I've had both highs and lows using Youtube, and I think I could probably make a strong case for why it should be allowed and why it should be blocked. It definitely contains a boatload of great content, and an equal amount of trash. The question isn't whether YouTube should exist, it's how should it be accessed by kids, especially in a school environment. I personally think that blocking Youtube would eliminate the opportunity to teach kids hwo to use it appropriately and become responsible digital citizens. As educators, we can ignore Youtube, but how wlel are we then equipping kids for the worked the live in? YouTube is not going away, so let's tap into it.
One way I've found to use these videos is by using a .tv site. This site allows you to grab YouTube videos and create your own database of videos, tagged the way you want them. While this is not a flawless solution, as with a click kids can get rerouted back to the YouTube directory if they choose, it does allow one layer of filtering and a new database of tags that fit with school content.
Here is an example of how a former student used YouTube to show his learning with a small group:
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