Videos and QR Codes: Using YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes

Students are glued to videos these days. Videos of cats getting brain freeze, videos of bad home hairstyles, and countless others.

But what if we as educators used their obsession with videos to engage students in the classroom and to TEACH? WHAT?! Teach using videos?! Novel idea, right?

Let's start with YouTube.
YouTube is a social media site that allows users to create channels and upload their videos. These videos can be created using countless applications, such as iMovie or simply the video camera on a phone. Creating a YouTube channel would allow teachers to create videos of lessons, demonstrations, etc., post them on a single channel, and then share either the individual videos or the entire channel with students. YouTube is a great resource for also finding videos to share with students. Teaching can be overwhelming if teachers have to constantly reinvent the wheel. YouTube has an enormous amount of educational videos that can enhance lessons and explain things in a different way. One of my favorites is a TedEd video about what makes a hero. I share this with my students when we begin our Beowulf unit.

Here are a few library YouTube channels that I want to share with you, as well as review a couple great videos they have. 

1. Norman High School Library

The first video that would be incredibly beneficial for students to use is a video titled "How to use EBSCOHost." Teaching students to use available databases in important to their research and library success. This is a video they could continually access to ensure they are using EBSCOHost to the best of their ability

Students like doing things they are told not to. It is just in their nature. NHS's Library has an awesome video where faculty reads excerpts from banned and challenged books. This video not only honors the freedom to read, but gives student great information about books that have been challenged, hopefully surprising them and encouraging them to read. 

2. The Unquiet Library

The Unquiet Library is a high school media center that has the following philosophy:

Their YouTube channel has TONS of resources. From lessons on EasyBib and using Wikimedia Commons images, to new book arrivals and student created videos. 

Looking at their extensive collection, the first video that I believe would be the most helpful for students is titled "Finding and using Wikimedia Commons images." Students struggled with understanding that everything on the internet isnt't free to use. Teaching students to search and use creative commons licensed images can be a struggle and it isn't always easy to find what they want right away. This video is incredibly useful.

The second video that I believe students would enjoy is the new book arrival video. Although this video is outdate now, it shows a great format for sharing new arrivals and activities in the library.

3. Pikesville High School Library Media Center

The PHS Library Media Center focuses on posting videos of activities occurring in the library, as well as advisory videos for class registration. Two of their videos that would be both helpful and enjoyable to students are the financial aid workshop video and the Hip Hop Day video. 

Seniors and their parents can be very overwhelmed when it comes to financial aid. By videoing the workshop, students and parents can review it as needed. The second video is a picture compilation of PHS's Hip Hop Day. At this Black History Month event, students learned about the history of hip hop compared hip hop to Shakespeare, and Skyped with an artist from Flocabulary. 

4. Bonnie Branch Middle School Media Center

This media center does a great job of sharing reviews of books and creating overdue book parodies! They are INCREDIBLY funny. The first video that jumped out to me that would be helpful to students is one that discusses books with strong female lead characters. 

Now, onto the overdue book parodies. These students are so talented and creative. I'm really inspired to have my students create more videos after watching these middle schoolers do such a great job. 

I hope this small collection of great libraries and their YouTube channels can show you the benefits of using YouTube in the library and the classroom for collaboration, instruction, and just to show off awesome things that are happening. Library promotion is key to advocacy. I hope to use videos as tutorials for students and teachers, as well as showcase awesome things that are happening in the library and on campus. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, onto Animoto!

Animoto Educator Account Creation

Animoto allows users to create videos using images and music, much like Google Slides or PowerPoint. But, they are much better video quality. 

Book trailers are an easy an engaging way to get students interested in books in the library and Animoto is a superb tool for making them. 

Here is a book trailer I created for the book All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. This novel is read by my AP class each year, so I decided a book trailer might get them more engaged. 

Synopsis from Goodreads: "All the Pretty Horses tells of young John Grady Cole, the last of a long line of Texas rancehers. Across the border Mexico beckons—beautiful and desolate, rugged and cruelly civilized. With two companions, he sets off on an idyllic, sometimes comic adventure, to a place where dreams are paid for in blood." 

Goodreads: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Once book trailers are made (or any other video), it needs to be shared! QR codes are great ways to share information with students, especially links. Nobody wants to type in a mile long URL. And we all know students will mess it up...at least twice.
QR codes are easily created using online applications. I used QR Code Generator to make a QR code for the book trailer above.

This image can be scanned using a QR Code reader on any phone or tablet. The link to the book trailer will immediately open. This saves both time and energy trying to share links.

Some other ideas for using QR codes in the library from Barbara Zinkovich in her article "Using QR codes to Promote Your Library":
1. Orientation videos, such as how to sign in, use the library catalog, or what magazines are available.
2. Student projects - videos created by students can be quickly shared through QR codes.
3. Book talks and book trailers
4. Library information for parents, students, and teachers
Using QR Codes to Promote Your Library



YouTube, Animoto, and QR codes are all seamless ways to create and share videos for multiple purposes. Anytime people can see what is going on in libraries, it is a good thing. Advocacy is key to the success of any program, especially the library. Show off those student activities and share those great book talks! Show the world how awesomely creative and technologically savvy you are!