake in. I really love the idea of YouTube as a medium for education because of how accessible it is. It’s also a great way for students to not only learn about whatever project material they’re covering, but also about filming and editing – skills that will only be beneficial for them later in life. Thank you for sharing the videos!