YouTube University: GloZell's How-To "Teach Me How To Dougie" | Show and Tell | Denver | Denver Westword | The Leading Independent News Source in Denver, Colorado
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YouTube University: GloZell's How-To "Teach Me How To Dougie"

Lil Wil first told us about his Dougie way back in 2007. Then last year, Cali Swag District promised to teach us how to Dougie -- but the thing is, they never really did. They just sang about how the dance could get ladies on your jock and whatnot. This...
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Lil Wil first told us about his Dougie way back in 2007. Then last year, Cali Swag District promised to teach us how to Dougie -- but the thing is, they never really did. They just sang about how the dance could get ladies on your jock and whatnot. This was no Cupid Shuffle or R. Kelly's "Step in the Name of Love"; there were no instructional lyrics. So we set out to find a YouTube video that could teach us how to Dougie. And then we met GloZell.

GloZell doesn't even present the most informational video out of the dozens of Dougie how-tos; in fact, our latest YouTube teacher gives no actual instruction. But she is entertaining, and in the virtual classroom of YouTube University, being funny is more important than teaching us anything.

Tip #1: Have a snappy slogan "Is you okay? Is you?," GloZell asks. She engages with her virtual students by aligning with them first. It's kind of like asking someone "How are you today?" It lets your students know you give a shit before diving head first into a lesson plan. GloZell's is the perfect example of a good slogan: It is both simple and unexplainable. Tip #2: Cheer yourself on! GloZell knows the importance of self-esteem, and she wants you to have some too. If you learn anything from YouTube University, it should be that personal cheerleading will only help you to succeed. GloZell tells herself to "break it down," but you may use whatever positive language works for you. As we learned from another, less helpful Dougie how-to, staying completely silent during a YouTube tutorial is not only doing a disservice to learners, it is creepy. Tip #3: Don't be afraid to get personal with the camera GloZell instantly blurs the line between teacher and student, simply by getting close to the camera when finishing out her video. This shows viewers that she's not afraid to be regular old GloZell, whether at home or in her backyard classroom.
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