If you need a weekend/new month starting pick-me-up, ideas for professional development, training, or student inspiration ice-breakers, you might find the videos on the list of 100 Informative and Inspiring YouTube Videos for Educators inspiring and useful. Several are TEDTalks, including several of my favorites by Sir Ken Robinson and Adora Svitak.
The videos cover the topics of creativity and learning, technology, philosophy and social studies, educational excellence, inspiration for teachers, science and math, language arts, special education, physical education, and business education and entrepreneurship.
They are focused for education, but really, they are for anyone interested in learning.
Finally, the Accredited Online Colleges blog that this resources if from, is full of great lists and resources about online technology, especially for education.
I am attempting to get caught up on 23 Things Kansas slowly. I had every intention of participating week-by-week, but between work at NEKLS, maintaing the project site, answering questions on the site by email and by  chat, and helping write two lessons, I’ve admittedly (and not surprisingly) gotten way behind. As tempted as I am to do what Liz did (although it was ingenious, and I’m jealous), I’m still trying to get in the habit of blogging at least a few days a week, and will try to do each lesson as an individual post (although they probably WILL NOT be in week order). Which leads me to this week’s lesson on Video on the Web, led by David Lee King.
I love online video and as the semi-millenial that I am, it’s where I consume most of my media content these days. I lose too much time on YouTube (became a huge Wicked fan, thanks to YouTube clips alone of the musical). In fact, I lose many hours on YouTube, watching different musical clips and the Logan Show. I watch my favorite TV shows online for free, through Hulu and other sites, as I don’t have cable, and until recently, didn’t even have a working antenna. I bought an antenna during the Winter Olympics, when I couldn’t find places to watch them online live, and I wasn’tabout to miss the ice skating! I also utilize a NetFlix subscription, and watch funny cat videos, and videos that challenge my thinking.
My favorite one of those ice skating videos? (I linked to four of my favorites above) Todd Eldredge’s “First Knight” free skate at the 1996 World Championships:
I’ve also recorded, edited, and shot a lot of video over the past 12 or so years, starting clear back in high school (yes, I just dated myself). I created a couple of videos last year, for a presentation at the Computers in Libraries conference. Here’s one that’s a quick “tour” of all the KLOW sites (from March 2009).
Finally, I’ve starting shooting more videos with my own video camera, since getting a new iPhone with video capabilities last summer. Most are of my niece and nephew. Having the iPhone has made it very easy to quickly grab and shoot small videos on the fly. Here’s one no family member should yell at me too much for posting:
I love video of all kinds; it’s a way entertain, educate, or to tell a story, even if it’s just through text.