A Great YouTube = Endless Possibilities!
How did this happen? Can it really already be November 1? Fall is definitely here (even in California), so no time to be wasted - let's get to work!
Just last week, I had the fun of participating in Char Boshart, MS, CCC's podcast on speechtherapypd.com. What fun to talk about my work with great YouTube videos. Char - you were a wonderful interviewer who instantly made me feel comfortable, even given our tech mini-glitches! If you missed it, check out: https://speechlink.podbean.com
During our conversation I was reminded how versatile a good YouTube video can be for our work in social cognition. I think we all appreciate materials that are flexible - that we can use in different ways with different students. What I find, time and time again, is that a great YouTube provides us endless possibilities to support our students in engaging and effective learning. Let's explore!
Here are three of my favorites so far in 2018, along with some of the ways I have used them. Check them out and give them a try:
(1) "Motorbike" by Mechanical Apple https://youtu.be/eAKy8j-nPnc A great story of a young person on a mission. Of course, great emotions and thoughts as they pertain to plans, but also lots of work on problem solving - that makes this excellent narrative material. I love using Story Grammar MarkerTM with this one! Need one more activity with this video? Try talking about how resilient the character was when they encountered obstacles - what do you think they were thinking that kept them going?
(2) A Joy Story: Joy and Heron by JD.com,inc https://youtu.be/1lo-8UWhVcg Such a sweet story. Since there are 3 characters, there is lots of material for perspective taking, so get your sticky notes out! The surprising ending can jumpstart discussions about how sometimes we change our mind based on new information.
(3) Sesame Street - Ernie eats a banana and gives Bert the peel https://youtu.be/IAaSx2zv8ow The title says it all. Great for thoughts, feelings, perspective taking, and discussing how it's so important to be considerate of others, especially our friends.
(4) CGI Animated Short Film Christmas Special "Santa's Cookies" by Norbert, Francis, Kristine https://youtu.be/FWakBPc0_Ag For slightly older students (always preview) this is a funny tale about roommates getting ready for Santa. Track the characters' feelings (they don't always match), use your pause button to stop so students can practice their inference skills (based on contextual info as well as what we know about the world), or talk about how friends don't always share a plan. Then of course, there is always narrative....good material for those 4-5th graders who still need to work on telling a story.
So many "5 Star" YouTube Videos to Choose From for Our Work in Social Learning!
