Videos in the classroom

What?
We actually learned this lesson along with the vid-cast and pod-cast one. In this assignment we have to find an educational video and save it onto our computers, then put it up on our UEN websites for everyone to see.

Now What?
This assignment is a good way to figure out how to identify safe and effective videos that will help our students learn specific lessons in the classroom. It is also a fun, attention-grabbing way to teach them concepts that they need to remember. As Doc Waters said, it is important not to show video-clips too often because the interest wanes, but an occasional video here and there is a good means of reinforcing what you are teaching.

I have known about places like YouTube for a long time, and have watched many videos there. But it never crossed my mind that people upload children’s educational videos there, too. It was fun going through them and choosing one for my assignment. I know that in the future, I’ll definitely use it as a tool for teaching in my classroom.

So what?
I have always been a supporter of alternate means of teaching, e.g. using a video to teach a concept, calling in a guest speaker to talk over a subject we are learning, or doing on a walk around the school grounds to teach a lesson. So learning that teachers all over the world are using sites like YouTube to get videos to use in their classrooms is not a surprise, and it is a big argument in support of my own ideas and feelings on the subject.

I don’t plan on being a completely ground-breaking teacher when it comes to technology in my classroom, but I refuse to depend on only paper, pencils, and oral skills to teach my students. I also hope that in the future my colleagues will be in full support of using technology like computers, videos, etc. in the classroom. Most teachers are, and it would be fun to trade ideas or plan lessons with the critique and understanding of my colleagues.

Video
I liked the idea of technology allowing us to spend more time with our families, but overall, I didn’t understand the point of this video. Why are we being called the “Millennial Generation” rather than the “technological generation?” Why were kids the only ones interviewed? I was also a little offended when they started implying that the Middle Adult generation knows less about technology than ours does, and is less open to it. My mom is a graphic designer and my dad is in the Escalations department of a major computer company. They both own and know how to operate computers, cell phones, and many other advanced pieces of technology, and use them every day. I think Motorola needs to do a little more research on this subject, and then follow with being a little less prejudiced against the older generations. After all, we teenagers and young adults wouldn’t be where we are today without the so-called “technologically ignorant older generation”.