Saturday, November 7, 2009

Week 9, Thing #20 YouTube

This week I have discovered some great uses for YouTube. My son (who is a 7th grader) is studying microscopes. Looking on YouTube I found some videos including two which demonstated the right way (and wrong way!) to use a microscope. These videos were actually created by a 7th grade teacher for use in her science classes. My son thought the video about the wrong way to use a microscope was funny. My father is a physics professor at a university. The other night my parents were visiting and I happened to mention learning about YouTube this week. My father shared with me that he will watch videos on YouTube of lectures by professors from other universities. He explained that he wants to see the different approaches to teaching a particular subject, how the professor introduces the subject, what does the professor emphasize, and what does the professor have on the blackboard or whiteboard. Sometimes the professors will do demonstrations. I did ask my dad if he had ever videotaped any of his lectures and he said no. Later I did take a look at some of the physics lectures on YouTube. Then my discovery of uses of YouTube continued as I took my 11th grade daughter to a college for an open house. During the overview of the music department, the college had a video of one of their choir performances projected on the screen at the front of the room. When they closed out the video I saw that it was a video from YouTube! Tonight my daughter was going to a dance. Her boyfriend asked me if I knew how to tie a tie. I am not sure if I have ever tied a tie before. Anyways I decided to search YouTube for a video. I found a video that showed how to tie a tie step by step. While my daughter's boyfriend ended up not watching the video, it was interesting to discover yet another use for YouTube. While searching the videos on YouTube, I discovered I could watch clips of Broadway musicals. I also looked at some videos on storytimes at the library. Just like how my father watches other professors' lectures to inspire him, I realized I can watch other librarians' storytimes to inspire me since I am interested in being a children's librarian. I also decided to look at videos about therapy dogs that visit libraries to listen to kids read.

Here is a YouTube video I found with some great pictures of children reading to therapy dogs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apkOXPukHNI

I chose this video because having therapy dogs come to the library sounds like a great idea to me. I was curious to see actual videos and pictures of therapy dogs in the library. This particular video is a cute way to showcase therapy dogs in the library. A video such as this video would be a great addition to a library website. Taking videos of actual activities that happen in your library, putting them on YouTube, and then having the videos on your library website would give patrons an actual feel for what the different activities look like. Other options for YouTube videos on your library website might be for booktalks or for a video tour of the library.

1 comment:

  1. yes, video is great for how-tos, including library work (I think the next time I teach cataloging I'll do a video on the process).

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