YouTube: Not Just For Cat Videos

"Mom, what happened to the cursor?”
“Google VY Canis Majoris, Patrick.”
“Click that next video, Sean.”
"Let's make a video."

These are just a few snippets of phrases that have been uttered, without prompt, by my nearly seven year old brothers. (Note: some of the things they said were when they were four and five.) Ever since my brothers could talk they’ve been immersed in two distinct languages: English and the Digital Language.

The video above is one that my brothers made, unbenknownst to me, on my Apple MacBook. Imagine my surprise finding this on Photo Booth. They were either four or five. Though the content is typical of a five year old being silly, the fact that they are able to not only open, but use the program, without aid. The incredible thing is that most kids of this generation have the digital literacy! Imagine what kids born 5 years from now will be able to do?!

When they were four they were drawn to the computer, curious about all the possibilities that existed at their fingertips. And what does a four year old do when he finds something he likes and wants to know more about? Well aside from getting peanut butter everywhere, these two boys ask questions… lots of them. After learning the name of the “little arrow” on the screen, then began to experiment with what exactly the little guy to do. The explorations escalated and when they were five, nearly six, their fascination with space collided with the wonders of technology. One day, when I finished listening to an onslaught of their questions, I decided to show them, rather than tell them the answer to “what would happen if two galaxies crashed into each other” (they actually asked me this, no joke.) So using my oh-so-fabulous technology skills… I went on YouTube and looked for a video that I had seen when taking an astronomy class, and lo and behold, using a varied combination of search terms, I found it. My brothers were mesmerized, and decided to play the video again, and again, and again. After watching the video more times than anyone would deem necessary, the two rascals made a discovery. They could click on links to related videos. Before I knew it they were talking excitedly. “Sean, Sean click the one about the supermassive black holes!” My brothers at the age of six, had become YouTubers; however, instead of using it for non-educational purposes (aka endless amounts of funny cat videos..) they were using it to answer questions and even generate more questions in their minds. They were learning, and not only that they were learning to love learning.



I know that was a very long story that seemed to have no point, but I swear, there was one: YouTube and other media hosting sites are a wonderful tool that, if used properly, can really benefit students. In some of the reading we have done for this class, social media sites such as YouTube were discussed. I thought back to a unit I had implemented in a second grade classroom: Plants. In particularly I was teaching a lesson on fruit, and as I was coming up with a SMART board presentation to use as a supplement (NOTE: simply throwing information on a SMART board is not integrating technology), I couldn't think of a way to explain how fruit come from flowers, in a language that was appropriate for second graders. Instinctually I found myself typing in a search on Google, and was surprised to find a time-elapsed video of strawberries growing. It was perfect. It showed what words could not explain, and displayed images that would take a lot of time for students to view via an experiment of some kind. I think that was truly the moment I understood the impact that a tool such as the Internet could have on classrooms today. I have to remind myself that kids today have grown up with these tools and probably know how to use them; however, as a teacher it is my job to make sure they are used for good (not evil!) In my opinion, kids are natural problem solvers, and we need to give them the tools they need to explore, to build upon that innate ability. So, while my brothers are able to find out a lot on their own, it is my responsibility to guide them. This goes the same for me as my roll as an educator.


Children are not empty vessels, but they are, even more so now, critical thinking machines that have the potential to do things we haven't even imagined yet, crazy right?