When one hears the words "Social Studies class" and "movie" in the same sentence, their immediate thought tends to be something like this: a VHS tape from the 1980's, found in the very back shelf of a library, that, instead of teaching the class anything about the topic at hand, will more likely put most of the class to sleep. Unfortunately, in many classes, this can be the case when a film or documentary is watched. However, if implemented correctly, watching a video (or videos) of some kind can be quite effective in trying to help students learn whatever topic is being discussed.
Videos can provide a visual representation of an event or person being discussed, and can potentially help a student better understand the topic at hand. For example, several weeks ago in my READ-411 class, as part of a course requirement, I helped teach a lesson in my content area, and my group chose to present on the Titanic. Towards the end of the lesson, two relatively short videos were shown via Youtube: one showing a new computer-generated model of the ship’s sinking (which originally aired as part of a National Geographic special), and then another showing news footage discussing Robert Ballard’s 1985 discovery of the wreckage of the ship at the bottom of the sea. These clips were very well-received by the class viewing the presentation, who stated that this helped visualize the lesson for them, and for many was the most interesting and effective part of the lesson.
Saying
all this does not mean that the use of videos in class does not come without
its pitfalls. If there is an
over-reliance on these, it can be argued that the teacher is, in a sense, not
really teaching. While there are plenty
of films and documentaries out there that can be a great help in the class,
there are many out there that are poorly done, or factually inaccurate. A teacher must proceed with some caution if
they wish to use these in a classroom, but as stated before, it does come with
its benefits. Used properly, it can be a
great help to a lesson.
Ian,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great idea to show those youtube videos for your sample lesson. I bet many students had "My Heart Will Go On," playing through their heads while you taught. By showing a more historical video, you brought their attentions to the sinking of the titanic in an historical context. I think this is important for us as future social studies educators but we will always be up against hollywood. It's important for students to know the difference between hollywood and the truth, so by using social studies we can give them a different view of history.
-Erin