HELP!!! My boys have taken over my YouTube Channel

by Matthew Worwood

I started DadsforCreativity to combine my interest in creativity with my desire to be the best possible Dad. At its height I had an audience. Folks would email me about my articles. I saw monthly increases in traffic. I included the website in my introductions, and then BANG. A graduate program, a documentary, and a third child came together in a massive storm that wreaked havoc on my schedule. Since then, my contributions to this blog have been disappointing. What’s even more depressing is a worry that the decrease in output is a reflection upon my interactions with my boys – are they becoming less? The answer is no (I hope). I say this, because during the past 15-months they have pushed me, forced me, nagged me, and tricked me into the production of a variety of YouTube videos that have now taken over my YouTube Channel. Therefore, today’s blog signals a series of future articles in support of our emerging studio.

See also: What is YouTube was an encyclopedia? 

YouTube

YouTube serves as an example of the affordances offered through the World Wide Web. It is a platform where you can access information about anything and everything, while also having the capacity to easily produce and share information as well. I used YouTube to explore changes to how we interactive with information in the documentary, Class of 2032: Schooling for a Digital Culture.

There are genuine concerns we need to address when working on any open platform, and I do not mean to undermine these concerns by promoting an article that focuses only on the creating and making aspect of our digital culture. However, learning to produce content using digital technology is important, and producing videos can challenge our little once to synthesis information and articulate what they’ve learned to others.

What follows is a few anecdotes on how I’m working to organize and manage the production of all these videos, while also working to explore other opportunities for learning during their creation. As you watch the videos, you’ll see my how my boys have begun to take greater ownership of the content, with personalized openings, closing, and an increased sense of how best to articulate their story to the audience.

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Plant Videos

This is really where it all started. My eldest developed an interest in plants and gardening, and YouTube was a major source of information. YouTube videos have led to the creation of a terrarium and the purchase of a variety of different succulents that are taking over our house. Naturally, he wanted to express his learning of plants via YouTube, and because the DadsforCreativity YouTube channel already featured his work, he figured he had a claim to take over the channel.

During the summer we produced a collection of random plant videos, and later began exploring how these videos might also introduce some history and cultural topics as shown in the War of the Roses video above.

 

Travel Videos

Travel videos offer an opportunity to integrate some formal learning experiences into your family vacation. Whether it’s a visit to the museum, the beach, or a new city, have your little one/s offer a summary of the experience in a short video using your phone. Keep it short and simple. Where are we? What did we see? What did you discover? On a side note, remember to hold the phone horizontally.

I would suggest you conduct a run through with these questions before pushing play. Remember to offer clarity. It’s ok to correct errors. For example, in the video above my boys became fascinated with the death of Lord Nelson. They remember the main points about the battle, but couldn’t remember his name, so I had to remind them before hitting record.

As your skills improve you will develop your own structure, for example, I know I was going to have the boys produce a video, so I shot the introduction video before entering the boat, I then recorded them explaining different things while on the ship, and then we did a summary at the end. Using a simple editing app (like iMovie) I then sequence the best clips together, added the music and text, and then pushed to YouTube.

Our travel videos are probably the most random; they include videos about crossing the road safely, as well as travel tips for riding the London Underground.

Discovery Videos

Other videos we’ve produced include safety and travel tips, as well as a collection of discovery videos that explore random topics such as Maple Farming.

Check out our full-compliment of videos on our YouTube channel. I’ve promised them we’ll make more. I just need to get through this semester first!

 

Matthew Worwood
Matthew Worwood is an educator, Creative Studies scholar-practitioner, and co-host of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast. He is a professor of Digital Media Design at the University of Connecticut and a husband and proud father to three young boys.

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3 comments

Douglas Eisenstein October 8, 2019 - 10:58 pm

Another excellent article. I have shared you videos with my children. They inspired by your eldest son love for plants.

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Mimo May 6, 2020 - 7:03 pm

This is awesome! It’s nice to see you engage your kids and allow them to take their interests and run with them.
My parents did the same with me and allowed me to create art (draw, paint, write, etc.) and I intend to do the same with my child. (New Dad in August.) 🙂
Cheers!

Reply
Matthew Worwood August 19, 2020 - 9:47 am

Thanks for the visit and post. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to respond. Congratulations on the new or soon to be new addition to the family. It’s the best time of your life.

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