As our high schools ready our students for college, varying the teaching method should be high on the list of ways to do so. Instead of always using a book to get a concept across, college professors may use a live performance or a videoed performance. A college professor may use a case study. It makes sense that high schools, particularly in the senior year, should follow suit and use these methods.

My son is taking a senior English class in Poetry and Short Story.  The book, which is new this year, is absolutely wonderful.  Short stories by some of the best in the world – Joyce, Carver, Fitzgerald, Cather.  Reading these is just the beginning of the process of teaching short story.  Also needing to be taught is how to interpret the short story. 

Imagine the joy when a teacher finds a high school production of one of these short stories on YouTube.com – yes, the above clip is the one in question – and decides this will not only put the short story in today’s context but will help make it easier for the students to understand. 

I am not sure the thought process behind the particular teacher’s wanting to show this video clip of 26 minutes to her senior short story class.  I am only sure of her inability to do so.  Wanting to be prepared, the teacher, I presume, talked with IT to be sure that she would be able to show this to her class.  Imagine her surprise when, upon telling IT that it was on YouTube.com, she was told that the domain would be added to the unable to reach sites on the district’s filter.

Now, as a parent, I can understand not wanting students to be able to spend school time cruising YouTube.com.  I cannot fathom the type of administration, though, that does not allow its teachers to use their best discretion and to show such videos for class and teaching purposes.