Wow - an extra entry this week!  Whenever I find something new or something neat, I just have to share it!


The YouTube teacher site has now been opened.  You can access it here.  I watched a couple of science videos about chemical reactions and balancing chemical equations and loved them.  Here are some ideas of how the YouTube teacher channel can be used as suggested by the site:


1.  Engage students by showing a video relevant to their lives.  Video clips can bring in different perspectives or force students to consider a new viewpoint, helping to spark a discussion.
2.  Playlists are a way of allowing you to organize videos on the site: a playlist is a series of videos you put together.  They don't have to be videos you upload yourself and you get to choose the order.  When one video ends, the playlist plays the next video without offering 'related videos', thus creating a curated environment for your students.  You can select which YouTube videos you want your students to view by creating a playlist.
3.  Capture and save projects and discussions so you can refer back to them year after year.  This will also help you save time as you can assign old videos to your new students. 
4.  Give students the option to dig deeper into a subject by creating a playlist of videos related to that concept.  By creating a playlist of relevant videos you allow students to pursue their interests without wasting time searching (and finding potentially objectionable content).
5.  Videos can supplement in-class teaching for struggling students.  Students can review your playlists at home.  You can even align the videos to state standards so students who need to review a particular standard can get the help they need.
6.  Turn test review and flashcards into easy-to-watch videos.  This way students can hear explanations as they study.  You can create a 'test review' video students can access at home to study the night before a big test.
7.  When working in stations or centers, have students use your YouTube channel to complete an assignment, freeing you to work with other small groups of students. 
8.  Create a quiz students complete after watching a video.  You can use such a quiz to get instant feedback on what they are learning.  Consider embedding your quiz on a class blog or site so students can watch the video and complete the quiz at the same time or immediately after.
9.  Use YouTube annotations to create 'Choose your own adventure' style video quests.  You can also create a video guide.
10.  If your students watch a video of basic concepts at home, then  you can focus in class on applying the concepts, working collaboratively with their classmates rather than simply listening to a lecture.


All of these ideas have accompanying video examples and that's how I found the science ones to view.  This site is definitely something you will want to check out!