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: