Comparison of video sites

I found this part of the course extremely enlightening because I have never really explored any of these sites. Even though I knew they were available I did not know how to get to them or see their purpose. "Seeing Service" was great for reminding students that they are valuable people and have a purpose. That is something I try to teach my students each day. I also believe what Wesley Fryer said, "personal stories can connect information better than reading information in a book."

I think I like NextVista.org the best, but that may be because it was a first and a new, fun experience for me. I questioned if some of these videos would be objectional and got my answer when listening to Teacher Tube. Teacher Tube emphasized being articulate, correct and of having quality content. I learned that there is a certain standard and four rules that apply when judging a video to be presented. That intimindated me until the speaker recognized that some videos would be mediocre, but that is ok because students could use the idea presented and improve on it in their own video.

The Math podcasts in Lightbulbs would have helped me a lot when I was a student because I needed to see and hear information to "get it". Also, listening to Robert Frost's poem "Traveling The Road Not Taken" was better understood when hearing and reading the poem at the same time. The following study session was full of great questions about life, philosophy, choices and significant decisions we are expected to make in life. We constantly have conversations about choices and consequences with our students, and it was heartening to hear and watch how other teachers explore these common and universal ideas.

Youtube and Clipblast were like pop culture to me. Many of the themes were less focused on education and more similar to those presented on T.V. They were entertaining and/or politically based. There were a few worthy Health and Education videos. One I did like was from NYC called 92nd Street. The people who made it interviewed visitors, made them feel welcome and were connecting to all sorts of individuals to enrich lives and embrace fellowship.

I think that in my Resource room many of these videos would be applicable because they are short and focused on subject matter/content that the kids are learning. Often a different teacher or style of teaching can get a point across to a student struggling with a concept. In the video "When Kids Don't Get It" the point was made that when they don't "get it" they feel dumb. I see this everyday. The result is avoiding or not questioning the teacher. A video that they could re-run and watch could help.