Throughout the History of Educational Technology video, the
one technology from the 1900s that stood out the most as having a profound
impact on English is the use of film the classroom. The video includes examples of films teaching
students vocabulary, indicating that film allowed students to learn Language
Arts topics through watching video. The introduction of film in the classroom
also paved the way for televisions and VCR players to become standard in the
classroom.
In both
readings, the television is shown to have a profound impact on the way English
is taught. According to Domine’s interview with educator Grace Dubois:
“Most of the
elementary school teachers in her district not only enjoyed using television,
but they also came to depend on it. Strangely, my mother couldn’t locate a
single piece of research during the 1960s that shows any learning advantages in
using televised rather than live instruction. She did notice, however, that her
students’ overall interest in reading increased, but she couldn’t attribute it
to their TV viewing” (“A Social History of Media, Technology and Schooling”
45).
While the impact television had on students’ learning was
not well-researched, this account indicates that television became a necessity
in the classroom. This technology is especially important in the English
classroom because it is correlated with increased student interest in reading.
Moreover, I have seen television being used more in the area of English than
other content areas because it truly brings text to life. With the use of film
and television, Shakespeare plays can be viewed as actual performances in all
their glory. Students can see film adaptations of novels they have read in
class and compare the director’s interpretation to their own. According to
Domine’s interview with Dubois, “[My mother] also required students to
critically view and analyze McDonald’s commercials for their persuasion
techniques” (46). This is yet another example of how television has been used
to teach English by having students practice their analytical writing skills
with critiques of McDonald’s commercials. Clearly, television has been used in
a variety of ways to promote the learning of Language Arts.
In
order to obtain televisions in the classroom, many schools had to participate
in deals promoting corporate businesses and advertisements, mostly notably with
Channel One. The impact of Channel One is described as “Students were exposed
daily to advertising in exchange for TV equipment. Schools received free TVs
and VCRs that educators theoretically could use to support other school-wide
activities” (Rethinking Technology in Schools
34-35). The text further describes the usage of Channel One to be
widespread and the source of much controversy for its insertion of
advertisement in schools. Having attended a high school that featured Channel
One on small televisions equipped with VCRs in every classroom, I can say that
educational good did emerge from this deal. While Channel One itself was not
particularly helpful, the televisions it played on were useful for classroom
content. Having a television in the
classroom had a great impact on English class, as we viewed professional
renditions of Shakespeare plays, watched videos on grammar, and occasionally
saw movie adaptations of novels we had read in class. While Domine explores the flaws in the notion of leaving a film to do all the teaching, citing Dubois' ancestors experiences with their students ultimately not learning any more effectively, it is possible to use television and film as an aid to teaching rather than a replacement. The "History of Educational Technology" video illustrates that film was originally envisioned as a replacement for a teacher, but that is (hopefully) not what is happening in today's classrooms. Films are useful tools for promoting analytic skills and engaging students with texts on a whole new level of visual and auditory perception. Given how common movie adaptations
of novels are and how effective they can be in helping students better
understand their core themes and messages, I can’t imagine a modern English
class that did not feature a television being used to show a movie every now
and then.
TV/Film engage students by bringing text to life
*Photo Credit: Microsoft Office Clip Art.
Edited with Sony Vegas 8.0 Trial Version
