Searching for Online Educational Video for Teachers to Use In the Classroom Can be a Drag
If you have found this page because you are a teacher looking for online video to use in class tomorrow, and don’t have the time to read and enjoy this article about the frustrations that many of your peers are experiencing with this same task, then go directly to this page to access the educational online video you need.
However if you have a few minutes, and are interested in reading about the frustration being suffered by a growing number of teachers like yourself, and the solution – then read on…..
Some people must expect teachers to be miracle workers.
And many of those people, or so it would appear, can be found amongst the growing number of companies attempting to provide online video for teachers to use in the classroom.
Any as teacher that has ever sat down in the evening and attempted to find an online video that might be suitable for use in a class next day will tell you, it can be a hugely frustrating and time consuming task.
It is disappointing that – with more than 80% of teachers understanding the benefit of using online educational video as a valuable and effective classroom teaching resource – the majority of online educational video providers seem to lack any appreciation of what a teacher really needs.
Above all a teacher needs to be able to find and identify the appropriate online video to use in a matter of minutes, and that video really should be supported. That support should provide immediate access to a relevant Lessons Plan, the online testing or quiz for that particular video topic, and in an ideal situation – the use of online interactive study tools that enable that topic to be fully explored by either the student or teacher. Yet the vast majority of online educational video services don’t even provide any level of Tech-support.
Only one company so far seems to fully understand this, and is providing such a service. It is no coincidence that Zane Education has also gone to the extent of ensuring that every video is fully subtitled – which is a significant step forward in use of online educational video for the K-12 classrom, as this enables each student to study any particular topic visually, and at the same time enables each student to improve their Reading and Literacy skills (Further information about the research conducted establishing the link between the use of subtitles and improved reading and literacy skills can be read here).
A recent survey now provides teachers and schools with access to a comparison chart of all the main online educational video providers that enables them to quickly identify and compare what online facilities and support services each online video service provider offers.
Disappointingly it becomes evident very quickly that the majority of those online video services believe that offering a ragged jumble of videos of a general educational nature – most of which have not even been developed specifically for the teaching of the K-12 curriculum – with an absolute minimum of video identification and navigational features, is good enough for teachers.
The use of online video developed specifically for the teaching of the K-12 curriculum for use by teachers in the classroom is still in it’s early days. And this is demonstrated by the fact that with the exception of just two companies, all of the educational video service providers are conveniently ignoring The Telecommunications Act 2010 that requires that all video be appropriately subtitled so as to ensure that access is provided for ALL students, and not just some.
The use of online video introduces the important element of Visual Learning into the classroom. Visual Learning alone has been shown to be highly effective for students and adults alike, however it is the introduction of effective subtitling that provides each student with the option to choose to watch, listen to, or read each presentation – thereby catering for the widest range of Learning styles, and at the same time effectively providing for a very wide range of Special Education needs and those students learning English as a Second Language.
Teachers seeking more information about Zane Education and the benefits of using their services as an online educational video provider for for the K-12 classroom, are encouraged to read this page.
