1. Films and texts
The website's idea of comparing films with its texts is not a novel one, and yet this website is a veritable trove of resource when it comes to films and its functions. By introducing film into a subject which very often scare students away because of the amount of reading they have to do, studying literature becomes more interactive and interesting. Students are also more able to draw links and see the connection between certain themes and issues the text raises through a genre in which they are more familiar with.
2. Extensive database
The site contains readily available information on a large variety of films and provides recommendations on how these films can be taught in relation to its' text. Although some of the suggested activities may not be applicable to local schools or syllabus, these ideas may still be employed with appropriate tweaking so that it may be tailored to cater to our students' learning needs.
3. High culture vs. Popular culture
Plays are often thought to be high culture and cinemas, popular culture, as shown by the site. Shakespeare's plays and its adaptations into films are brought up as examples here.The site poses questions as to why this is so and prompts analyses about stage directions and also thinking regarding how certain themes can be translated to film . This approach not only allows students to learn to questions and draw inferences, it also pushes teachers to inquire about something which is supposedly familiar to them. I feel that by posing these guiding questions and comparisons, more curiosity about the intents and purposes of Shakespeare and possibly other playwrights can be generated.
ADORE ADORE ADORE. So much resources! I sadly made a beeline for Thor immediately (superficial I know.) But I liked the activity they had for it. It can help kids to get thinking about characterization and popular culture.
ReplyDeleteI think what I liked most about this website is the fact that they cover films across genres and it isn't limited to arty-farty films. These are films children can still access and it would be different from say, showing them culturally and critically accepted Lit films like Citizen Kane (which I hate with passion).
I also liked the coverage on Shakespeare on Film. I did my film paper on book-to-film adaptation and I think it's an area well-worth introducing to children. Since Shakespeare is so widely adapted, teachers could use these resources and ideas to teach The Bard in popular culture.
[Roxanne}
ReplyDeleteLike Shiva, I love this site! I think that because digital literacy has become an increasingly important component of literature that needs to be addressed, it is essential that students are exposed to films as a form of literature.
I too appreciate that this website provides resources for a wide variety of films ranging from high culture to popular culture. I think that many students perceive literature to be inaccessible and irrelevant. However, by showing them how popular culture (in the form of films) can be considered literature, I think it may potentially change the students' perceptions of literature.
I also really liked that the site provides some basic instructions for teachers using film because not all of us have dealt with that many films. This could potentially help to make teaching films less daunting because teachers new to this genre have at least some basic ideas on how to use the film in their classes.