Using Technology in the Classroom
Teacher Tube, Online Resource for Educators
Teacher Tube was created in response to the popular You Tube that thousands of students a day would watch from around the world. You Tube's content is user generated and subjects are varied, while Teacher Tube is generated mostly by educators to teach students and fellow teachers.
Today's students will spend many hours a day surfing the net, and Teacher Tube is an opportunity for students to learn by doing something they enjoy. Integrate technology in the classroom with the aid of Teacher Tube.
Teach Tube has thousands of videos that are categorized into sub topics for easy reference. Elementary, secondary, university and teacher tutorials are a few of the channels available. Content is generated by users, but they must adhere to educational topics. As well, they are vigilant in keeping the site safe from inappropriate videos. At first glance the site is overwhelming, however the search box will narrow down the amount of videos to view on a topic.
Teaching Tool
An educator has a great teaching aid for his students and himself at Teacher Tube. The site has fresh ideas to teach a topic or to use the video as an introduction to a lesson. If you are teaching multiplication there is a great skit by Abbott and Costello on how not to divide. The short clip gives humor and opens discussion on the incorrect ways to calculate a division equation. This simple video will capture the students' attention and allow the classroom teacher to give a mini lesson on division with the students are engaged.
Once you have found a great video, it is best to save as a favourite and write down the writer and/or the name of the video, otherwise you will become frustrated finding the video clip again. As well, peruse the site on a regular basis to find activities that would benefit your class. Students will be more willing to watch a video to learn a concept than read one in a book. At times the site becomes frustrating because there are countless videos and many that have little value to the teacher and student, but with that said, it is worth the effort to sift through the videos because there are many that would compliment a lesson.
Teacher Videos
Teacher Tube is a great resource for finding lesson ideas and ways to use some of the videos for a lesson. However, it is also a great avenue for teachers to create their own tutorials for their students. Teachers can create mini-clips that are put on Teacher Tube for students to watch at their own pace. A teacher can make a video on the steps involved to create a book report or to illustrate different science projects. Concepts that can be taught in a video are endless.
Integrating technology in the classroom is much easier today because teachers are helping teachers with sites such as Teacher Tube. Internet is a great resource for teachers and students.
