Four Things You Might Not Know about… YouTube
Welcome to “Four Things You Might Not Know About,” a series of short posts on edtech tools and ways they can be used.
YouTube is everywhere, streaming on cellphone screens to tablets to classroom Chromebooks. This video platform hosts plenty of content, including videos that can help your students learn. Some educators share vlogs, while others create explainers. If you’re learning a new skill, YouTube might be where you turn to figure out next steps.
Read on for some tips on navigating YouTube, from how to search to how to better share videos with your students. As with any site that hosts user-created content, be mindful that searches might show classroom-unfriendly results. If you’re teaching younger students, assess content beforehand where possible!
1️⃣ YouTube Has Keyboard Shortcuts
Most programs have keyboard shortcuts. One you might know of is pressing the Ctrl and C keys to copy highlighted text, then pressing Ctrl and V to paste. YouTube, while not a program, also has keyboard shortcuts you can use while watching a video.
Pressing the space bar will start and stop the video, useful for pausing during a lesson. If you’re in a language class and letting students hear a snippet of audio, you can press the J key to jump back 10 seconds during playback. If you’re trying to freeze-frame a particular shot for art class, pressing the period key will advance a video frame by frame after it’s been paused.
Check out this guide for more shortcuts.
2️⃣ YouTube Embed Codes Can Be Modified with “?rel=0” to Change Suggested Videos
At the end of embedded YouTube videos, you’ll see links to related content or suggested videos. Sometimes these links are helpful, leading you to videos that broaden your understanding of a subject. Other times, these links include content that’s not appropriate for your students.
Right now, there’s no easy way to fully remove suggested videos. That said, if you embed YouTube videos in your learning management system, you can add “?rel=0” to the end of the URL in the HTML embed code. You’ll see this when you click “Share”, then “Embed”.
The “?rel=0” parameter ensures that suggested videos are from the same channel, giving you a bit more control over what’s shared with students. This is especially helpful if you have your own YouTube channel for uploads — the only suggestions will be for your own classroom-friendly content. While this trick works for now, test it before sharing video with students, as this parameter has changed over the years.
3️⃣ YouTube Has Many Different Parameters and Filters Available in Search
Speaking of parameters, take advantage of them in search! Looking for long videos? A search term with a comma plus the keyword “long” will filter those for you. Want playlists? Swap the keyword with “playlist”.
There are plenty of keywords you can use to make your search more streamlined, which is important given how much content is on YouTube. This guide from Perkins School for the Blind goes over some search tips useful for educators and students, particularly those using screen readers. Using them can help you save time during class prep.
4️⃣ YouTube’s 360-Degree Videos Can Help You Hold Virtual Trips
YouTube offers 360-degree videos that are compatible with Google Cardboard, a low-cost VR headset. Using Google Cardboard, students can take virtual field trips to faraway places, right from the YouTube app. For more information, see this guide.
(No VR headsets? No problem. You can still explore 360-degree videos from your browser. Simply load a video like this one from National Geographic of big cats “lion” around, then drag the cursor to look around while the video is playing.)
About the blogger:
Jesika Brooks
Jesika Brooks is an editor and bookworm with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. A lifelong learner herself, she has always been fascinated by the intersection of education and technology. She edits the Tech-Based Teaching blog (and always wants to hear from new voices!).
