Using Video to Engage with Students

Although the YouTube App (or Service) is owned by Google, it is not considered part of Google Workspace for Education. Rather, it is classified as an “Additional Service” and is not covered under our contracted agreement with Google.  Google's new age-based restrictions have changed the availability of YouTube to younger students. 

• Brookline Staff have “Unrestricted Access” and the YouTube Service is turned on.  Staff can create Playlists, Channels, and upload videos. You can learn more about managing your account here.

• Students in grades 7-12 can access YouTube, but they can't upload videos or join Live Streams. Students in grades 7-8 have Strict restrictions in place (Generally aligns with content ratings for viewers 9+). BHS students have Moderate Restrictions (Generally aligns with content ratings for viewers 13+) on viewing.

• Students in grades K-6 cannot access YouTube directly. Teachers can assign videos through Google Classroom, Google Sites or Slides, but direct access via YouTube is blocked. Students in K-6 can view videos that are embedded in Classroom, Slides, or a Google Site. All students have  Strcit Restrictions on viewing. Sixth grade students can also view videos embedded in a Canvas assignment or Edpuzzle assingment.

• Strict and Moderate Restrictions rely on YouTube’s automated system to filter out potential obscene, hateful, or violent content.  Many videos are unavailable.  YouTube's filters are not perfect and some seemingly appropriate videos are blocked. Often, a wider search will yield videos with similar content that are not blocked. 

How to share a YouTube video that's Restricted (Unavailable) with students in grades 7-12:

1. Share the video through SafeShare. The services create a "cleaner" view of the YouTube video and usually bypass the YouTube restrictions. 

2. You can test Youtube video for restrictions by going to your Youtube account (https://www.youtube.com/?gl=US&tab=r1) and turning on the "Restricted Mode". You can turn it back off as needed. This short video demonstrates the process of turning the "Restricted Mode" on and off. 

3. If a video is blocked in the restricted mode, it may be blocked for Chrome users. See if you can find a similar video or even a different version of the same video. 

4. Try adding a "-" (dash) between the letters "t" and "u" of the word "Youtube". Please do not teach students this "hack". You can learn more here:  https://www.yout-ube.com/ This has reportedly helped some students view videos that were showing as Restricted. Please use this tip only to modify the link you share or the video you embed. Please do not teach students this "hack".

5. If students report having difficulty viewing YouTube videos, contact the Digital Learning Specialist or your school's Educational Technology Specialist. 

The following high quality resources are available online for free:

PBS Learning Media: Search for videos created by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). When you search, you can limit by grade, subject, and type (choose “video”).

PBS Nova: Recent episodes and many past episodes available.

PBS Frontline: Stream full episodes from the past ten years. 

WatchKnowLearn:  WatchKnowLearn has indexed approximately 50,000 educational videos. The videos are available without any registration or fees. You cans search or browse by category (on the left).

Bozeman Science:  Hundreds of science video essentials for AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, and AP Physics. Aligned to the AP curriculum.