YouTube

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 * YouTube Videos for Teaching and Learning **

We've all watched youtube videos. We've all seen "Evolution of Dance", "Charlie Bit My Finger - Again!", the "Numa Numa" guy, and "Star Wars Kid". Though generally we think of youtube as entertaining, in recent years it is being used more and more as an educational tool. The reason for this is simple: Nobody likes lectures. Sure we can sit through them, but how much are we really getting out of a long lecture if we are constantly fighting to stay awake and to stay focused? Lectures alone, even with pictures as visual aids are more often than not, boring. It's just hard to concentrate when the scenery never changes. Youtube is beginning to gain a reputation as a "bored class" panacea. Throw in a few youtube videos as part of your lesson and the level of class interest spikes. No matter what we do, videos are many times more interesting and stimulating than we are as teachers. Here are some true facts about visual learning visualteachingalliance.com has posted on its doorway page:

FACT: Approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners. FACT: The brain processes visual information 60,000 faster than text. FACT: 90 percent of information that comes to the brain is visual. FACT: 40 percent of all nerve fibers connected to the brain are linked to the retina. FACT: Visual aids in the classroom improve learning by up to 400 percent. FACT: Students who are twice exceptional (2e) are often visual learners.

What better way to utilize the most effective learning tool, visual learning, than youtube? It's free, it's easy, it's safe, and there are millions of videos to choose from. In fact, every minute that passes sees over 24 hours of footage added to youtube. That's 34,560 days of video per day!!!! Just a quick browse on youtube and it's safe to say you'll probably find the type of video you're looking for. Why not try it? Here are some examples of youtube videos that can be tied to lessons:

Here's an educational video on Christopher Columbus:

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Here is the famous "Conjunction Junction" clip from School House Rock right off youtube:

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Finally, here is a video on DNA replication:

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