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For most of my life, we focused on the primary method of writing, everything was on paper. Not until high school did teachers start applying the movies that were based on the book as well. Just about everyone has seen the Romeo and Juliet movie in their English class, it is hard for the students to relate to that because it is dated and the language is still Shakespearean. However, some of my English teachers have noticed that and have begun to modernize the curriculum to keep up with the changing generations.
Michael Hernandez takes the quote, "Pictures often say far more than words that describe them, especially metaphor, but they can sometimes bring a historical or cultural context into the discussion of writers and poets".
Students have a hard time trying to picture life from long ago, even if it truly wasn't that far back. I tend to find that they forget how modern life was and that they were not that far off from how we live today. Reading can only be interpreted by the students' background, and what they have been exposed to. If they have not seen or interacted with certain items or situations then they cannot visualize it in their head. But the movie can help create meaning that words cannot. I try to include as many visuals as I can. During my years teaching 8th grade, I would constantly show movies/trailers throughout the curriculum. From silent movies, to Saving Private Ryan scenes, to Remember the Titans, it allows students to see what life might have been like during the time that we are learning about. Now that I am teaching Global 9, I am trying to find movies about all of the topics and not just Ancient Rome/Europe. Please leave any recommendations you have for India, China, Japan, etc.
Hernandez, M. (2017). REFRAMING THE MEDIUM. Literacy Today, 35(3), 16-17. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Freframing-medium%2Fdocview%2F1966007223%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067
Hi, Bailey! You bring up an interesting point when you mention that students have difficulty imagining life in the past. I often think about how my 5-year-old students will never know what life was like before screens. Even students who may have limited technology in their household, are exposed to an abundance of it at school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that students with limited background knowledge/experiences will struggle to comprehend and imagine text in the same capacity that a student with a plethora of world experiences and background knowledge will. Aside from movie clips, do you use other forms of digital literacy/media in your curriculum to assist your teaching? You said you are teaching Global 9... I am wondering if there are any interactive virtual field trips that your students could "attend", such as a trip to the Pyramids or a battlefield! I "take" my Kindergarten students on a few virtual field trips- some educational, and some just plain fun, and they are so engaging and informative. Best of luck!