Apr 05 2009
Educational Videos
In the last few days I have watched tons of videos on YouTube and found several that I liked and disliked. The first is an old favorite Schoolhouse Rock video called Dry Bones.
I love all of these videos because 1. they teach a lesson, 2. they are in terms that can be easily understood 3. they cover a wide range of topics across all content area and 4. they are all set to music which kids really seem to enjoy. If you work with kids 12 and under, these videos are a definite must (most of my high school students enjoyed them as well).
Another video that I found interesting is called Education Today and Tomorrow.
This video goes through the changes in the classroom through the last century and it is filled with some startling facts (I checked of course) that should open a few american eyes. It is also set to music that will catch that attention of young people.
The videos that I did not think were useful included the following problems: incorrect content, no music or music that most young people would find boring, small or illegible font, lessons that spoke above the intended audience, or made light of difficult tasks. Instructional videos are meant to be just that…instructional. They should catch the students’ attention, be up to date, and contain content that is used to enhance your lesson. If these guidelines are met, then personally, I choose not to use the video in my class.
