In an effort to make sure that your children never have to use chalk erasers and a blackboard to practice their addition problems or, really, for anything ever again, YouTube has kicked off a new service for specifically available to schools.
YouTube For Schools allows schools to access educational videos for free while limiting any other access to other content that is probably considered less than educational (so no more Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat videos for you kids while you’re at school). In order to focus the attention on the video’s content, The YouTube for Schools service will do away with the related videos you see cluttered on the right toolbar as well as prohibit any comments from being displayed; viewers will literally only be able to see the video.By aggregating content from forward-thinking educational video providers such as TED and PBS, schools will be able to compile material that will only be available within their school network. Educators will be able to search for videos throughout YouTube EDU’s collection of educational videos, which have been categorized by education levels and subjects. Check out the video below that YouTube put together to highlight some of their goals with their new endeavor:
The new YouTube-integrated education service will be a great tool for any distance learning programs that schools may have struggled to provide in the past. Students will be able to watch videos on science experiments, get help with math homework, learn and practice foreign languages, and keep up with global events both past and present.
More information can be found on the YouTube for Schools FAQ or by posting a question on the Google Product Forum.