Adult Education and Technology: Video as a Writing Prompt

Many teachers wonder how they can use technology in the classroom. One way is to use a short video as a writing prompt. I saw this idea in a recent entry on a blog I follow,
Adult Education and Technology, by educational tech enthusiast Marian Thacher.

The video she selected as an example is a montage of cats being silly.

I suggest finding something shorter then 2 minutes and linear in progression--one short progression of an event, not a series of unrelated events. However, you can make that call depending on what you think will work best for your students.

There are many videos on Youtube, and you can select things by looking for subject content relevant to your current class material or themes.

If bringing in video is not an option, you can use photographs. I suggest images from magazines or picture/coffee table books.

Additionally, you do not need to have students write their responses. If you are teaching ESL students, you can have them talk about the videos. Voice of America has great podcasts on short demonstrations. This will build listening and speaking skills.