At+the+Movies

Relaying ideas through film has been a popular form of entertainment since the advent of silent movies. With the addition of sound, Hollywood discovered a gold mine as droves of people flocked to theaters to see the latest flick. Once, the appeal could be linked to the mystique of moving pictures. They were a way to dive into someone else's imagination and escape reality for a brief moment in time. Today, the actual mechanics of making movies are much less mysterious. Programs such as Windows MovieMaker, iMovie, [|animoto], [|xtranormal], and [|primary access] make it easy for anyone to pool text, still photos, and video into a product that looks similar, if not as sophisticated, as seen on the big screen.

As we have discussed in class, a text is much more than words on a page. Often, a text includes images and sound. And just as it's important to teach our students how to "read" these texts, it's important to teach them how to "write" them. They are also an effective way to combine writing with a post-reading activity. With this in mind, it's easy to see how movies and video fit within our classrooms. To begin this project, you must first familiarize yourself with one of the movie making softwares. You may use any of those listed above, or if you're familiar with another one, you are free to use that as well.

Once you are comfortable with the software, begin to explore how you can incorporate it into the classroom. What content lends itself to this type of project? What would the assignment include? Would you use movies to demonstrate concepts such as persuasive techniques or vocabulary? Would they be better as a summative project that details what students have learned? Could they be incorporated into a research project? Would you require students to use video or are still pictures enough? Would students act within the films? Would students use this as a way to become experts on a particular topic and teach the concept using the jigsaw approach? Obviously, there are multiple ways you could include this approach. What works best for you? Once you have figured out how this will work for you, create an example to share. You will also write a 2 page reflection over the process. The following questions will help guide your reflection. You do not have to address every question.
 * What will this process look like in your classroom? Who will make the videos? How will class time be devoted to supporting this process? How will the videos be shared? What concepts will you explore through this process? What time of year would this project occur? What other thoughts do you have on this in regards to production and content?
 * What benefits do you see students gaining from participating in this process?
 * What drawbacks did you come across or can you see possibly occurring within this process?
 * What literacy skills do students draw on when working through this project?
 * What role does collaboration play in this process?
 * What other thoughts do you have about the project?

Turn in your written portion into Dropbox on the day you present. You will share your video with the class at the end of the semester. Plan for about 5 minutes.

Happy Filming!!!