YouTube Power

The video begins with an image of an eye glancing over several webpages. The image caught my eye due to the speed of the images reflected, and a faint alarm rang in head regarding the time and speed at which we use the web and how reliant and trusting we are of it. This video encompasses the main problems faced by the students of today and is a sincere cry out to their teachers to listen to them and understand their needs and means to learning. We all know, and are learning everyday that technology use is the way to go. As teachers we are asked of our administrators to become more familiar with the gadgets available and work on integrating them into our classrooms, but unfortunately only a few have built up courage to cross to the “other side”; the progressive side.

What impressed me most is the silence factor throughout the video, I was touched by the students’ messages just by looking at their posture and facial expressions. I was able to sense the sincerity and genuine concern they hold for their future and academic life. The whiteboard was a great way to voice their opinions and their handwriting provided their individuality and uniqueness but yet they all had the same goal: Engage ME! The statistics they shared were the most troubling because they are an unfortunate reality. The following quote “Teach me to think, to create, to analyze, to evaluate, to apply, teach me to think.” is the essence of why we teach and what we pledged to instill in students. Today, teachers, need to embrace the digital age that surrounds us and help students learn by doing.

What intrigued me to share this video with you is the prelude to the video that states the vision for the K-12 students of today. The prelude states “ Students will use engaging technologies in collaborative, inquiry-based learning environments with teachers who are willing and able to use technology’s power to assist them in transforming knowledge and skills into products, solutions, and new information.”  That sentence alone should be the motto and philosophy of every school today because it reflects the reality that surrounds us. 
My two cents on this topic is I believe YouTube is a great vessel for interactive and educational videos such as the one critiqued here which could surely be integrated in classroom and would add volumes of wealth to students’ knowledge and overall experiences. This is a resource I would suggest using as a teacher to aid in delivering the vision and the mission for our students and for the team too; to ENGAGE!
Finally, YouTube can be a great venue for students to set up video diaries regarding any problems they may be facing and find a support system of students who are experiencing similar issues.