Teachers often want ways in which to provide instruction or feedback so the students will be more receptive to  learning. Creating YouTube videos allows educators to do that, and provides an exciting media for student learning.

Create a PowerPoint About the Learning Concept

The teacher can provide direct instruction on a learning goal through a PowerPoint presentation. As the teacher goes through the PowerPoint, he digitally records it with his digital camera and does a voice-over (or narration). He sets his digital camera on a tripod or a pile of books so that he can see the whole screen through the camera's viewfinder. He turns the camera to the movie setting and clicks to start the recording. He speaks loudly, clearly and with variation. When he is done, he previews the movie by reviewing it on his camera. If he likes the video, then he moves it over to your computer to upload it to YouTube. If his video needs improvements, he simply reshoots the video.

Use A Series of Signs or Visuals

The teacher can draw or computer generate large, easy-to-read signs or images that effectively teach her learning concept.This time, she either holds the visuals or has them located in a fixed location as she explains each visual; some people use a music stand to keep the visuals steady. Again, she sets up the digital camera on a tripod (or high, sturdy surface), so that she and the first visual are in the viewfinder. She has someone turn the camera to the "movie" setting and start the recording. After she explains the first visual, she removes it and talks about the second. A Spanish teacher can explain indirect objectives and show examples through a series of signs.

Use Live Action

As a group of teachers or a group of students demonstrate some learning, they can explain it (or a narrator can explain it). A group of middle school science teachers set up a digital camera on a tripod in a science room and then record what good collaborative lab work looks like. As the teachers go through the actions, another teacher narrates why each action is a good example of collaborative lab work. Likewise, students can show how a bill becomes a law as someone narrates. If the digital camera is on a tripod to steady it, and if the camera's frame can show all the action without the camera moving, then there is less chance for technical recording difficulties.

Use a Movie Maker Program for Still Images

If teachers or students have a collection of images with which to explain a learning concept, then they can put them into the individual frames in Window's Movie Maker or Apple's Imovies. Next, they can use a microphone to record their explanation of the learning under each of the appropriate image. Then they can change the time for each image to match it up with the sound. Finally, they can save the movie into a YouTube acceptable format such as.wmv and .mov. before they upload it to YouTube.

These educational YouTubes can be effective learning tools, as long as the purpose of the videos is learning and not entertainment. Make your PowerPoints, visuals, actions, and voice interesting, but do not allow them to distract from the learning. If you have your students create educational videos, share those hints with them. Show them several examples of excellent student learning videos to establish the high educational quality you want.

May the YouTube videos produced by you and your students become 24/7 learning for your students that matches their video-oriented learning style.

Dr. Harry Grover Tuttle focuses on assessing and improving student learning through low- and high-tech tools.

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