YouTube as part of PE lesson

[HowDoYouSpellThat]

Hi everyone, hoping to get a bit of insight here. My 6-year-old came home yesterday and said something that caught me off guard: he started telling me about “the YouTube advert we saw in PE.” It turns out that during his PE lesson, they watched YouTube videos of characters like Mario and Sonic and copied what they saw on screen as part of the activity.

Now, I’m all for using videos as a learning aid. I know they can be really engaging and fun for the kids, and it’s not that I think it’s inherently bad. But what surprised me was the idea that they’re just watching standard YouTube with ads in a school setting. It made me wonder about whether this is the norm and if I’m being unreasonable to feel a bit uneasy about it.

I guess my concerns are just around screen time and whether the content is properly vetted. If they were using an educational platform or pre-approved videos, I’d probably feel a bit more comfortable. But knowing it’s just YouTube with ads popping up makes me a bit wary.

So, AIBU to be a bit concerned about this, or is this just a totally normal part of modern PE lessons? I’m genuinely open to hearing different viewpoints to see if I’m just overthinking it. Thanks so much!

I don’t like it but normal in my kids school too. I’d not mind if it was in the classroom as a movement break but I think it’s inappropriate for PE. They default to screens far more often than I’m comfortable with.

Sounds like it was a cosmic kids yoga video they were doing, she does lots of videos on different themes with characters kids like. As an occasional thing I think it's fine.

It's fine. Don't be the parent complaining for nothing.

It's completely normal especially at this time of year when it's wet outside and the hall is often in use for shows. Even the private schools around here use cosmic kids yoga on YouTube.

Good lord OP! It’s been chucking it down where I live all bloody week! We haven’t been able to go outside for PE, the hall has the stage set up for all our ‘year group’ productions (has been like this since the end of November!) and almost every day there are either rehearsals or actual performances (each year group does 2 performances and a ‘dress rehearsal’ at some point!)

Don’t be ‘that parent’ please! We are really trying here!! 🤦‍♀️😫

Oh dear, someone needs to calm down. OP was asking a valid question. I too would be concerned about unvetted adverts popping on YouTube.

You know, there was a time when teachers managed without resorting to screens in bad weather.

I hadn't considered the hall being used for shows, that's a good point, though I think they do PE in the lunch hall which wouldn't be affected.

I did ask him if it was a one-off but he said they do it lots and my older child (Y4) said he watches videos in PE too.

I guess it is less about the videos and more about the ads and use of YouTube which make me feel uneasy.

I don't plan to do anything about it, just wanted to hear other perspectives really.

When I was teaching in a Secondary school I had to vet any You Tube clips before using them especially any adverts. I had to strictly follow age restrictions, if there was just one child in the class under age, I could not use it. Finally, my Subject Head had to approve my lesson plan to make sure it was a relevant clip, not just a soft option.

I wonder if things have relaxed since I retired 4 years ago?

There was a time when we had to walk to the phone box and queue up to make a phone call. There was a time when everyone sat around the ‘wireless’ to listen to hear the King’s Speech. There was a time when…🤷‍♀️

But science and technology have advanced since ‘there was a time when’…
so are you suggesting that everyone is allowed to use these advances in technology to make their lives better/easier/save time…except education staff? Really? 🤔

Can you see how backwards this thinking is?

I'm a primary teacher and I will sometimes use Joe Wicks or Cosmic Kids if I don't have an alternative space for PE. Haven't done that in a few years to be honest. I also sometimes use clips of specific skills that the children will be using, for example a gymnastics leap or a cricket batting technique, as they can model it a lot better than I can. Especially when I was pregnant!

However, whenever I use YouTube,I let the ads run on my computer screen before I switch the whiteboard on.

Also we can say "teachers got by without YouTube in the past!!" But if they had it, they would have used it! Where I can, I prefer to use clips on the BBC website.

No I am not suggesting that. You just made that huge leap all by yourself.

"You know, there was a time when teachers managed without resorting to screens in bad weather."

Yes we didn't do PE. We sat in the classroom colouring in.

I understand the concern about ads but I think in the current economic everything, schools won't pay for premium YouTube. It would have to be individual teachers deciding to pay for it and that doesn't feel great. All the teachers I know already spend their own money on treats and equipment for the classroom

The actual videos sound helpful tbh, I found PE hard as a dyspraxic person I couldn't figure out what kind of movement the teacher was describing a lot of the time!

Lazy. I’d be annoyed as a parent. What a lame way to motivate kids to be active, stick a bloody screen on!

Use of YouTube is very normal in schools. Unless the video or advert were inappropriate, I can't imagine why you'd complain. I don't let my own children on YouTube, even the kids version, but watching a video selected by a teacher in a lesson doesn't concern me. I use it for my own teaching to supplement something I am explaining or to create a discussion point.

Sounds like cosmic kids yoga although I have also played just dance videos on YouTube when covering PE classes. If the weathers pants and the hall is in use, what are you expecting the teachers to do?

Oh love. Please, feel free to come and give P.E teaching as a PPA cover teacher a go. You'd be SO much better than the underpaid and undervalued HLTAs.

@StepawayfromtheLindors brilliant username 😂

I agree to an extent, however on rainy days I've seen 90 children in a hall dancing to Just Dance YouTube videos (and getting very sweaty!) 💃🕺 They've even used the videos as inspiration for their own choreography and comparing cultural influences on dance so I can't say as a parent I'd be annoyed when it's actually very motivating and educational.

If they were just putting videos on instead of teaching then I wouldn't be impressed, however every teacher knows that's a fast track route to poor behaviour and it's easier to teach properly 😂

WET
My son and his mates were out playing football yesterday when it was pouring
It is WATER
People wonder why kids are so weak these days
Bah

Well given children now mostly come to school in their PE kits so don't have clothes to change back into then it's just common sense to not take 30 children outside to do PE in the pouring rain so they don't spend the rest of the day uncomfortable because they are in soggy clothes...

Nothing to do with weak children.

Yes, standard YouTube with ads is wrong.

I think people are struggling to say that because it has been so normalised.

I agree that the ads is a problem, you've no idea what is going to be advertised and it might not be appropriate. I've had some very odd ads.

The teacher should be asked to run the ads on the laptop before projecting the video to the whole class.

Perhaps you could suggest that the school downloads one of the many free ad blockers that blocks YouTube adverts? Problem solved.

The school shouldn’t be playing adverts to your kids during their learning time.

How are you supposed to vet adverts when they are random and driven by the algorithm? You’re almost certainly never going to get the same ads twice.

I had a sore throat this week. We had a hall slot to use finally after weeks of Nativity rehearsals and shows. Too right I put YouTube on for PE!