Greenhaus Education and Other "Effects"

My recent posts have been reflections on my involvement in a blended/hybrid education technology professional development on the integration of The Geometer's Sketchpad into high school and middle school math.  This post reflects on the use of classroom video in the online component, and my thoughts on how schools/teachers could be using this tool to inform their own practice. Part of the online component my participants are currently involved in includes videos of teachers using Sketchpad in the classroom.  The video they watch this week includes the teacher in the video's thought process, the students actually in the classroom, and reflection of what happened.  It is fascinating reading the discussion from my online participants on what they are seeing in the video and how they then connect what they are observing and hearing to themselves. Comments such as: "I liked how the vocabulary was embedded in the lesson without focusing on it - it let students learn without...

There is now apparently a community site for teachers on YouTube, designed to help teachers integrate videos into classroom instruction.  The tech integration part of me is really excited by the idea - it sounds like YouTube is putting some thought behind the site as well, by including tips on organizing and using the videos to help students and spark discussion and providing ways for teachers to create their own page and identify specific videos for learing. I couldn't find information on where these videos are coming from, so I am a bit skepticle about the quality, but I see this as pretty promising support for teachers, especially as there is the inclusion of a community forum where folks can post teaching ideas and ask questions. Being curious, I had to check out the site YoutTube.com/teachers  I just did a quick look - will have to explore later, but it has a way to search and organize videos, crand offers suggestions for use in your room, let's you create y...