Online technology resources are becoming an increasingly important part of education, both in the classroom setting and in tutoring sessions. As part of the online community’s growing attention to the needs of educators, YouTube recently launched an , where you can upload, watch and share videos free of charge.

The YouTube Teachers channel invites you to “spend more time teaching, less time searching. This well-organized channel “was created to help teachers use educational YouTube videos to educate, engage and inspire their students.” Educators are invited not only to access the wealth of existing content, but also to submit a playlist of videos “that aligns with a given standard” (generally common core standards).

This cornucopia of videos is intended to support teachers and tutors in multiple ways. According to the channel’s “About” page, it was created by working with a group of teachers to put together playlists of partner videos that range in length and level of sophistication. Its main advantages versus other YouTube channels devoted to education are 1) the wide choice of content available, and 2) ease of finding what you want.

The new channel offers teaching resources for all grade levels. To find videos of interest, you start by choosing Language Arts, Math, Science or Social Studies content. Within each category you can choose from Elementary, Middle School or High School playlists. (The Math category also offers multiple playlist choices at the High School level.)

To see how easy it was to use, I chose Language Arts, then High School, then Using Digital Media, and got on using digital media in English Language Arts, in alignment with Common Core Standards. Science à Middle School à Motion brought me to this playlist featuring everything from a “sick science” take on water whistles to a National Geographic Channel “pedestrian crash dummy test.”

Want to submit some videos yourself? Behind a “Suggest Videos” tab are helpful instructions for submitting playlists to YouTube EDU, the library of over 500,000 vetted educational videos available through YouTube for Schools.

Why use YouTube in your classroom or tutoring sessions? As every educator knows, the combination of video and audio is a great way for learners to grasp and retain new information – plus it’s engaging. Beginning a lesson with a short video clip can spark interest in a new subject.

Another great reason is that YouTube offers free, unlimited access to thousands of high-quality videos, from short lessons to lectures from famous college professors. You can even assign videos for students to watch outside of their time with you, as a way to increase “learning time.”

If you’re thinking of leveraging YouTube as part of your curriculum, there’s never been a better time!

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