I wanted to expand a little more on the idea of using film in class, despite the length on my previous post, that gave a little more on tips about how, and where to use the media. Here I wanted to capture more of the why of using film; What's so great about a film? What does it do for the classroom? What makes it so effective?

"Cinema is arguably the 20th century's most influential art form. Its artists told stories across national boundaries, in as many languages, genres, and philosophies as one can imagine. Indeed, it is hard to find a subject that film has yet to tackle."[G15] (Kidron, 2012)

There is often a perception of movies in the class as ‘time wasters', something to do while the teacher needs some downtime to mark or plan. This, however, is not the case. A study was done by the Leeds Partnership Project: Improving Literacy Through Film, found 96% of students improved reading, 60% improved on writing, and 75% showed improvement in attitude towards learning (Johnston). Film inspires students in a class, it encourages them to engage with their peers, to think about what they see, question, and develop a broader cultural awareness (Johnston).

“The films provided commonality across all manner of divide. And the stories they held provided a shared experience.[G20] ” (Kidron, 2012)

It's not just in English class where a film can be used, although it does support literacy when a film can inspire a student to read the book, if for nothing else then to contrast and compare. Film, I feel, is crucial to the study of history. On a good day history is a tough sell to my students, but on days where we can watch Passchendaele and discuss why they treated Canadian Germans the way they did, my students come alive.

The argument for history movies, as a way of learning history, is an ongoing, and often heated debate. Many historians (purist) think Hollywood embellishes, takes liberties, and changes to many facts. I say so what? If Daniel Day Lewis can inspire kids to be interested in Abraham Lincon in American history, awesome. Metzger in his article points out that in a study of 15 families discussing their understanding of the Vietnam War, both kids and adults drew on memories of Forrest Gump. That’s a powerful idea.

“Hollywood loves history” (Metzger). This year alone (2018), Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, The Post, and The Phantom Thread were all nominated for best picture at the Oscars. All historical movies, and biopics. History and movies go hand in hand, and not using them in a history class is doing a disservice to yourself and the students. History is exciting, challenging, and occasionally a little boring, but for a student sometimes a little visual of Tom Hanks growing up across 3 decades in American History, brings the point home with a little more flare then I can.

“Once-reluctant students now race to school, talk to their teachers, fight, not on the playground, but to choose next week's film -- young people who have found self-definition, ambition and an appetite for education and social engagement from the stories they have witnessed.” (Kidron, 2012)

Sources

Johnston, J. (n.d.). Guest post: Why use film to teach literacy? Retrieved from https://about.futurelearn.com/blog/guest-post-why-use-film-to-teach-literacy

Kidron, B. (2012). Retrieved July 23, 2018, from https://www.ted.com/talks/beeban_kidron_the_shared_wonder_of_film?language=en

Metzger, S. A. (2018, July 19). Are movies a good way to learn history? Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/are-movies-a-good-way-to-learn-history-75976