YouTube and TeacherTube

I love YouTube, anything I want to know it is second best to google. "Just google it" why not say "just YouTube it"!

I am an subscriber to communitychannel with Natalie Tran on YouTube who has been recognised as one of the most watched video blogger. I love watching her channel, it is always very entertaining. She has been on many talk shows and has become rather well known. If you want to check it out her channel is at - http://www.youtube.com/user/communitychannel


Here is a video I found after only searching for a little while. This video describes a Tanabata festival, and how it is about to star crossed lovers. Making what could be a boring work sheet to read into a interesting video that will engage the students. This means also provides them with visuals of the festival which a story in a book would not have the same effect. Nunan (p.192, 1996) said "that the video has been one of the most underutilized resources in language education". He also recognised video is useful to show realistic slices of of life, it has the potentiall to get students talking and it proviedes an element of entertainment.



Or here is another video I found at TeacherTube to help students learn Japanese numbers. It has a very catch beat/pattern that will allow students remember the numbers better. Richards (1996) recognises different memory strategies to help students language learning. One of these is the use of sound and images. I would allow students to move about and tap on knees with the song to included kinesthetic learners.




YouTube can be used in many different ways, video blogs, to explain/introduce and even to give you a step by step how to. It saves teacher time as all these great videos already exist.

Reference
Nunan, D & Clarice, L. (1996). The self-directed teacher, Cambridge University Press,
Melbourne.

Richards, J & Lockhart, C. (1996). Reflective teaching in second language classrooms,
Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.

Flickr and Piknic

Well I had fun with with Flickr and Piknic. Flickr has tones of images available and these would be fabulous for teachers and students to have. Often when describing/explaining information we need pictures and this site offer a wide selection. Here is what I did with a photo I took in Japan, Piknic allowed me to sharpen the image and not only make in feel more warm but to make it clear also.

BEFORE


AFTER


This would also be a good tool to share a picture to multiple people other than e-mail.

I could also see this as being good for High School art students doing, they can use this sight to give them inspiration on something the can create. Also this gives them and idea on what they could possibly do with photo shop if doing photography. If you could make private groups (not shared with world) this sight would be a good way to have students post and comment on others art work. With the selection tool students can leave a comment about parts of a picture/painting. They can also use it to gain knowledge about others work and ask how the got certain effects or meaning behind certain things included. It would also be a great way to show their works to another person as it has easy access and is all in one place.