This training will teach 23 teachers at Jefferson Elementary how to convert YouTube videos to a Windows Media Player format using the free online converter Zamzar. The 30-minute after-school training will take place in the school library, which has strong WiFi and audio/visual equipment. The goal is for teachers to learn how to ensure instructional videos removed from YouTube can still be accessed and used in lessons. Administrators approved the training to give teachers more resources to enrich learning and not be disrupted if videos disappear online.

1. Albert Rodriguez Project 1
IU 1: The Learners, their Environment,
and the Instructional Goal

2. Overview
Although the idea of using media for instructional purposes has been
around since the beginning of the 20th century, the 21st century has
brought the world the ability to share videos with the use of just about
any digital video camera and an internet connection (Reiser, 1997).
This technology enables countless possibilities for using and sharing
videos for instructional purposes to any setting with internet
capabilities. Video-sharing sites, such as YouTube, have made it
possible for people to watch videos, that have instructional value and
lack-there-of, through digital devices such as computers, laptops, and
smart phones to name a few. The ability to have videos for instructional
purposes at the click or tap of a button, 24 hours a day and 7 days a
week, makes for an extremely valuable resource to have.
Due to the graphic and/or unethical nature of some videos posted on
YouTube; it makes for a cite to take caution with in an educational
setting. Despite some controversial content, which can be easily
accessed in YouTube outside of a public education setting, students can
find some instructional and educational videos very
beneficial. Fortunately, or unfortunately -- depending on one's point-of-
view -- YouTube is not accessible to students in the Harlingen
Consolidated Independent School District without a facilitating staff
member. Moreover, it wasn't until the 2011-2012 school calendar year
that administrators in HCISD finally agreed on allowing teachers and
school administrators to have access to YouTube for instructional
purposes at schools. This privilege is conditional, though. Teachers
must enter their district assigned username and school district universal
password to sign in. Once in, a teacher is granted access to YouTube
for 30 minutes at a time.

3. Although the use of YouTube in HCISD classrooms is still conditional
and closely monitored, with clear objectives and good planning, some
instructional content in YouTube can be very beneficial to the thousands
of students serviced by the school district. The possibilities to enrich
education through video-sharing, extends from sports to advanced
math; from music and art to technical skills, and almost everything in
between. However, in the mist of its service and the excitement that
YouTube video-sharing has brought lays a problem.
An owner of a video shared on YouTube reserves the right to remove it
temporarily, or even permanently if they so wish. A problem with this is
that a teacher may choose to show a video to his/her students to enrich
or enhance a lesson, and when the time to show the video comes, the
video could actually not be available for display. This problem can have
a domino-effect on a lesson lacking an alternative route caused by
technical difficulties. Such a problem can cause an imbalance with
lesson timing, not allowing the teacher to properly illustrate the point,
and could even make for behavior problems due to distractions during
the transition to and fro this technological glitch.
There is something to be done about this. Videos that exist on
YouTube can be converted using a service provided by Zamzar, a free
online converter which makes it possible for someone to access a shared
video converted to a file that can be permanently stored in ones
documents and later viewed on a windows media player. This ensures
that a video deleted from YouTube, after someone converts it and saves
it, can be viewed at anytime at their own discretion. This particular
problem makes for a need to train professional staff to convert videos
from YouTube using Zamzar.
Background

4. This campus initiative consists of providing training for 23 professional
staff members who have a school issued laptop with internet access on
campus. YouTube and Zamzar are free websites that don't require for
its users to create an account for the purpose of this particular training.
Teachers at Jefferson Elementary have not had training, formally or
informally, to produce results in converting videos to be viewed through
a Windows Media Player.
Learning Environment
The learning environment will be taking place after school at Jefferson
Elementary School's library. The library has strong campus Wi-Fi
reception, a multi-media projector with laptop connectors, and speakers
loud enough to be hear throughout the room. There are 8 tables with
four chairs per table to accommodate the teachers. Since there aren't
more than 3 teachers per grade level and four special programs
teachers, there is sufficient space for each individual teacher to use their
laptop and take down written notes if necessary.
The learning context is similar to the performance context in the sense
that the training will take place at the school's library and the training
and the final product will be displayed in the teacher's classroom. As far
as performing the learned skills to convert videos, once acquired
converting videos from YouTube through the Zamzar converter can take
place from any computer with an internet connection.
The Intended Audience
This particular training will be design for 20 classroom teachers, 1
facilitator, the librarian, and four special programs teachers.
Although some staff members at Jefferson Elementary are technology
migrants and a few find technology challenging, the environment will be

5. set up for teachers to sit by grade level to provide each other with basic
technical support and brainstorm grade level appropriate content.
Overarching Instructional Goal
As the instructional trainer, I will work with campus facilitator to create
a list of suggested videos that are age-appropriate and aligned to the
TEKs per grade level to maximize efficiency for the teacher. These
videos can be archived in a campus data base where each teacher can
input converted videos for their particular grade level for future
reference.
Specific Goal
The teachers at this training will be able to go into convert videos
from YouTube with a Zamzar converter to view on a Windows Media
Player. The staff seems optimistic due to the potential this training can
provide in servicing the students at Jefferson Elementary.
This specific goal is stable enough to use for a new teacher who
joins the Jefferson staff. The storing of files will be unaffected if a
staff member needs to have a change of laptop, or if the school
district upgrades to different windows configurations.
This goal is instructional in nature, and it can be accomplished by
any certified teacher. If the principal wanted to include the
paraprofessional in this training, the training is appropriate to
include them as well.
The 30 minute training window is a reasonable amount of time for
the teacher, and any personnel included boosting attendance, to
master the skills of this particular training.

6. Explanation of Specific Goal to Selected Members of
Target Audience
The specific goal was proposed to the campus administrator and the
participating staff members. It was accepted to take place on a Tuesday
at 3:10 p.m. in lieu of a staff meeting for staff development. An email
was sent to the staff members of Jefferson Elementary to remind them
to bring their laptops charged. Arrangements were made with the
librarian to reserve the use of the campus library for the time designated
for this training. They were also reminded to make sure that their email
inboxes don't full at the time of the training, because Zamzar will be
sending the converted files via email.
Summary
Innovative teachers are always looking out for ways to enrich their
lessons, exposing students to technology and its benefits, and catering
to their students' different learning styles. In addition to that, no
teacher wants interruptions during their lessons and especially having to
deal with technology problems that others control. Converting YouTube
videos using Zamzar gives teachers peace-of-mind that their necessary
resources will be there when they need them, such as an educational
video upon delivering an instructional lesson. Media for instructional
technology isn't meant to replace a teacher it's only meant assist the
teacher in providing a better service (Reiser, 1997).

7. References
Reiser, R. A. (1997). A history of instructional design and technology: part 1. Educational
Technology Research & Development, 49(1), 53-64.
(n.d.). Retrieved from ddeubel.edublogs.org
(n.d.). Retrieved from zamzar.com