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In the spirit of the end of year and potentially trying something new, we bring you a guest post about how to use YouTube with your teaching. If you’ve tried it or not, here are some great ideas. And we welcome your comments on other ideas and challenges of how to bring YouTube into your classroom. ~EMP
We know that social media is changing the world. That fact is evident no matter how you look at it. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest… these social media sites have invaded nearly every facet of our lives. They’ve impacted us both personally and professionally… but what about in the education spectrum? While Facebooking your teachers or tweeting during class is still an emphatic “no”, YouTube has managed to positively impact educational lessons.
1. Visually reinforces lessons
Hearing about what happened during World War II is one thing, but what if you could actually watch the different commercials that aired during that time or view short clips of footage that was filmed to really get a feel for what was going on during it? Need a refresher on that biology lesson or a visual on how something is pronounced? YouTube has thousands of different videos that can help give you a quick visual reminder with any and all subjects.
2. Appeals to a broader range of learners
Not everyone is able to pick up the necessities of a lesson through lectures alone, and sometimes a video clip is exactly what they need to grasp a particular concept. Classroom lectures typically appeal more to the auditory learner than the visual one, and watching videos on YouTube can help reach that other learning demographic.
3. Helps students learn more
Not everything that students are interested in learning is offered in the classroom, but a quick YouTube search will offer up plenty of step-by-step instructional videos ranging from how to solve math problems to how to play instruments to perfecting learning that second language. Helping students learn more outside of the classroom is a great way to get kids excited about learning in general.
4. Aids online education
There’s been a huge shift in recent years to more online-based educational programs. And while it started with colleges it is now moving quickly to all levels of learners, including those on the elementary level. As people spend more time taking classes online, YouTube helps fill in the gaps that may be encountered by providing visual supplements that the online class may otherwise be lacking.
5. Facilitates discussion
The comments section of any YouTube video can open up several different avenues for discussing different viewpoints and seeing things in a different light. This can help facilitate discussion in the classroom by exploring different reactions and viewpoints, and seeing past what our individual reactions may have been.
While there are some flaws with using YouTube in the classroom or to supplement learning, and not all videos are going to be the highest quality or send the perfect message, there are some great benefits to using it as well. And anything that helps get kids interested in learning is a huge plus in my book!
Author Bio
Melanie Slaugh writes extensively for internet service providers and also topics related to that. She provides the information to consumer on the need to choose the right Internet package for them. She can be reached at slaugh.slaugh907 @ gmail.com.
We have a range of guest bloggers on The Inspired Classroom. If you are interested in submitting a guest post about education for other educators, please contact us. 
I have been trying out a flipped classroom model the last few weeks of school, with great success. I email the link to a video or website to students at home. They respond to a lower order set of questions (aka Bloom’s taxonomy) through a Google form or something like that. We then do activities that reinforce and extend the concepts in the classroom together. Loads of fun, and the kids were really excited- even at the end of the year!
Laura, That is exciting! I bet the kids really do love it and it’s a great way to get your feet wet with it too. If you ever want to write up more about your experiences for The Inspired Classroom, let me know. I’m sure other teachers would love to hear more, including me!