Ten Fun Ways to Use YouTube Videos in an Online Literature Class

This Post Has 13 Comments

  1. jmcaninch68

    I am glad Prof. Ho has discovered You Tube; some of us have been using this resource in our teaching for many years.

  2. Lynda Williams

    Speaking as a lit lover and author who has earned her living as a technologist and instructor of applied computing most of my life, I know it doesn't have to be either or — be a reading geek or a computer geek. So I'm glad to see the emphasis is on getting students interested in literature through multi-media experiences and not replacing reading, entirely. Reading is still my greatest joy. But I like seeing variations on my favorite stories played out in other media, as well. For my own ten-novel series (The Okal Rel Saga) I purposefully welcome interpretations by pros and fans alike in other media. For me, the story plays in all media. I think of it as a "post – the message is the media" idea. 🙂

  3. R. J. Moore

    I was on the ground floor of the development of personal computer technology. In the late 1980’s my mother-in-law asked me why most people should care about computers and I remember having a hard time answering her. Sure I could program my PC to solve the equations of Quantum Mechanics and (crudely at the time) visualize the results, but I had no illusions that non-physicists (and not even all of them) would care.
    I’ve always enjoyed literature and reading too. Professor Ho’s article is just another reminder to me of how fast this technology has evolved and been ingeniously applied in ways that I never imagined by society, indeed the world at large, that seem so obvious now. Her article focuses on how just one web application, YouTube, can be effectively used to enhance the learning process for literature (and have fun at the same time.) However, since the advancement of this technology never stands still, I am quite sure this must be just the beginning. So I would challenge the author and reader to give this topic some more thought and come up with applications to the effective teaching of literature that go well beyond YouTube.

  4. Marae Bailey

    On our campus, we use YouTube for critical thinking. When students watch Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" for the first time, it usually blows their minds, opening up many new discussions. A good animated version can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2afuTvUzBQ&fe….

  5. Yvonne Ho

    Before I started teaching online in 2006, I only spent time on a computer simply to type up papers for school or to answer email from my AOL account. After teaching online for the last 6 years, I have seen the use of computer technology rise as more and more young people take to computers like fish to water. I remember a time before computers and most of my educational years took place before the invention of the computer I am glad to see that I can use websites like Youtube not just to entertain the young mind but more importantly to educate the young mind. Now my next new toy is not just using videos for teaching, but also making videos for teaching so stay tuned for more articles from yours truly 🙂

  6. drcyborgl

    Really great suggestions! I find that #6 is particularly helpful when teaching ancient world literature. There's nothing like hearing Sappho or Dante read in their native tongue, and listening to Old and Middle English is really the only way for students to understand their differences from modern English.

  7. Yvonne Ho

    I am currently teaching World Literature and students love watching the different versions of the Odyssey and they can then compare all the different remakes of the Odyssey movie on Youtube and compare/contrast the movie with what they read.

  8. Catherine Linobo

    Great post!

    I'm a new College Instructor teaching World Literature and these suggestions gave me new ideas in teaching the subject —in a fun and interactive way.

    Thanks!

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