YouTube as Writing Prompt

When I was in my undergraduate program, every writing prompt was given aloud, written on the board, or read on a slip of paper. It often dealt with reading the class had done (or was supposed to have done) for homework. The prompts, for me, were typically engaging; but I am not a typical student. I love English. Not so for most of the students in our Freshman Composition course. For them, I propose a more engaging alternative, one promoted by our tech-rich classrooms and the media-hungry youth: YouTube writing prompts.

But Cody, you might say, that is exactly what we are combating! We want them to read more, not watch YouTube. Yes and no, is my answer. Yes, we want them to read more – and they are still required to read the homework that leads up to the prompt. The contention that watching viral videos or clips from YouTube is infectious and erodes the ability to compose or comprehend is jibber jabber. Students, from my limited experience, have appreciated YouTube clips as a welcomed visual stimulus in an otherwise visual wasteland.

In addition to YouTube providing easy, quick access to video, the site allows students to critically engage the reading homework in an effort to draw connections to the clip shown. YouTube should be embraced by pedagogues as a welcomed relief: it takes the focus off the instructor for a brief period (which the students need on occasion) and allows the instructor to reflect or observe the class. Below I will give an example of one YouTube clip I use and its benefits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNqAjquGadc

“The Life and Death of a Pumpkin” is both humorous and appropriate. I use it to teach personification to my classes: they are shown the video, given a brief description of the term, and told to personify a common object. Few tropes encourage such creativity and critical awareness as personification. Thinking about an inanimate object’s feelings, opinions, actions, etc. provides an outlet for “fun” non-academic writing and challenges the students as well.