Movies in the Classroom
Posted by PLB Registrar · 3 Comments
Sometimes I have conversations with myself. As both a parent and a teacher my role in these two positions can sometimes struggle to coexist.
As a parent I question the value of movies that my children watch in school. I want more reading, writing and arithmetic. I wonder what value a film has especially when my children can read the book and use their vivid imaginations so well.
As a teacher, I’ve used movies in the classroom and recognize the value of doing so. Films can help students to “see” concepts and strengthen understandings. Movies can present material in a way that enables much information in a short period of time. I must also admit that Hollywood is far more entertaining and therefore interesting, than I am alone presenting information (that’s a topic for a whole other blog post article on “What is Teaching?”).
My questions for you this week:
On what things in education do you feel conflicted?
What movies do you use in the classroom and why?
As a preschool teacher, I have had the same struggle. On occasion, I have used Dora, Blues Clues, Diego, and Riverdance to enhance specific lessons. If our theme is music, I use Dora. If we are talking about Space, I use Blues Clues – pajama episode. Riverdance has always been a favorite of the children on St. Patrick’s Day. By the end (and for a couple weeks afterwards), all the children are Irish dancing! All the time is too much, but on occasion, I think, it’s ok.
We can’t help but think about a lot of great stuff our own children learned from videos at this age too.
I don’t struggle with this issue, because I believe I use movies correctly. But, I am pained when I see teachers using them just as time fillers. I like the documentary Paperclips in conjunction with a unit on The Holocaust/Elie Wiesel’s Night. I think it is important to let them see real survivors, and be able to pair their in-school learning with how people have really made a difference with the information they learn. It is moving. With the documentary, because it is slow-moving, I give them a worksheet with questions and blanks for them to fill out. I also believe it is important to show high school students a movie of the Shakespeare play they are studying. The language is so removed from what they are used to, they need that framework to understand the text. For me, that means Julius Caesar. If I could take them to see a live show, I would. But, that costs too much money. So, they watch the movie and then we read the play. By the time they get to tenth grade, they know Shakespeare is hard so they pay attention.
But, I should also add, I grew up in a family where we’d all sit around the television and talk about what was going on in the shows. My parents took television as a learning opportunity for us. I view it the same way. As long as there is active engagement, and a reason for showing it, movies can help students understand the content we want them to learn. Parents can use them to help their children understand the world, if they are watching the shows with their kids, and commenting along the way.