Best Sites for Cropping YouTube Videos and More

Video clips are a great way to engage student learning. However, some clips are long in length or only a small portion is needed. There are many free web tools that allow users to clip videos. Below is a list of tools that are useful for education, along with their pros and cons.

1. ReelSurfer
• PROS:
• Crop YouTube or Vimeo videos
• Embed the cropped video in a blog or website
• A link is generated of the cropped video to share
• Videos will play on a desktop or mobile devices
• Works well with Internet Explorer and Firefox
• CONS:
• Does not work with Google Chrome
2. SafeShare.TV
• PROS:
• Crop YouTube videos
• A link is generated of the cropped video to share
• Works well with Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox
• iOS app available for $.99 - Link to app
• CONS:
• Can only crop YouTube videos
• Cannot embed cropped video in a blog or website
3. TubeChop
• PROS:
• Crop YouTube videos
• Embed the cropped video in a blog or website
• A link is generated of the cropped video to share
• Videos will play on a desktop (embedded or link) or mobile devices (link only)
• Works well with Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox
• CONS:
• Can only crop YouTube videos
• Embedded videos in Blogger do not play on a mobile device
• Cannot retrieve cropped videos because no account is required (so SAVE link or embed code)
4. EmbedPlus
• PROS:
• Crop YouTube videos
• Embed the cropped video in a blog or website
• A link is generated of the cropped video to share
• Works well with Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox
• Videos will play on a desktop or mobile devices
• CONS:
• Can only crop YouTube videos
• Embedded videos and links do not hold the "stop" feature = video will play from where you start the crop but will not stop where you saved the stop
• NOTE: this site was intended to be used for Word Press, so be sure to answer "NO" to question 1 to access the screen to crop your video
5. ViewRZ
• PROS:
• Crop YouTube videos
• Embed the cropped video in a blog or website
• A link is generated of the cropped video to share
• Works well with Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox
• Video view is very nice - widescreen without extras
• Videos (embedded or link) will play on desktop
• CONS:
• Can only crop YouTube videos
• Embedded video does not play on a mobile device
6. EdPuzzle
• PROS:
• Crop YouTube, Vimeo, Khan Academy, National Geographic, TED, and Teacher Tube videos
• Generated link for new video to share
• Can add audio, notes, quizzes to video before generating finished product
• Can create classes and assignments
• Works well with Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox
• CONS:
• Cannot embed created video in blog or website
• Students must create account to add class code to join teacher class

Enhance YouTube with Chrome Extensions

Open! Open! Open! YouTube is open! So where do you go from here? A good start would be to read the blog post by Jennifer Waldroop titled "Key Strategies for an Epic Win: Using YouTube in Your Classroom." Click here for that link. This article will walk you through these strategies:

• Getting started - creating an account, creating playlists, how to use the "watch later" feature.
• FYI...if you have a Google account then you can use that to log in to YouTube.
• Downloading videos for offline viewing.
• Annotate videos you upload.
• Add captions.
• Editing your videos, combing multiple videos, etc.
• Flip your classroom using the YouTube web cam feature.

The next step deals with the technical side of using YouTube in the classroom...ways to block seeing unwanted videos in the side stream. 

The first three recommendations are Google Chrome Extensions. To use these extensions you must first install the Chrome Browser. (click here to download). Second, you can click on the links below to download these extensions. The first two will appear in the URL bar when you go to YouTube.

Turn Off the Lights
This extension allows to you blackout all information on a webpage except the video. Use this with YouTube in the classroom because the videos shown on the sidebar will be blacked out by just clicking the light bulb in the URL window to turn off the lights.

Magic Actions for YouTube
This extensions is great for YouTube videos. Features include videos played in HD, ads     blocked, 1-click for cinema mode so the whole page is shaded. The features will appear underneath the YouTube video once opened.

AdBlock Plus
This extension blocks annoying ads in YouTube, Facebook, banners, pop-ups and all obtrusive ads. Once enabled the user can see the number of ads blocked in the extension. Also the blocked ad leaves the screen white where an ad would normally be located.


The last trick to clear the YouTube site of unwanted videos that stream on the right side is a website called ViewPure. ViewPure offers that same concept as the above extensions...blocking out all videos on the page except the one you choose to watch. You can also search YouTube videos inside ViewPure and then click play to watch without having to go to the actual YouTube site.

Key Strategies for an Epic Win: Using YouTube in Your Classroom!

Open, open, open… remember the commercial where the shopper stands at the front of the store with her nose pressed to the window? Like the woman in the commercial, many of us are very excited about having access to YouTube at school.So, when it's open will you be ready? Can you navigate YouTube?

Getting Started:

• Create an account. When you create an account, you can save and organize videos using playlists. 
• How to create a playlist
• Using favorites and the “watch later” feature
• Preview before you hit play. Always, always, always preview videos before using them in your lessons. 
• Download videos for offline viewing. For Curriculum Night, evaluations, and other important presentations always download the video just in case there are network issues.
• One method for downloading videos can be found here.

A Few Advanced Tips:

• Annotate your videos. (ones you upload) Directions. 
• Add Captions. Directions
• Edit videos using the YouTube Video Editor. With the editor you can combine multiple videos, add music and transitions, or trim the video to the most important part of the video. Directions

Some Classroom Applications:

• Flip your class using YouTube’s web cam feature. Here’s my test video and directions.
• Testing, testing...
• Directions
• Create playlists for reviews and tutorials. You don’t have to create everything. Use existing videos from Smithsonian, PBS, Khan Academy, etc.

For more ideas, check out The Teacher’s Guide To Using YouTube In The Classroom.

Grow Your Professional Learning Network:

• You can follow channels just as you follow colleagues on twitter.
• The 10 Most Important Educational YouTube Channels For Teachers


• Explore YouTube channels created just for educators.
• YouTube for Teachers
• YouTube for Schools
• YouTube for Education

How will you use YouTube in your classroom? Post your comments and ideas. We’d love to hear from you. 

Oh, No! I Can't Use Zamzar!

I could almost feel the earth shake this summer from the stamping of teachers’ feet all across the country when Google no longer allowed Zamzar.com to enable the downloading of YouTube videos. Zamzar has been a staple in many teachers’ bags of tricks for some time, particularly in districts where YouTube is blocked. What would they do now?

It is my understanding that Google was concerned about the indiscriminate downloading of videos without the owners’ permission and general non-compliance with the standard YouTube user agreement. Zamzar was by far the easiest of all the online tools that could be used for grabbing video for lessons. Since teachers and students should make every effort to download  only those videos they have asked for and received permission to use or those they can apply the Fair Use Guidelines to, I’ve included the links to additional information below.

That said, I would like to suggest Real Player as one of the easiest and fastest ways to download videos – almost any video from any source on the internet. Once you have installed RealPlayer on your computer and enabled its add-ins/plug-ins for your particular browser, all you need to do is hover over the top right hand corner of the video to access the “Download This Video” button. When the video has been downloaded to your computer, you can convert it to WMV or the RealPlayer extension with the free version and even use the Real Player Trimmer to cut out the specific sections of the video that you want to use. It has become one of my favorite programs. For more information:

Download and learn more about the Free Real Player here.

Learn how to convert the downloaded videos here.

Learn how to edit the videos with the RealPlayer Trimmer here.

Copyright and Fair Use Information for Teachers and Students

• The Educators Guide to Copyright, Fair Use and Creative Commons
• Copyright for Teachers and School Librarians
• The Educator’s Guide to Copyright and Fair Use
• Classroom Copyright Chart
• For teachers who would like to teach their students about copyright, "EFF's Teaching Copyright curriculum was created to help teachers present the laws surrounding digital rights in a balanced way."
•  And here's a fun look at copyright that you will have to view from home - AFair(y) Use Tale

No YouTube? No Problem!

You've scoured the internet for an instructional video, and you have found one that's perfect! Unfortunately, the video is on YouTube, which cannot be accessed from the classroom. You could always convert the YouTube video using a site such as Zamzar, but all you really want to be able to do is click and play! Explore these free alternatives to YouTube which provide safe, classroom friendly,  instant access to the video lessons you desire.

School Tube was created specifically for teachers and students to upload, view and share videos. Teachers and students can also create their own classroom channel, too!  Most educational YouTube videos can usually be found on School Tube with a simple search. If the YouTube video isn't on School Tube, no worries! As long as you have the YouTube URL, you can import it into SchoolTube.

 By the end of the year, WatchKnowLearn will have over 50,000 educational videos.The search directory is categorized by title, description, subject and age level, all teacher-guided.

Explore features over 250 original films and 30,000 photo slide shows from around the world with accompanying lesson plans which are written for use in the K – 12 classroom and are connected to grade level national standards. The films and lessons profile the following: environment, education, human rights, public health, philosophy, animal welfare, and also documents world leaders and individuals who have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes. This site is similiar to Discovery Streaming. Teachers can share, embed, and download these videos.

For a complete list of 47 additional YouTube alternatives, click here.

Website of the Week

 Symbaloo is one of  my favorite social bookmarking sites! It allows teachers to create a page of resources, all in one place, for instant access. Student's don't have to copy mulitple URL's. But wait! There's more! Symbaloo is social. There are Twitter, Facebook and YouTube widgets available which allow you to not only post to those sites, but connect with your friends and students to see what links they are recommending! Check out my symbaloo page for Rockin' Technology!

Tip of the Week

Save any file as a PDF file in Office 2010 by going to File, Save As, then in the Save as Type drop down choose PDF.