YouTube can be a resource
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August 21, 2010 • Amelia Thomas, Scribbler staff
Filed under Opinions
This year is a huge transition for Decatur. Not only has the schedule drastically changed, but students and teachers also have to get used to the restrictions that the construction in the vocational building has imposed. With all the changes, including shorter classes each day, teachers need all the resources they can get in order to make the best of the period.
One of the best teaching aids that continues to be prohibited at Decatur is the media site, YouTube. I cannot count how many times I’ve heard teachers wish the site wasn’t blocked and talk about hunting to find a video on another site.
YouTube offers more than music videos and homemade spoofs; it has a variety of educational clips that can be used in classrooms. It even has a special group called K12Education that posts instructional and academic videos in categories by school subject.
A huge step students take going into high school is the transition from childhood to maturity. We take on new responsibilities and are expected to follow up on them. So why do we still have Internet restrictions on sites like YouTube?
The major issue concerning YouTube in schools is the possibility of students abusing the site to view inappropriate videos during class. But if we’re supposed to be young adults, shouldn’t we be trusted with the responsibility to make a simple choice of what we watch?
As some school systems begin changing their policies to allow YouTube in the classroom, Decatur should as well. YouTube is a resource that is beneficial for both students and teachers, and there’s no point fighting something that will help, not hurt us.
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