Saturday, February 16, 2008

You Tube in the Classroom


Take a look at this YouTube video, using the hyperlink provided at the end. Although the video captures the college student of today, let us know what implications you see for students K-12. Note this YouTube was created by a class of college students taking an enthnographic technology class. The video will give you a sense of how students in college can use multimedia to create a provocative commentary for an immensely wide audience. Think of the critical thinking and technology skills the students needed to use to produce this video. How does the video help you envision different ways for teaching students today? Here is the link. Turn on your speakers.
Post your comments!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW!! A very compelling and thought provoking video, indeed. Most of the statements made by students are true. The fact that most people read blogs instead of classic literature would make Shakespeare wake up from the dead.

Come to think of it, do we really need large classrooms that existed in the 19th century. I have found many tutoring videos on youtube just as good or even better that some classroom teachig. One that I like a lot is ww.videomathtutor.com. I use to supplement my lessons and get ideas from it. There may be day that all students need to do is log in to a class from home and pass a test at the end of the year to graduate.

But, I read an article in the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7248875.stm) where the reporter states that by 2029 machines will achieve human-level artificial intelligence by 2029. If that is the case, then why do we need to go to school?

Anonymous said...

I agree, Tony, what a thought provoking video. What struck me most is the drastic contrast between the old and the new. The professor in this class is using older teaching methods of direct instruction on a chalkboard while modern students are seeking new innovative ways to learn using technology.

The reality is that we are living in an age of technological innovation that is advancing at a rapid rate- and our classrooms need to be adapting to those changes. Students today are spending more time on the internet visiting blogs, websites, and online chats than ever before- and it may be time that educators need to incorporate some of these new technologies into the classroom. Learning needs to be relevant for students, however, I do not think that it is time for the traditional classroom to make way for the virtual classroom completely. Using new technologies in combination with traditional teaching methods would benefit students who will be entering a workforce that is highly technological in the 21st century.

I also agree with you, Tony, that the fact that most students are reading blogs instead of classic literature is alarming. Although using new technology is important, we can't lose sight of teaching the classics. The fact that students in general are reading less books than reading posts online worries me. There has to be a balance in the middle of these two extremes in which students can explore the endless opportunities online and still maintain educational standards.

Anonymous said...

My son and I watched the video and were both amazed. He is six and knows more about the computer than I do. Almost every evening we hear more and more stories about the internet and education. I am now feeling the impact of the interent and feel it is important to use it constructively in the classroom. Times are changing and as an educator, I need to as well. While I don't believe in using the internet to soley teach a student, I do believe, the internet should supplement materials.
I recently used the internet to show my students Martin Lurther King's "I Have a Dream," speech. My students were enthralled by a man they had only seen in books. They listened attentively to his 17minute speech without a word. I would not have been able to teach such a spur of the moment lesson without google.
Yes Tony we do need to go to school because as teachers we need to educate our students to use the internet in a way that will enhance their learning. The interenet should never substitute what a teacher can bring to the classroom, life and a positve perspective towards learning!

Anonymous said...

That was awesome! The students really had to do a lot of reserach to get all those statistics. It was all things we are curious about but never really knew the actual numbers for. Did you really think that was how much time we spent on such things as emailing, talking on cell phones, listening to ipods and how little time was spent reading classic novels, writing someone a letter? I hope that as we move forward in this era of technology there is a balance of the new and the old ways of doing certain things.

I really think that teachers need to take a close look at their methods of teaching and make change accordingly to meet the students needs technologically!

I can see making such a movie with all its planning, research and execution making a big impact in an elementary classroom as a culminating activity.

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