Being YouTubers in Class

Tech Tip Tuesday (January 31, 2023)

They're always watching YouTube.

Why don't you try in in class?

You can block it all you want, but...

You're not going to stop them from watching it.

K12 students at the end of 2021 were watching TikTok and YouTube for an average 147 minutes per day in a study done on students around the world. Plenty of kids shift to watching videos rather than reading an explanation. They'd rather be entertained by someone else than diving into a complex text that requires them to fill in the voice intended by the author.

We can fight it all we want, but streaming video is here to stay. So why don't we embrace creating them in the classroom space?

But how you ask? 🤔

Start small!

Using something like Flip can get kids comfortable with recording themselves.

There are plenty of topics to start from in the Discovery Library if you're not sure where to start!

You can decide if they are going to share it with a wider audience or just with you!

You can allow them to tinker with filters, stickers, backgrounds, and effects in there to increase engagement and to help find their voice.

It's too loud in the classroom!

Yes, there will be ambient noise in the room, but not enough to take away from the speaker. They can also take their work home to record, but it's easier to finish at school, especially where you can help.

Want to take a bigger creative leap?

Canva Video Editor is great for quick drag and drop editing and for students to add professional and beautiful elements right into their videos. Canva for Education is free for all K-12 teachers and students, and it's pretty intuitive.

WeVideo is another great program designed for K-12 students to create videos and share them with a larger audience. It has great stock footage, sounds, and effects built right into the platform for students to use in their projects.