YouTube

As teachers, YouTube can be the bane of many of our existences.  Students sneak on to watch videos that may be inappropriate or just a plain-old waste of time.  I've known teachers who outright ban YouTube from their classrooms and many districts block it on student accounts.
To that, I have one thing to say: really?
Alright.  I get it.  Letting students go on YouTube with no filtering or monitoring can lead to a whole slew of problems, but think about all that they'll be missing by leaving out this awesome tool!
"What about TeacherTube or other video hosting services," you ask?  Valid question.  They're fine, but they don't have the variety and scope of videos that you can find on YouTube and the search tools can often be awkward and frankly ineffective.
So what can you do to make YouTube a happier place for your students?
Here are three of my favorite suggestions:

• Create your own webpage.  Make a blog, a tumblr - whatever you want - and post videos you want your students to watch there.  YouTube makes it pretty easy to embed.  

1. Find a video you like. 
2. Click the little 'Share' button that I've helpfully highlighted over there.
3. New options will pop up.  Find the one that says 'Embed'. You'll see code that looks like this:  <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?index=1&amp;list=ECE3376FF44087B17B&amp;hl=en_US" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>  You're almost there.
4. Pick the size you want for your webpage.
5. Copy.
6. Paste.
7. You're done!!!

If you're using Blogger like I am, it's even easier.  Click the little 'Insert a video' button and Blogger does all the work for you.

• Start your own YouTube channel.  From here you can create your own videos, tag favorites, and make your own playlists.  If your students have their own YouTube accounts you can even monitor which videos they've viewed and see whether or not they have watched your videos.
• And the safest of the three: Use a YouTube video as a hook.  Pick the video you want, show it to the entire class using your projector or a computer hooked up to a t.v. or even right there on the computer screen, and watch the discussions flow.

Yes, YouTube is big and scary and has videos you probably don't want your students to see, but don't let that scare you away!  There are so many excellent videos and your students already love the technology.  Use it to inspire!