YouTube as a Search Engine?

I am not surprised to read that YouTube is used by younger folks as a search engine. My sons are both very familiar with YouTube's content, and it is often their first stop when looking for amusement or how-to information. I guess I just never really thought about it for myself. I can see why it would be so attractive. Moving images transmit a great deal of information quickly as opposed to having to read and process written text. I would hate for this to supplant serious research using the written (and authenticated) word, but I can really see applications for YouTube content as a teaching and learning tool.

Coincidentally, last night I called my son for some tech help. I wanted to include a YouTube snippet on my new blog. By the way, don't go to UTube - it's distressing! I was amazed at the way he was able to talk me through the site: look here, look there, type in this. We had such a great time last night sharing these videos and finding more to look at! The longest phone conversation we've ever had. Now - if my 20-year-old son finds this so motivating that he will spend 45 minutes on a Saturday night talking to his mom, how can I avoid the fact that there is a resource for relevant, interesting video that I am not using.

I understand that YouTube is blocked at school. This seems silly, because I know the kids are probably the only ones who can now still access it. I guess I'd be interested to find ways to access these videos and use them in my lessons. Could I embed them in a new document?

An Attitude "Reboot"

It seems so easy to find something or someone to blame for change we can't control. This is nothing new. The world is changing faster and faster ... because of technology, which drives the rate of change. This has been happening since the Industrial Revolution, and it doesn't look like it will stop. In his article "Critics Need a Reboot" David Wolman points out that "ignorance and irrationalism" have been with us a long time. Rather than gnashing our teeth and pulling our hair at our inability to curb the technology beast, we should find ways to teach our students to be critical thinkers and find the best ways to embrace change. This is easier said than done for a technology-averse person like me. (It took me a ridiculously long time to figure out how to add a second entry to this blog!) BUT - I think it is important enough for me to try.

Books versus Gaming

It's all in your perspective ... reality is relative. Those, like me, who have been successful readers using books and print can't imagine a world without it. Because we are readers, we feel that reading is valuable and important. How else can one have so many experiences without leaving the safety and security of your favorite reading spot? My sons are not readers, they are gamers. This has been a source of anxiety and sorrow for me. I am NOT a gamer ... don't know an XBox from a Wii ... have never played a game. I have often wondered how they could "waste" so much time perfecting their performance on the latest game system. They have often expressed amazement at how much time I "waste" sitting in a chair with a book in hand. We have talked about it ... I would love for them to experience what I feel feel when I am in the middle of a really good read ... time and place disappear and I am transported. When away from the book I miss the characters or continue thinking of the issues ... the period of history ... the connections to my life and the world. While I am reading, I AM alone ... interacting with text instead of other people. And I would be lying if I did not admit that there were times (many!) when I have chosen my book over some type of social interaction. But it doesn't feel like alone because my mind is filled with the characters and world of my book.
My sons, especially the younger one, have often asked me to play along. My answer has always been the same - no. I have often given them a book that I know they would love. They keep it awhile, then return it unfinished. I can see my reading through their perspective - reading may look like it is isolating, insulated from life ... but it doesn't FEEL that way. I am getting an inkling that I may have similar misperceptions about gaming.