YouTube In Education

YouTube is a video sharing website in which users can share, upload, and view videos.  Since the creation of YouTube in  2005, YouTube has had increasing success and has forever changed American culture. One reason YouTube has had great success is because there is a wide range of educational videos available on YouTube, allowing these videos to be used in classrooms.  I never even thought of using YouTube in the classroom until I experienced my first college class here at UNI.  It all took place in Humanities I when Mrs. Wells wanted to show us a YouTube video on Oedipus the King.  When I first heard the word "YouTube" come out of her mouth, I instantly began to think of funny, unprofessional videos.  Little did I know that this YouTube video was completely educational.  This was when I realized that there were probably more educational videos on YouTube, and my other college classes proved that was the truth.  As a teacher, you may want to spice things up a bit in the classroom.  Lectures can get boring and students tend to lose interest quickly.  Teachers can show a YouTube video related to a specific educational topic.  Students are more likely to remember things if they get taught them in a "fun" way.  Also, some textbooks tend to be filled with outdated information.  Teachers can use YouTube videos to show more up-to-date information. Another thing that is really nice about YouTube is that it's very accessible.  Users can get on YouTube as long as they have an internet connection, making the information available and easy to access!  A problem educators tend to encounter with YouTube is that while there are educational videos on YouTube, there are also inappropriate videos available on YouTube.  If a YouTube video is seen as consisting inappropriate information, it becomes private and only users that are at least 18 years of age may view the video.  However, there are even better alternatives.  These alternatives include Teacher Tube or School Tube which consist of only educational information.  If for some reason you are not as comfortable with these two sites, you can stick to YouTube and just select the "Education" category.  As you can see YouTube is a great way to teach students an important piece of information, but in a much more fun way.  Students will remember the video from class and may even return to the site to watch it again on their own time.  If you as an educator are not comfortable using YouTube you can always use Teacher Tube or School Tube.  Regardless of the site you choose, always preview the video first before showing your students!

100 Best YouTube Videos for Teachers- Click this link to see the top 100 YouTube videos for teachers.  This website consists of YouTube videos for all subjects!

47 Alternatives to Using YouTube in the Classroom- If you are one of those educators that does not feel comfortable using YouTube in the classroom, click this link to learn more alternatives to using YouTube.





Image retrieved from: www.flickr.com by Rick McCharles

Smartphones In the Classroom

Smartphones are mobile phones that are used for communicating as well as computing functions.  Some may say that smartphones should be allowed in the classroom since the smartphone has features that may be found on a computer.  Compared to laptops, smartphones are much smaller and cheaper. Smartphones are similair to laptops in the fact that users can create powerpoints, spreadsheets, word documents, voice recordings, videos, etc.  Smartphones allow users to  have internet access as well, making information more acccessible.  So what's the problem with having smartphones in the classroom?  Since smartphones are also used for communication, students may find these tools distracting in the classroom if they decide to text message.  Texting may also lead to cheating on tests!  Not only do students have access to texting, they also have access to the internet, which could be another distraction.  Also, since the screen of a smartphone is rather small, teachers cannot monitor what the students are looking at which could be a big problem.  Teachers need to look at the pros and cons of the smartphones and see if they're really a necessary learning tool for the classroom.  In my opinion, the cons of using smartphones in the classroom outweigh the pros of using smartphones in the classroom.  Teachers may want to look into things that are not used for communicating, such as the iPad.



Education Apps for Smartphones-  There are plenty of apps for smartphones that can useful in education.  Click this link to see some of the basic ones you could use!

Industry Makes Pitch That Smartphones Belong In Classroom-  This is a newspaper article written by Matt Richtel and Brad Stone, discussing how smartphones can help help students with their math skills.






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iPads In the Classroom

   The iPad is a tablet computer produced by Apple that weighs in at 25 ounces.  Similair to the iPod touch and iPhone, the iPad also has a multitouch layout.  You are probably wondering why something like this would be good for the classroom.
   Ever hear your teachers nagging about "save the tress, don't waste paper?"  This is where the iPad comes in handy.  Since the iPad is an eBook reader, students have access to textbook information without the textbook!  Do you realize how much paper would be saved?  Not only would paper be saved, teachers wouldn't have to worry about students reading outdated information because  the information is continually updated.  Plus, the iPad is lighter than most textbooks these days!
  Other than the iPad being great for the use of textbooks, it also allows students to create slideshow presentations, spreadsheets, and do word processing.  With the iPad being able to do all of these things, teachers would no longer have to take students to a computer lab due to the iPad's mobility.  Students would have access to information at all times.  The iPad also has a lot apps that would be useful in the classroom as well, click the link 10 iPad Apps for the Classroom to see these.

Watch this 6 minute YouTube video to learn more about the iPad and how it can be used in the classroom.




10 iPad Apps for the Classroom-  This is just a small list of iPad apps that teachers can use with their students.

Want an iPad?-  Interested in buying an iPad?  Click this link and begin shopping!







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Promethean ActivBoards

As a child, I grew up in classrooms full of chalkboards and white boards. However, now that I am in college, technology has once again improved. As I was in my 1st grade classroom for my field experience, I noticed a white board that looked different than normal. I soon came to find out that it was called a Promethean ActivBoard. A Promethean ActivBoard is made of electro-sensitive equipment. Because it is made of electro-sensitive equipment, the Promethean ActivBoard is triggered by a pen. The pen used on the Promethean ActivBoard is analogous to a mouse on a computer. Like a mouse, the pen is used for clicking and searching the screen. In order for the Promethean ActivBoard to work, it must be plugged into a computer. This is a very good piece of technology to use in the classroom because it allows students to visualize everything that can be done on a computer, on a large interactive white board. Unlike white boards and chalkboards, the Promethean ActivBoard also uses audio. You can't forget the "cleanliness" of the Promethean ActivBoard. There is no chalk powder or marker involved!

My Activboard Top Ten--This is a blog post written by a Promethean staff member that describes his Top Ten reasons for liking the ActivBoard.

Image retrieved from http://www.flickr.com by The Virtual Learning Center