The Glamour of Film

Teasley and Wilder’s chapters are captivating. They point out reasons why teachers do not use films in the classroom, why the way teachers present films bores students, and why using films, if they are used well, could benefit students as well as help them develop literacy skills. Moreover, the detailed step-by-step unit plans Teasley and Wilder provided seem to be highly accessible for teachers without boring students. Although this books has been published for more than a decade, many ideas that are considered obsolete by Teasley and Wilder still exist.

One of examples that I can relate to is when Teasley and Wilder mentioned “They [Teachers] tend to show films but not teach films” (p.8). This is exactly what happened to me as I reflected on my high school life. Whenever teachers let us watch movies in class, it meant that teachers had already finished the scheduled lessons, or we just finished our midterms or were at the end of the semester. In this regard, films were not an instructional tool but a reward – a reward for us as students who had completed the assigned tasks and a reward for teachers who could take a break from teaching. After the movies, we were only asked about whether we like them or not. Under this circumstance, films are for entertainment, just as they are shown in the cinema.

What Teasley and Wilder proposed is to employ films as an instructional tool for teaching and learning, not only because films entertain students but also because watching films are experiences shared by students. As Teasley and Wilder pointed out, “Student have prior experience with film – almost all of it positive” (p. 4). Thus, films have their charm to catch the attention of students. Also, as I read this statement, I also think that even though students have negative experience with films, such as watching a film they dislike (or hate), they would still continue watching films. This would be quite different from reading books. If students do not like books or stories they read, it is more likely for them to give up reading. Since I have no idea about how to explain this sort of phenomenon, I give the credit to the glamour of film.

Finally, a recommendation for film selection that could be added to the chapters is that teachers may also choose some international or multicultural films for teaching. They could invite students to join the discussion of movie styles and diverse cultures.

                                                   3D Movies V.S. Pop-Up Books
               (Source: http://bilbosrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/05/cartoon-saturday.html)

Question:

Would you use the lesson plans proposed by Teasley and Wilder? Why?