Engaging Learners with YouTube

Reported by: Jessica Powell, Instructional Technologist for Secondary English, Language Arts & Reading.

YouTube is the 2nd
most used search engine.

Lately, I have been really intrigued by the use of video creation as a means for engaging learners. Focus being on the word: creation. Don't get me wrong, I love showing quick little videos that give my students some background context for the passage/novel/selection we're reading in class, and I believe adding video content leads to a better understanding for my students; however, SHOWING a video doesn't require my kiddos to think critically and that's the skill every teacher needs to develop. 

Enter YouTube. No longer is it simply a place for watching SharkCat or laughing baby videos. Today, YouTube is a great place for students to create and share content. Not only can students edit the videos they have recorded of their classmates acting out a Shakespearian scene or working through the stages of science experimentation, but they can also combine videos/images/text/music to create a completely new product that illustrates their understanding of the concepts they have been learning.

Imagine the possibilities!  Students might observe physical forces in nature and record them on their phone. They can go to YouTube, upload their raw video footage, edit out pieces, add a voice over explaining the laws of nature as they understand them to work, and overlay text that helps organize their thoughts into traceable learning paths.  

With so many options for creation in a tool so commonly and widely known, it might seem overwhelming to try and learn it all so your kids can use it. Below is a tutorial full of ideas and info on using YouTube.

Feel free to take a look and follow along in the how-to videos toward the end. I think you'll find that YouTube provides an opportunity for engagement you didn't know you had at your fingertips!