Five Reasons Why YouTube Rocks the Classroom

Last month, 16 teachers from across the country got together at Google's Seattle office for the YouTube Teachers Studio -- a sort of bootcamp to learn how to best use YouTube in the classroom.

Jon Corippo, a Google Certified Teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator, was among the group, and came back with ideas about what YouTube was great for.

INSPIRATION. Videos are, in effect, changing education and learning. We are now past the point of debate. Flipped teaching and the ubiquity of high-performing teachers using YouTube are clear evidence of the shift. Check out this video, which shows the profound shift caused by the digital revolution. It's gotten 14 million-plus hits -- far more than any cat videos. There are many more of these, too.

MORE ACCESS TO STUDENTS.  With flipped teaching technique, educators can be available 24/7, on smart phones any other Web-enabled devices. This use of video is changing classrooms all across America. See how Will Kimbley does it.

GLOBAL CONNECTION. YouTube allows teachers to easily distribute lessons to a potential audience of millions, something that was unthinkable only a few short years ago. Educators can connect, collaborate and innovate as never before. The Khan Academy videos have been watched by more than 20 million people across the world. Check out Salman Khan's explanation of DNA.

CUSTOMIZING VIDEOS. You Tube now allows online video editing, making it easy for anyone to edit without expensive software. All you need is a smartphone and an Internet connection. Here's a YouTube editing tutorial that explains the simple steps.

QUIZZING STUDENTS. Through the use of YouTube live annotations, teachers can now create open-ended "video quizzes," along the lines of a "choose-your-own-adventure" book, which have live links for students to choose from at the end of a short video. Picking the correct answer moves you through the activity and the "wrong" answer gives you more information or a review. Here's how.