However, even if you find the perfect video explaining how to add fractions or the phases of meiosis or how the pyramids were built, you can still run into a problem when having your students watch it. By default in addition to seeing the video they will also see ads, user comments below the video, suggested videos on the page, and then more suggested videos after their clip is done. At best these could be distracting. At worst they could be inappropriate for your students.
So what can you do?
Below we will take a look at three options you can use to let your students watch a YouTube video without all the extra stuff. You can view the video explaining the options, or read the directions below, or both!
Option 1: Show the video through ViewPure
ViewPure is a website that shows YouTube videos without comments, ads, or other distractions. Here’s how it works:
- Go to the ViewPure site at: http://viewpure.com
- Paste in the link to the YouTube video you want to show to your students
- If you want advance settings, click the gear icon in the link box to set the start and stop time, a custom URL, and more
- Click the Purify button
- You will now get a page that just shows the video and nothing else
- You can simply copy the link in the URL bar at the top of the page and give that link to your students instead of the original YouTube link
Option 2: Insert the video in a Google Slideshow
Another option is to insert the video into a slide in a Google Slideshow. Here’s how it works:
- Create a Google Slideshow as normal (Click “New” then “Google Slides” when in Drive)
- On one of your slides click “Insert” then “Video”
- Search for your YouTube video or paste in the YouTube link, then click “Select”
- The video will now be inserted into the slide. You can move and resize it as needed.
- You can now let your student view the slideshow (I would recommend clicking “File” then “Publish to the web” to get the link)
- When your students run the slideshow, they can click on the video to watch it right in the slide without any of the ads, comments, or suggested videos found on the normal YouTube page
Option 3: Embed the video in a website, blog, or other tool
Many modern web-based tools let you embed items from other services. YouTube videos can be embedded in Google Sites, Blogger, and many other services. Here’s how it works:
- Go to the YouTube page for the video you want your students to watch
- Below the video click the “Share” link and then click “Embed”
- You will now get the embed code for the video
- If you want more settings click “Show More” to change the video size and other options
- You can now copy and paste the embed code into other services (following the directions for that service)
- When your students view the video on your website or blog, they will just see the video
Video is a powerful learning tool for students, whether its for instruction, remediation, enrichment, flipped learning, or more. With the options above you can remove one more obstacle for students to safely benefit from the millions of educational videos freely available through YouTube.
Post by Eric Curts. Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts and on Google+ at plus.google.com/+EricCurts1