YouTube

YouTube once flooded my inbox with funny videos deemed worthy of forwarding to everyone in my contacts list.  Laughing babies, wedding mishaps, SNL spoofs, and everyday bloopers were the clips that defined what YouTube was - a means of entertainment.  However, it has become so much more than simply a site for entertainment.  It truly has shown its educational value with increasing frequency.  

Miguel Helft, in his New York Times article, "At First Funny Videos. Now, a Reference Tool," states, "The explosion of all types of video content on YouTube and other sites is quickly transforming online video from a medium strictly for entertainment and news into one that is also a reference tool. As a result, video search, on YouTube and across other sites, is rapidly morphing into a new entry point into the Web, one that could rival mainstream search for many types of queries."  

I have used YouTube in my classroom on many occasions as a quick reference for something I am teaching.  When teaching about the ancient Mayan civilization, I found a YouTube clip explaining and demonstrating the famous ball game they played.  It was a brief but perfect accompaniment to our discussion.  I typically show a quick clip from the animated Disney movie The Road to El Dorado to provide a light-hearted and humorous visual for the Mayan ball game, but this year I was unable to get the movie in time.  Sure enough, trusty old YouTube had the clip from the movie ready for my use.  

I have used YouTube clips to teach about Dia de los Muertos, the Great Wall of China, and the traditional practices of the major world religions.  I have shown Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I have a dream..." speech as well as interviews with authors of the books we read. 

I still enjoy the entertainment aspect of YouTube...I mean, you can't really beat a truly funny kid... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM  

However, YouTube in my classroom has truly proven to be a useful tool aiding me as a teacher.