Embedded Files
Workshop Leader: Chris Scott, @csscottsy
Link to Workshop Resources HERE
You Tube
Chris began the workshop sharing examples of why YouTube is relevant in the classroom and important to our students. The amount of content uploaded to YouTube daily is astounding. YouTube is an excellent way to motivate and inspire students as well as teach the content standards we are obligated to. The message I took away from this introduction to YouTube was this: YouTube is where our students spend a lot of their time, and it is our job to meet our students where they are so that we can engage them in learning.
He shared examples of YouTube trends and popular channels. I took the time to subscribe to some of his recommended channels.
I especially enjoy the trend of 360-degree imaging and videos. I purchased a Rioch Theta S this summer, and I have been enjoying using it for still images, including this fun image my students and me on the first day of school.
We also took a 360 class selfie on Halloween. Click on the panoramic photo for the full 360 experience.
Before school started in August, I shared a 360 photo of the classroom on my class website (view HERE). Families were able to visit the website before the first day of school and take a virtual tour of the classroom. It was a fun way to build anticipation as well as calm the nerves of students who were anxious about the unknown and beginning a new school year. It was also helpful for parents who don't always have an opportunity to visit the classroom in person due to work schedules or other obligations.
My students have become familiar with my camera, and that I use it for still images. They are not aware that it can take video as well. When we get back to school in January, I want to set it up in the middle of the classroom during our differentiated reading group time. During this 45 minute block, students work in small groups either with me, on computers, in a book club, or working on a grammar assignment independently. After I record the session, I will post the video through YouTube in our Google Classroom and have the students watch themselves in the classroom video. They will reflect on their actions and performance during reading group time as a self-directed learner. My hope is that they will have an accurate view of their current class participation and set goals to improve it.
The other beautiful thing about 360 imaging is that students can go on virtual field trips all over the world. For example, Yosemite National Park. Virtual tours are incredibly powerful when teaching students who don't have the opportunity to travel. It is a powerful way to help students develop global awareness and understanding when they can actually see other places in the world.
YouTube Channels and Playlists
After the workshop, I took the time to create some playlists for my upcoming Math units; geometry and fractions.
Once you find content that you want to share with your students, it can easily be added to a playlist, and then shared with your students as a link in Google Classroom.
LINK to my Fourth Grade Fractions Playlist
YouTube Videos and EdPuzzle
EdPuzzle is a great assessment tool. With this program, you can add voice over, pauses, and questions to any video for students to watch. You can create EdPuzzles by importing videos directly from YouTube and then adding places in the video where it will stop and ask the viewer a question. Or you can select EdPuzzles already created by other teachers. EdPuzzle videos can be assigned to students through Google Classroom and the teacher gets live time results while the students are working. Digital lessons like this provide great opportunities for personalized learning and differentiated instruction. I also like the fact that students can work at their pace, and review content as needed.
Once students complete the video lesson, the teacher can view the data to see which students passed, and which students need more help and support. Questions can be multiple choice, in which case they are graded automatically, or they can be short answer, and the teacher has to go through the submissions and grade them manually. The other feature that I like is the fact that students cannot skip ahead, they have to watch the whole video, and the teacher can see if a student rewatched any sections. EdPuzzle has a lot of resources to help teachers get started and set up their classrooms in the resources section HERE.
I like using EdPuzzles for formative assessment and to pre-teach concepts before beginning a new unit.
You can view an example of an EdPuzzle lesson HERE.
SAMR with YouTube
During the last section of the workshop, Chris spent time talking about the importance of using the SAMR model when deciding to use YouTube in the classroom. One of my favorite illustrations explaining the SAMR model is this infographic by @sylviaduckworth
When integrating technology, like YouTube, it is important to make sure it is being implemented with purpose, and with the desire to redefine the learning experience.
Chris pointed out that using a Khan Academy video to teach our class a Math concept is merely substitution. He challenged our cohort to think of ways to use YouTube at the redefinition level.
One way to redefine education with YouTube is using transcripts. For each video on YouTube, you can get the transcript which can be translated using Google translate tools. This would allow students with limited English skills, or parents who don't speak English, access to the content in their primary language. Transcripts also allow students who process information at a slower pace, or are not auditory learners, the opportunity to go back and reread sections that they do not yet understand.
A suggestion that I shared was using transcripts as a tool to help students see how scripts are written so that they can create their own more successfully. Chris shared examples in his slide deck of using inspiring videos to teach grammar concepts and writing conventions. He also suggested using YouTube for students to create their own videos to recreate history.
Creating in YouTube
Chris ended the workshop by sharing the Creator Studio. You can access the Creator Studio by clicking on your login icon in the top right corner of your YouTube Screen. I was not aware that the Creator Studio existed. This will be a great way for students to compile images and video clips to create their own videos. This year I will have students create our Open House slideshow instead of doing it myself.
I found these videos demonstrating how easy it is to create simple videos with video clips, images, and music.
Overall the workshop was very eye-opening for me. I now know how much I need to learn about YouTube. The capabilities are limited only by the imagination. In the past, I only used YouTube for tutorials and to promote students engagement by showing a short clip as a hook for a lesson. This was just the tip of the iceberg. I now realize how much more I can do for my students by providing curated playlists for them to explore, and having students contribute to shared playlists. Instead of giving my students a worksheet for math homework, I think I would get much more engagement and 100% participation by asking my students to find the best video on YouTube to explain a particular Math concept. YouTube also allows opportunities for students to be creators of content and share their work with a broad audience. This generation wants their voice to be heard, and YouTube gives them a platform to put their voice out into the world.
Google Sites
Report abuse