Using Youtube in the classroom. Youtube is blocked, and for good reason, but it is also a great tool if used properly. http://www.zamzar.com/ is a tool that I can use to download videos from Youtube and post them on my blog and use them in the classroom.

Uses:

Sometimes it is difficult for students to understand how to write stories. They read them but they never stop to look at how they are put together and what makes a good story good. Most teachers teach the typical Introduction, conflict, rising action, climax, resolution model. But just because a story has these basis “elements” doesn’t mean it is complete or that it is any good.

So, what makes a good story?

First and foremost, the introduction can make or break a story. And I’m tired of reading stories that tell me everything in the first paragraph and don’t let me, the reader, figure things out on my own. At least let the details come out as the story progresses. For example, instead of telling me in the second sentence that the kid in the story is afraid of dogs, write about a scene, using all the senses so I can draw a picture in my mind, where the kid runs up a tree when he sees a poodle walking down the road. Without “telling” me he’s afraid of dogs, I am able to figure it out ony my own.

Getting back to my point … movies are often the best tools to illustrate how to write excellent stories. And you don’t have to watch the whole movie. Just a a couple minutes of a famous scene is enough to illustrate the point and teach kids how characters are developed, settings are built, and the conflict evolves. This is where youtube comes in. Youtube is a great resource to find famous scenes of famous movies that can effectively be used as educational tools.