Holly Thomas

Professor Dail

English 3241

19 April 2010

What is Literature?

My approach to teaching is going to be a humorous one filled with laughter and catchy phrases. This may sound petty, but in my book, concepts are easier to learn if they are enjoyed. I loved the video called “Buffalo buffalo buffalo” featured on YouTube that showcases the word “buffalo”; thus the idea came for this project. I plan on teaching ESOL Middle School students and by making this film simple, entertaining, yet informational, I am able to use this video as a teaching tool in the future.  The purpose of this film is to show that literature is not as scaring, boring, and insignificant as so many middle school students deem it to be.

The topic of literature is broad in the sense it consists of different genres, different methods of media, and different ways to portray literature. I chose to focus primarily on the origin of the word “literature” and a few of the things which literature encompasses. The “play on words” featured in my film was meant to capture the audience’s attention while making the point that words are the essence of literature.

In all honesty, this project was much harder than expected. Beginning with researching the origin of literature, continuing on with making a power point presentation which consisted of 87 slides through Microsoft Power point, and ending with the formatting needed in Windows Movie Maker, this project was tedious.  Issues arose in Windows Movie Maker concerning recording issues because I tried to record it through a headset, but my computer also has a built in microphone.  I learned new ideas about Microsoft Power Point such as different effects and recording methods, but also I learned  that Microsoft Movie Maker is a great and easy tool for filming short videos. I had never used Movie Maker, and I was unaware that I had Movie Maker installed on my computer! This project took much longer than expected making for a lot of effort and time put forth, but it was worth it in the end. I have never been on YouTube before, yet now I have a video uploaded on YouTube. Hooray!

I pushed myself a lot during this project to do the best I could when the times were rough, and I could change some things I probably would. I wish I would have started earlier to be able to expand more on the concepts featured in my video, and if I use this video during my future class most likely I will expand it.  This video has challenged me to become a better student, but also I have learned lessons that will treat me well in the future.

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