I went online to explore Teacher Tube and its resources. After signing up and using it thoroughly, I can report the following:
The website is a great tool to either teach or review skills. It could also conceivably be used as a forum for students to post their own videos about a subject they have researched, thereby improving their own knowledge, and also contributing real content to the site. Teacher Tube also provides teachers new ideas and methodologies for teaching, many of them integrating technology. It also features videos that show students processes that a teacher might not be able to replicate in class, for financial or logistical reasons. There is a tab where you can join a Group with similar interests, but this was a bit confusing, as all of these groups seem to only have one member. Last but not least, the site is available worldwide and for free.
There are, in my opinion, some downsides when using this site. As a user, I definitely experienced some visual overload when I logged in. The banners and ads take away from the experience and distract the user. Secondly, although the site purports to be about teaching and learning only, I actually found a lot of irrelevant content. For instance, on the “Docs” tab, there is a PDF with the title: “Factors to think about in finding the Best Wedding Planner Singapore” (I thought that was particularly random and humorous). Lastly, it seems that people are able to post whatever they want with no quality control, which could be a problem for a teacher needing a trustworthy source.
In short, as a teacher I would definitely use this site, but I would do my best to vet the material before using it in the classroom.
The website is a great tool to either teach or review skills. It could also conceivably be used as a forum for students to post their own videos about a subject they have researched, thereby improving their own knowledge, and also contributing real content to the site. Teacher Tube also provides teachers new ideas and methodologies for teaching, many of them integrating technology. It also features videos that show students processes that a teacher might not be able to replicate in class, for financial or logistical reasons. There is a tab where you can join a Group with similar interests, but this was a bit confusing, as all of these groups seem to only have one member. Last but not least, the site is available worldwide and for free.
There are, in my opinion, some downsides when using this site. As a user, I definitely experienced some visual overload when I logged in. The banners and ads take away from the experience and distract the user. Secondly, although the site purports to be about teaching and learning only, I actually found a lot of irrelevant content. For instance, on the “Docs” tab, there is a PDF with the title: “Factors to think about in finding the Best Wedding Planner Singapore” (I thought that was particularly random and humorous). Lastly, it seems that people are able to post whatever they want with no quality control, which could be a problem for a teacher needing a trustworthy source.
In short, as a teacher I would definitely use this site, but I would do my best to vet the material before using it in the classroom.