Maybe you remember my post about technology - you know, about how much I hate it. Or at least how inept I am at it. And one of my main beefs? You Tube. Specifically how people waste their time on it. I questioned it's usefulness in our society. I mean, other than being able to share parts of your life with family who lives far away, what other worthwhile purpose is there for its existence?
Well, You Tube. I owe you an apology. I'm sorry.
You see, my MIL was a preschool teacher for 25 years. And she was here visiting me while I prepared lessons for my "Around the World" unit. And she was amazed at what was so readily available for me via You Tube. And to be honest with you, so was I.
I mean, when we were kids, the only way you were going to see a Chinese New Year celebration was if PBS aired a documentary on it. Or if Sesame Street sent Grover on a trip to China. And yes, I knew what boomerangs were. And somehow I had heard Irish folk music. And learned the Can Can. But never were these things available to me at the push of button in my own living room.
While watching the Olympics, I saw a Finnish-born Team China speed skating coach, who also happened to be coaching an American skater via webcams and iPhones. I felt like this was a perfect example of how global our community is becoming. Our children are growing up in a much smaller world than we ever did, with the world at their fingertips, for better or for worse.
So it was to You Tube I turned to find footage of Chinese New Year celebrations. And Mexican Hat dancing. And what a didgeridoo sounds like. And images of the Blarney Castle, with people kissing the Blarney Stone. We soared over the Great Wall of China. And danced to Irish folk music. We visited old Mexican ruins. And saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
But most importantly, we got to see that what we were doing in the classroom, what we were playing and pretending, really exists in the real world. That Heavenly Father's children are diverse with rich heritages and traditions. And that this world really is a great place to live.
Oh yeah. And the girls really loved Miss Shelley's costumes, too.
*My MIL was our preschool photographer while she was visiting. But she was only here for France and China. I have no pictures of America or Mexico. And had to use the self-timer on my costumes for Ireland and Australia.
The video features after-school, extra-curricular, family-style Chinese Dragon Dancing.
But for heaven's sake - don't give them unsupervised time on You Tube. And definitely DON'T let them scroll down and read the comments. I mean, You Tube may make the world more accessible, but there are still some things in the world we want to filter, do we not?!
For some real family fun, watch this clip of a Chinese Lion Dance competition (even though it's Malaysian). I promise, you've never seen anything like it. The first few minutes are a little slow-paced, so let it buffer for a while and fast forward about 3-4 minutes. You won't be disappointed. And if your kids are anything like mine, be prepared to hit the "replay" button about 20 times.
