Blog
#3
Youtube?
Hidden opportunities for productive flipped classrooms in ESL
What might seem as the old warhorse of
websites, Youtube can sometimes seem as dated as landlines and Napster.
However, unlike those long gone programs, Youtube still has an almost
ubiquitous existence in our technology ecosystems. Youtube is often ignored as
an educational tool beyond it’s simple function as a massive video archive. For
this, we use the video hosting site to find almost anything we could ever dream
of to supplement our lessons. We ask students to watch a video at home on
Youtube, then quiz them on it the next day. We find a video to match our target
lesson, then show it in class. We ask students to use Youtube as a source for
research assignments. We even divert the teachers job of delivering a lesson to
a lesson that has been uploaded onto this website.
Now if you haven’t noticed, all of the
activities I have just mentioned are receptive. That is, the video is played
and the student watches and listens. It is the video that is producing and
presenting the content, and the student who is receiving it. Now, anecdotally,
when it comes down to it, most teachers I know have only used Youtube for
receptive skills development and have failed to see the possibility of using it
productively. The following are some reasons and ways Youtube can become a
great productive asset to your language class. Let’s have a look.
Privacy
A major point of concern when posting
online is staged in class is that a student’s or a class’ privacy may be
comprised. Some anonymous character might somehow enter the online world of
your class and wreak havoc with profanity and threats. Now, this might seem
like a long shot, but if it does happen it could be a real headache for the teacher,
parents, and other stakeholders – depending on the severity of the incident. To
avoid this, with any student made videos, or in any area the students might be
commenting – make it private. Learn how to use the privacy toggles and make
sure your students are using them too. You might want to update your student
contract/ waiver too, if you think privacy breaches might be an issue.
Comments
I found a very motivating and active
writing task is the comments section. Students are used to commenting in their
own language and the medium is a place they’re comfortable with. Options to use
like buttons, emojis, GIFs , and hyperlinks can also add extra-motivating
reasons to contribute to comments section for the digital natives in your
class. Who wants to write a paper journal that only your teacher reads when the
whole class can comment on your video?
Accessibility
to HQ Video
Even just five years ago, expecting
everyone to have access to a high-quality video camera and editing software was
a lot to ask. Not only that, but the know-how was spotty on how to use it
wasn’t perfect either. Now, in my context anyway, virtually every student has a
smartphone and access to high quality video editing software. The convenience
of making a video and editing it to look good has never been better. Why not
exploit it?
Student
driven flipped classrooms
Instead of slogging away with TED and Khan
Academy videos for flipped classroom content, why not have the students create
it themselves and teach each other. If the teacher can break the concepts down
into small and manageable points, and assign the students to create videos to
teach each other, the amount of learning and motivation could be very high.
Personalizing and creating while using course concepts can be a very effective
way to meet objectives.
Will Youtube look any different to you now?
I’m guessing that once you put your mind to it, and see how gung ho your
students are, uploading onto this site will become a regular part of your
flipped classroom routine. Add an upload activity below!
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