Watch and Learn: 10+ Teaching and Education YouTube Channels
There are many ways to stay informed and inspired as an educator. You can talk with other teachers at your school or online through personal learning networks. You can attend professional development (PD) sessions and in-person classes, some of which may be offered at your school. You can read books on education and cognitive science. You can listen to podcasts, which update frequently and amplify voices that might not otherwise be heard.
While each of these options has pros and cons, so much choice can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, what materials are worth the effort? On the other, these myriad options help to create a PD solution that works for your own needs. Need a quick news fix on the road? Podcasts! Want to dig into something heavily researched and cited? Read some books.
Another option to check out is learning through YouTube. With videos being easy to embed in learning management systems and on Google Sites, teachers have been sharing videos in their classes for some time now. But just as students can learn from videos, so can you.
Channels about teachers and teaching offer insight on everything from classroom management to evidence-based teaching practices. Some are personal, offering a single teacher’s perspective as they vlog (video blog) about their classroom experiences. Other channels are attached to blogs and other media groups.
Here are some YouTube channels to check out, in alphabetical order:
Common Sense Education
This channel offers news and practical advice, with an emphasis on the increasingly important topic of digital citizenship in K–12 spaces. Focusing mostly on educational technology, this channel’s videos cover everything from 30-second edtech overviews to classroom management advice.
Cult of Pedagogy
Although this YouTube channel isn’t updated very often, its back catalog of older videos is useful as a supplement to the Cult of Pedagogy blog, run by Jennifer Gonzalez. Videos focus on more holistic aspects of education, offering specific classroom ideas and teaching methods.
Edutopia
This channel, which pairs nicely with the Edutopia site, covers a variety of topics in education. Although Edutopia focuses mostly on K–12 schools, its videos are useful for higher-ed professionals as well. The channel features a curated list of playlists called the “Five-Minute Film Festival,” which includes playlists on topics such as copyright and fair use, failing forward and more. Videos are released often, so the content stays new and fresh.
ISTE
For those working in edtech, the International Society for Technology in Education is a well-known association. In addition to their main site, they have a YouTube channel where they share conference streams, ISTE-provided training videos and industry news.
The Lettered Classroom
The Lettered Classroom, run by a teacher in Pennsylvania, is a vlog-based channel offering tips and tricks from and for the classroom. Videos cover more practical aspects of classroom design, from weekly prep to cleaning classroom closets, all from the K–12 lens.
PBLWorks
This channel, run by the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), has a project-based learning (PBL) focus. For teachers looking to introduce PBL into their classrooms, the videos on this channel can guide you through the process from start to finish. This playlist, for example, shares best practices for PBL.
PBS LearningMedia
PBS LearningMedia is a teacher-centric PBS channel that focuses on professional development. Playlists are separated out into subjects — as with this “For the Love of Lit” playlist created for English language arts teachers — and feature recorded webinars, screencasts and more.
Pocketful of Primary
This vlog-style channel — although the vlogging itself has ended as of September 2019 — takes a personal look at teaching, with a K–12 teacher offering her take on topics such as classroom management and activity planning. Videos are released often, and there’s a large back catalog of older videos.
Real Rap with Reynolds
This vlog channel, created by a literature and hip-hop history teacher in West Philadelphia, offers a unique perspective on the K–12 classroom. Through livestreams and advice videos, Reynolds’s tips provide insights for classroom management, teaching techniques and more.
Richard Byrne
Richard Byrne, an edtech blogger, also runs a YouTube channel. While his videos often have a Google or G Suite focus, others discuss edtech tools like Kahoot! or offer tutorials, such as this video on extracting audio tracks using GarageBand.
SXSW EDU
This channel, the YouTube arm of the SXSW EDU conference, shares videos of talks and panels about edtech, education and the culture surrounding them. Featuring talks from notable people in education and beyond, many of the videos are thought-provoking and offer new ways to approach teaching and learning.
WeAreTeachers
This channel, geared mostly to K–12 teachers, focuses on hands-on, practical ideas. For example, one playlist gives ideas for classroom crafts, while another offers ideas for classroom spaces and activities. Rather than offering news, WeAreTeachers is more ideas- and inspiration-driven.
There are plenty of other channels worth following not mentioned here, particularly those focused on specific subject areas. If you find you enjoy vlog-style videos, lots of teachers are on YouTube sharing their advice and tips. For more news-oriented videos, you can sometimes find education-focused videos on larger channels such as Vox and CrashCourse.
You can subscribe to any channel you find interesting to keep up with new uploads. If you’re looking for new channels to follow, be sure to look at the Channels tab on your favorite accounts — sometimes the channels your favorites follow are channels you’ll want to watch.
About the blogger:
Jesika Brooks
Jesika Brooks is an editor and bookworm with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. She works in the field of higher education as an educational technology librarian, assisting with everything from setting up Learning Management Systems to teaching students how to use edtech tools. 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!).
