Using Movies to Improve Visual Literacy
from NCTE INBOX 7-10-07

The recent Washington Post article "The Eye Generation Prefers Not to Read All About It" explores the importance of supporting visual literacy in the classroom. As the article explains, "students today need to be taught, through images, how to think critically." This week's Ideas provide some resources to support the visual literacy activities that the article calls for.

The Language Arts article "Let's Go to the Movies: Rethinking the Role of Film in the Elementary Classroom" (E) argues that elementary language-arts teachers should expand their definition of "text" to include film, a valuable instructional resource. The article notes that today's elementary students come to class with a great deal of knowledge about films -- prior experiences which teachers can tap into -- and discusses the application to film of reader-response theories.

Ask students to play the role of moviemakers with techniques from the Voices from the Middle article "Meeting Readers: Using Visual Literacy Narratives in the Classroom" (M). The article describes a literacy narrative project -- a short, concise, digital video in which students meld still images, motion, print text, and soundtrack in communicating ideas/insights/discoveries about who they are as readers and writers.

The English Journal article "How Movies Work for Secondary School Students with Special Needs" (S) demonstrates how to use scenes from films to help special education students improve their visual and auditory skills, build confidence in their abilities to talk about and analyze the components of a narrative, and feel comfortable engaging in class discussion and writing.

Research has shown that contemporary popular films are a valuable resource in the ESL classroom, but what about older films? The Teaching English in the Two-Year College article "Unspoken Content: Silent Film in the ESL Classroom" (C) explores how often overlooked silent films can facilitate the development of ESL students' critical thinking and writing skills.

Teacher educators can challenge students to explore how educators are represented in movies and television shows. Share the English Journal article "Teaching English in the World: All I Need to Know about Teaching I Learned from TV and Movies" (S-TE) with preservice teachers and ask them to film their own revised versions of the real life of teachers in the classroom. Encourage discussion of ways to counter flawed visions of the profession locally and at state and national levels.

NOTE: Free access to journal articles mentioned in this INBOX is provided for 21 days. After this free access period expires, articles are available to journal subscribers only. This Inbox Idea was published 7-10-07.

Initials in annotations indicate academic level of the resource (E=Elementary, M=Middle, S=Secondary, C=College, TE=Teacher Education, G=General).

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