Using movies to teach in class has been around for quite some time. It is known to be a great way of capturing the interests of the students while still breaking the monotony of traditional class teachings.
The use of movies in class requires a lot of care since it demands that students have permission forms from their guardians. Furthermore, school administrations have to review any film before it is shown to students in the class. However, it comes with various advantages such as providing students with a better feel of the events being referred to, rather than solely relying on imagination. As a teacher, there are various ways to improve productivity and learning when using movies to teach. They include:
No External Interruptions
During a movie session in class, students need to be utterly attentive without any distractions. Thus, you should eliminate all sources of disturbances, such as asking them to turn off their phones, and even covering the blinds to ensure the main focus is in the movie. Sometimes also finding a better location for showing the film is relevant in cases where the surroundings of a classroom are too noisy.
Allowing Predictions by Students
Before the viewing of the movie, you can introduce your students to what they are going to watch briefly and give them an idea of what it is. Then, to make things more interesting, you can ask the students to make predictions about the characters in the movie or some of the scenes without providing too many spoilers. When you ask them to make predictions, they are likely to be more attentive to the specific characters or scenes, and they will even be anticipating them.
Asking Compare and Contrast Questions
One of the best ways to ensure students pay attention to a movie is by having them compare and contrast some of the scenes or characters in the film. It means they will have to be keen on identifying similar and differentiating traits. You can ask them to compare and contrast between a book and a movie and identify the differences. It will help them note any variations or irregularities in either. The keenness they’ll use when comparing and contrasting is the same thoroughness one needs when choosing to buy dissertation.
Active Involvement
Students should not just be left to watch a movie while the teacher is busy grading papers or doing another task. While it might serve the purpose of filling in for an absent teacher, the available instructor has to be more involved in the viewing. Instructors can do this by:
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Making various pauses and providing any extra information that students need to know before or after a specific scene. Even though movies are quite engaging for students, some will lose concentration and fall asleep if a teacher is not adequately involved in the viewing.
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Asking some questions to ensure that the learners are alert. Asking questions during breaks will also keep the students attentive and focused on the movie.
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Identify and show any inaccuracies in the films. While movies are quite useful in keeping a student engaged, some scenes may be exaggerated, inaccurate, or even unbelievable to create a better narrative. It is always the responsibility of the teacher to point out these scenes and explain the actual occurrences.
Having Students Reconstruct a Scene in the Movie
One of the ways you can get students attentive and even excited about watching a movie is by having them reenact a scene later. The element of mimicry improves their storytelling abilities since they will have to use gestures and even mimic the characters in various aspects, such as tone when conversing. Also, getting students to reconstruct a scene’s anatomy makes it easier for them to remember and even understand it better since they will be involved. You can download great movie options at movierulz plz as well.
Connection to Real Life
Individuals often project themselves in the movies they see. It is quite natural that students will also do this. So, as a teacher, you need to tap into this behavior. You can derive good discussions by connecting the events of the movie to the state of the real world. The discussions will make the experience livelier and improve the understanding of students. The teacher can hold talks after the movie or in an interval depending on one’s preference.
Final Thoughts
Movies are a reliable way of getting students excited about learning. However, they should be accurate and factual, particularly historical films. Therefore, teachers should consider incorporating movies in the classroom to improve student concentration and understanding of a topic.