How
would you incorporate films in your English classroom? How much would be too
much? Is there a limit on how long a film should be when you're having the
students watch it during class time? These are all questions that pop into my
head when thinking about using films to go along with lessons. I like the idea
of using films as a visual aid. I've realized in my observations and also as a
student that film is very appealing to students. They like the idea of watching
something in the classroom rather than just listen to the teacher lecture.
My
CT uses different forms of visual aids to make her lecture more appealing to
the students. These visual aids also assist the students in understanding what
it is that they need to do. She uses PowerPoint when going over directions this
way the students' are not only listening to the instructions but they are also
reading the instructions themselves. She also uses handouts and templates that
ease the work of the students. I also really like how she uses short movie
clips to enhance the idea of lectures point. For example when the students had
to write a narrative essay she used the beginning of the movie Spanglish which begins with the main
character reading her acceptance letter to college. This demonstrated the use
of good diction and it also helped them understand how a narrative essay should
be formatted. She has also used other movies to go along with other lessons;
she will normally play about 5 minutes of the movie and nothing more.
In Image Grammar Harry R. Noden discusses the
use of film as a tool for enhancing details. This is something that my CT does
really well. Noden states that "recognizing the appeal of media to students,
teachers can use art and film as tools for enhancing detail" (pg. 43). Using
films helps students see the big picture; they see specific images rather than
just listening to something.
So my
question is how much film would be too much film? Should our use of film be
minimal or restricted to short movie clips? Would it be appropriate to show the
students a whole movie rather than just short clips or would that be wasting class
time. Films enhance a students learning experience it appeals to them. I like
the idea of using visual aids but I also don’t want that aid to turn into a
distraction or a waste of class time. How do you guys feel about the use of
films in the classrooms?
References
Noden,
Harry R. Image Grammar: Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process.
2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2011. Print.
Ms. Mijares,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your question about the use of film because, until recently, my answer would have been "Too much is never enough!" That is my answer as a student. Although most students find it to be a relief to spend a class period watching a film, I have noticed that some students get pretty antsy (myself included). I LOVE to use visual aid in my lessons for two reasons: 1. I'm a visual learner, and 2. My classroom has several dual-language speakers and lower-level reading students, so it gives these students a low-pressure alternative to traditional lectures. My incorporation of film varies from student-created film (to show examples of other student work of course!), film or t.v. clips (I recently used a clip from Dexter), or full length films. Since I see the antsy-ness begin to ensue after about 60 minutes of class, it is my preference to have a lesson for 45 minutes and then reward their attention with a film for the remainder of class, then repeat for the next day. I definitely wouldn't want to do this once a week, but once every month and a half or so seems appropriate to me. Plus it's a good incentive for students to work toward.
Students need to be rewarded for their hard work, and I would be upfront with them about the film being a reward so they don't take it for granted.
It's okay for students to get excited about watching film, but my opinion is that shorter is usually better!
Good luck!
Lindsay Slater