The url for teachertube is http://www.teachertube.com. It's simple to sign up and is free. My staff at school isn't too experienced with technology, due mainly to putting a classroom teacher, myself, in charge of training them. I am looking for something that can help them with classroom projects, ideas, and a place to discuss different aspects of education.
Teachertube offers videos, documents, photos, discussion boards, blogs, and a personalized area for your "friends. It operates much on the same way as facebook and youtube. You can save favorite videos, blogs, documents, and can post your own blog through the site. One way communication is facilitated through the blogs, but can host two way communication through discussion boards, email, and personal messages to members. It has all the same capabilities as blackboard, but seems to have a greater ability to host video and audio. There is no live chat function, but goes beyond blackboard it terms of supplying video. With 14,000 members and growing, it is a great tool for teachers looking for lesson ideas, networking, or teacher "friends".
This possibilities for elearning seem endless. I would love to give my teachers at school an assignment of finding video to support a lesson, or to find a new way to approach a lesson by posting a blog or discussion thread and going through the feedback provided by the members.
The only activity I can find that would not be supported would be direct and immediate two way communication through a live chat.
Overall, I am very impressed with this new media in terms of ease of use. It reminds me a lot of facebook, so the initial intimidation for my teachers wouldn't be there, as I know a lot of teachers are on facebook.
I recently checked out teachertube and found a lot of interesting video. I am struggling trying to get a below-level class of mine on board with grammar instruction, and I found several videos describing different grammar topics. I also have to put in a plug for a friend of mine at Crafton Hills College. He is the headless professor on youtube. He has a lot of instructional video for tough concepts in philosophy. He also has a lot of video about his time in Mexico. His video instruction may not work in anything but his philosophy class, but they show me a quick and easy way of transmitting difficult ideas. Perhaps we should all try something like this?
ReplyDeleteI like the use of teachertube for the classrooms. The site isn't blocked by my district yet and they are always adding new videos.
ReplyDeleteI love teachertube. It is not blocked in my district either. It is good to have your teachers save the ones they like. The best part of teacher tube is you can type in a topic and have access to thousands of videos. The bad thing about teacher tube is you can type in a topic and find thousands of things. One time Robert and I were doing homework and we discovered teachertube. We had to meet again to do our homework because we spent about 4 hours exploring what was on teacher tube. After your teachers learn to use teacher tube you should teach them how to put their own project on teacher tube.
ReplyDeleteHi Scott,
ReplyDeleteI encourage teachers to use teachertube as the alternative to youtube, but it has limited videos. So, I let them know about Any Video Converter. It's a free converter that will allow you to download videos from youtube to your computer, and then you could upload them to teachertube to use in your classroom. It's a great way to get around the "system".
TeacherTube is a great resource, and would be greater if you all put videos up there!
ReplyDelete