MOVING ON

Well, before you pack the car, consider how much time you have for this journey, how skilled you are at avoiding slippery rocks, how comfortable you are with fast currents, and if you’ve done your homework not only to arrive alive, but to arrive at your planned destination.

Take YouTube for example. It’s about as exciting as it gets, but you’d better be prepared for twists, turns, probably river levels of 7 and above, and surprising outcomes. If you can handle all that, pack your car and get on down the road. …I’m a first-time surviver of You Tube. I found it relatively difficult but exciting. It appealed to my sense of adventure. Please take a minute to view this cool video by nobrainerproductions.com entitled “American Literature Intro. – American Pie Revised.” This would be a neat way to introduce an American Literature course.

I bookmarked several content-area videos along the way in addition to finding an interesting "how to" dialogue about using Web 2.0 resources for research and teaching. Yes, this trip had enough excitement but a bit difficult for a first-timer. Maybe next time I will be more familar with the river's topography.

In retrospect, perhaps I should have planned the TeacherTube trip first. Oh well, we live and learn. I found this experience more comfortable, very productive, but I must say the thrill was just not there. I found useful videos on engaging students in Web 2.0, created by university professors, for example. I will most definitely repeat this trip as I know I will return home with lots of valuable experience and information. At the end of the day, however, YouTube gets my vote. I would like to create informational videos to help my students, and at the same time, entertain them a bit. Easier said than done, I'm sure.

YouTube boasts helping people watch, produce, share videos for the purpose of connecting, informing, and inspiring. Hard to believe it has only been around since February 2005. ...TeacherTube, on the other hand, has as its goal "to provide an online community for sharing instructional videos... [seeking] to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners." A goal more lofty than that of its tubing sister. TeacherTube was launched in March 2007. Seems like yesterday.

In the mood for tubing? You need look no further than the adventures offered by YouTube and TeacherTube! Happy Tubing!

photo credit: http://flickr.com/photos/randomurl/