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When Stephanie Mills first heard about SchoolTube, an online video-sharing service for students, the broadcast journalism teacher was eager to introduce the new technology to Burleson High School.
“One of [SchoolTube’s] reps called our school and asked to speak with me and told me what it was all about,” she said, noting the service’s benefits are myriad.
Students can view their peers’ videos at schooltube.com, allowing users to gain ideas and inspiration from other students, Mills said. SchoolTube is much like Youtube, a popular Internet video-sharing site.
“Through SchoolTube, students can see the work that other schools have done, and it encourages them to make even better videos,” she said.
Mills has been using the service since late August, and she estimates her students have uploaded more than 20 videos.
“Anyone can create an account,” she said, adding that after students upload a video, a moderator screens its content to make sure it’s school-appropriate before allowing the video to appear on the site.
Becuase SchoolTube is supported by advertisers, it remains a free service, allowing students to post their work in a moderated Internet environment.
Videos are grouped online into categories such as sports, news/journalism, funnies and academics/education. The site also features highlights such as Video of the Day.
Mills has seen a dramatic growth in the broadcast journalism program she started at Burleson High School seven years ago, and she attributes much of the expansion to the top-notch equipment her students get the opportunity to use.
“We are using industry-standard software,” she said. “And we produce a weekly TV show for our high school.”
Mills is clearly passionate about teaching, said Ken Leach, director of education for schooltube.com.
“It’s teachers like her that make [SchoolTube] a success,” he said.
Both Mills and Leach agreed services like SchoolTube will become a more integral part of the learning experience, and Leach said video sharing will inevitablely become a staple of education.
“This is something that’s going to get bigger and better,” he said.
Because videos combine visual and audio components, they appeal to individuals with both visual and audio memories, he said, adding Texas teachers have been especially successful in incorporating SchoolTube into their curriculum.
“Texas is one of [SchoolTube’s] biggest states,” said Leach. “I think that’s a tribute to Texas. Texas seems to be very innovative, especially with technology. The schools seem to be very visionary.”
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