I love your tagline because for some students they need a visual representation instead of just words on a page because everyone learns differently. The only problem with films based on books is that then some students watch the movie over reading the book. Media literacy and print literacy both need to be promoted in the classroom, but sometimes movies give students an "easy way out" because they feel they no longer need to read the book. For example, for plays such as Shakespeare, which are meant to be performed, I felt the movie version enhanced my understanding of the text. I see films as more of an aid to the book.
I agree with Alex that your image and caption definitely address different types of learners, from audio to visual. While films do help students bring books to life, it is important to note that they are produced from a specific point of view. The film is meant to portray the director’s vision or interpretation of a work. For this reason, teachers should use films as aids, especially if it is a film based on a novel or book. If students disregard the book and rely solely on the film itself, they could potentially be missing out on a lot of vital information. The reason being is because films are only given a small amount of time, maximum 120 minutes, to relay the storyline before becoming too dragged out.
I agree with you Alexandra, students do want to take the easy way out. What my old English teachers used to do was make us read the book first and then after taking either a very large test based on the material or finishing the lesson altogether, they showed us a film interpretation as sort of a "relaxer." Kind of like a reward or a break. And then we used to have these massive compare and contrast discussions regarding the film and the book. What scenes did they portray right, what parts did they leave out, effectiveness of the actors/actresses playing the characters, was the plot shortened or expanded on. All that jazz. I just wanted to say that Harper Lee, herself, said in an interview that she loved the movie. She thought it was the best portrayal that could have been done about her book. So in that sense, the film did honor tribute to her novel. I also think film, especially certain clips about important scenes in the text, can help learning disabled learners. Jessica, I agree that films can seem like the easy way out in that students may disregard the book, but I wonder what would happen if the teacher made it clear to the class that they would watch the film afterwards. Like straight out in the open. That way, the requirement that students read the book will sort of be done independently because of knowing that they will watch the film afterwards. Maybe the would reach a higher understanding of the book if they did both: reading first and then watching later. Because I know that talking about a book can sometimes seem boring or stale if the students are uninterested. I also love it when a teacher shows film or some form of visual image pertaining to the subject because it's refreshing. You guys made a lot of good points. Thank you very much for commenting, I'll return the favor. Do you think I did the assignment right?
In my high school classes, they also used moves as a "reward" or a "break" and I found that it was unhelpful if there was not discussion that required critical thinking. I think it would be more beneficial to include discussions that ask students to address the point of view of the director. Ask questions such as, what scenes were changed and was the time line of events similar or different to the book? Then students can think of the effect of these changes. How did the movie implicate the viewer in ways that the book did not? Which character's point of view was the audience aligned with and was it the same or different from the book? It is the activities that the teacher does that will help enhance the understanding of students. As for the assignment, the only instructions were that technology had to be an integral part of schooling during 1820s-1990s as according to the video and readings.
I love your tagline because for some students they need a visual representation instead of just words on a page because everyone learns differently. The only problem with films based on books is that then some students watch the movie over reading the book. Media literacy and print literacy both need to be promoted in the classroom, but sometimes movies give students an "easy way out" because they feel they no longer need to read the book. For example, for plays such as Shakespeare, which are meant to be performed, I felt the movie version enhanced my understanding of the text. I see films as more of an aid to the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex that your image and caption definitely address different types of learners, from audio to visual. While films do help students bring books to life, it is important to note that they are produced from a specific point of view. The film is meant to portray the director’s vision or interpretation of a work. For this reason, teachers should use films as aids, especially if it is a film based on a novel or book. If students disregard the book and rely solely on the film itself, they could potentially be missing out on a lot of vital information. The reason being is because films are only given a small amount of time, maximum 120 minutes, to relay the storyline before becoming too dragged out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Alexandra, students do want to take the easy way out. What my old English teachers used to do was make us read the book first and then after taking either a very large test based on the material or finishing the lesson altogether, they showed us a film interpretation as sort of a "relaxer." Kind of like a reward or a break. And then we used to have these massive compare and contrast discussions regarding the film and the book. What scenes did they portray right, what parts did they leave out, effectiveness of the actors/actresses playing the characters, was the plot shortened or expanded on. All that jazz. I just wanted to say that Harper Lee, herself, said in an interview that she loved the movie. She thought it was the best portrayal that could have been done about her book. So in that sense, the film did honor tribute to her novel. I also think film, especially certain clips about important scenes in the text, can help learning disabled learners. Jessica, I agree that films can seem like the easy way out in that students may disregard the book, but I wonder what would happen if the teacher made it clear to the class that they would watch the film afterwards. Like straight out in the open. That way, the requirement that students read the book will sort of be done independently because of knowing that they will watch the film afterwards. Maybe the would reach a higher understanding of the book if they did both: reading first and then watching later. Because I know that talking about a book can sometimes seem boring or stale if the students are uninterested. I also love it when a teacher shows film or some form of visual image pertaining to the subject because it's refreshing. You guys made a lot of good points. Thank you very much for commenting, I'll return the favor. Do you think I did the assignment right?
ReplyDeleteIn my high school classes, they also used moves as a "reward" or a "break" and I found that it was unhelpful if there was not discussion that required critical thinking. I think it would be more beneficial to include discussions that ask students to address the point of view of the director. Ask questions such as, what scenes were changed and was the time line of events similar or different to the book? Then students can think of the effect of these changes. How did the movie implicate the viewer in ways that the book did not? Which character's point of view was the audience aligned with and was it the same or different from the book? It is the activities that the teacher does that will help enhance the understanding of students. As for the assignment, the only instructions were that technology had to be an integral part of schooling during 1820s-1990s as according to the video and readings.
ReplyDelete