Teacher Tube in the Classroom

Imagine you are teaching about Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. What an advantage to show a short video clip which has a historical reenactment of this momentous event. Try here to see an example. Or you are teaching geography and reviewing for a test on the United States. What about a cartoon video naming all of the states and their capitals as part of that review? Or you are teaching world history, and want an overview of themes found in world history to lead off the unit.

Knowing that our kids are very visually and/or auditory oriented, the use of short, pertinent video clips that are readily available both in the classroom and for the child at home could provide a very positive learning experience for that child.

Teacher Tube provides that material. There is a huge amount of videos available - of varying quality - for the teacher to use in the classroom, to get ideas from by seeing what slant someone else has on how material is presented. When a teacher finds one that is appropriate, the video site can either be bookmarked, or copied onto a lesson plan for reference, or the video can be downloaded. Membership in Teacher Tube is free... just be sure to write down someplace your username, password, and Teacher Tube website address.

Teachers and students can even get motivated and challenged to produce their own material, either for in-class consumption or Web display - as a hands on project. Research does show that teaching something is the best way to learn it.

Teacher Tube in an innovative, creative, and applicable way to teach in the classroom in a manner that students can relate to, learn from, and retain.

I would encourage each of our Social Studies teacher to look at Teacher Tube, evaluate and reflect on the material there and its potential use in your classroom, and determine if this approach is one that would provide an appropriate learning activity for the students in your classroom.

There is just something about having Thomas Jefferson pop in to talk to your class over the Web and discuss the responsibility of vigilance. It can blow you - and your students - away.

Essential question: How effective is the use of a tool like Teacher Tube in our classrooms?