Movies in my classroom can be a
vital part of making connections with the text. Students can create movies to demonstrate
comprehension in a specific topic, or they can watch a movie adaptation of a
novel they read to compare and contrast both forms. This can be a great way of
crossing both forms of art.
Similar
to writing essays, my students can create a movie, or video, of a topic we are
discussing in class. For example, if we are working on argumentative writing,
the students can create a video that demonstrates their take on the topic we
are researching. Or students can create a movie of a play that we are reading.
If we are reading Shakespeare, the students can create a movie of their own
intake of the play. This way the students have the opportunity to expand their
imagination and create their own modern twist of Shakespeare. This can also be
a chance for me to assess their interpretation of the text.
On
the other hand, I can show movies of novel adaptations that have been made. If
we are reading a novel I can show them the movie and have them compare and
contrast the differences and similarities. For example, The Great Gatsby recently came out in a movie version and if you
read the novel it takes on a different interpretation. The music in the movie
is modern, while the novel is set in the Jazz Age. Or I can have the students
read an Old English literary work and have them compare it to a modern movie.
When I was a senior in high school my English teacher had us read Beowulf and then watch the movie “The
Dark Knight” and write an essay comparing and contrasting the villain or hero
in both works. This was a great way of getting the students interested in
reading the literary work because they were comparing it to a modern movie.
I think that using movies in an English classroom is a great idea! There are so many different comparing and contrasting assignments that can be done when looking for the similarities and differences between a novel and a movie. In order to do so successfully, students also need to be familiar with analysis.
ReplyDeleteDepending on the district that you teach in, if possible, if would be a great idea to take your students on a field trip to the movies. The school where I am doing to field work often has field trips to the movie theater that is down the street from the school. Just last week they went to see a movie based off of one of Shakespeare's plays. In January the students are going to watch "The Book Thief." The students love it. They have fun and are watching a movie that will be used in school. This is a great way to engage students because we know that they love movies and going to the theaters.
I like the dynamic applications of movies in the classroom. I think the most important part of this is that it allows for students who may have problems processing texts to have another way to try to understand the texts they have to read. However, as you said, movie adaptations can unfortunately be a bit off from the actual book and you need to make sure you convey that to your students. Yet, it can become a valid pedagogical activity, as you said, to compare and contrast it. I also like how you can use it as a varied form of assessment compared to the traditional academic argument paper. In addition, this promotes interdisciplinary thinking in the classroom, which is definitely a very authentic, 21st century paradigm. Movies in the classroom have been around for a while as a concept, but it seems like most teachers put students in the consumer position of films rather than the creator position like you would do. Great post.
ReplyDeleteUsing movies in the english classroom is a wonderful idea. I always liked when we read a book, and then my teacher would show the movie or a section of the movie to animate the book. I would be interesting if, before the movie was show, to see how student interpreted to book themselves. How they imagines characters, how they imagined a scene, and then show them a movie. I really like this idea.
ReplyDeleteI had a few teachers throughout my high school career that had us make films and movies interpreting a scene of a book or movie we were studying. I always enjoyed those assignments because after making these movies I would be able to relate the book/movie more easily. I felt that by creating my own real-life experience of a scene that I could connect with the characters' perspectives and understand why they did certain things a bit more. I think more teachers should use this idea.
ReplyDeleteThere are two words in your post that can justify showing movies in any classroom. The ability for students to "compare" and "contrast" allows for engaging classroom discussions. I too have recently posted about showing the movie "Holes" after a student I was tutoring finished the novel. The discussion will follow after showing a movie. Students will ask why? Why is this scene in the movie different than the text? Why has the director left out my favorite part of the text? I am biased towards the English classroom. I love the idea and can support it fully. I to feel that showing movies in any and all other content areas can only benefit the classroom setting.
ReplyDeleteWE all know reading in important in education with out a doubt. But with the world being as digital as it is it movies must be a part of the classroom simply because many books are now being mad into to films. The ability to analyze, compare and contrast, and think critically about why things in the movie are different or argue why one liked the book or movie better. These are all important skills that movie can and ill facilitate the development of. So in short I agree with you nice post!
ReplyDelete