Television and Film in the Classroom
Television and Film in the Classroom
The use of television and film in the classroom is something that many teachers fall into when they have nothing else planned for that day. On the last day of class before the end of the school year, many teachers show a film. If students are going to be distracted and wild during Homecoming week, putting in a movie is often the old stand by teaching technique.
However, by treating films as a fall back lesson plan, many teachers are robbing them of their critical stances and use in the classroom. There are several reasons why using film and television can be a great help in the classroom, and many ways to analyze and discuss them in relation to literature.
The first reason I plan to use film is to help students understand complex literature. Often a visual representation is easier to follow than a narrative, especially one that uses complex language. Also, the format of a film is more familiar to students than some other forms, such a poetry. A great example of when using a film in conjunction with a text is when teaching Shakespeare. For many students, the language of the plays is very difficult to understand. However, when they are shown what happens from a plot standpoint, they can spend more time focusing on the language and literary devices being used.
Secondly, film is something that students can use to compare lenses of critical theory to those used in the actual text. When teaching critical theory and examining how they are used in a text, film can provide a different perspective on a similar theme. For example, the feminist lens may be very apparent in a text when the student is reading it. However, as they views a film, a more Marxist reading may be seen. In this sense, film can offer students a new way of looking at the topics. Then the class can begin to discuss the differences between film and text, and how that changes some of the inherent values of the story based upon the differences between the genres.
There are many reasons to use film and television in the classroom. It can increase engagement, help students understand complex plots and illuminate differences between genres. Film does not have to be a rainy day lesson plan.
The use of television and film in the classroom is something that many teachers fall into when they have nothing else planned for that day. On the last day of class before the end of the school year, many teachers show a film. If students are going to be distracted and wild during Homecoming week, putting in a movie is often the old stand by teaching technique.
However, by treating films as a fall back lesson plan, many teachers are robbing them of their critical stances and use in the classroom. There are several reasons why using film and television can be a great help in the classroom, and many ways to analyze and discuss them in relation to literature.
The first reason I plan to use film is to help students understand complex literature. Often a visual representation is easier to follow than a narrative, especially one that uses complex language. Also, the format of a film is more familiar to students than some other forms, such a poetry. A great example of when using a film in conjunction with a text is when teaching Shakespeare. For many students, the language of the plays is very difficult to understand. However, when they are shown what happens from a plot standpoint, they can spend more time focusing on the language and literary devices being used.
Secondly, film is something that students can use to compare lenses of critical theory to those used in the actual text. When teaching critical theory and examining how they are used in a text, film can provide a different perspective on a similar theme. For example, the feminist lens may be very apparent in a text when the student is reading it. However, as they views a film, a more Marxist reading may be seen. In this sense, film can offer students a new way of looking at the topics. Then the class can begin to discuss the differences between film and text, and how that changes some of the inherent values of the story based upon the differences between the genres.
There are many reasons to use film and television in the classroom. It can increase engagement, help students understand complex plots and illuminate differences between genres. Film does not have to be a rainy day lesson plan.
posted by Sarah @ 3:34 PM
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