The Adversary School From US to Harvard - Research Paper Example

The constituents of basic skills for educators and their peers mostly comprises of 3 R’s strategy. Reading, w(R)iting and (R)thematic. The strategy is regarded as the traditional approach for all levels of education. Various Ways can be assigned to the students for effective presentation and comprehension of writing a composition. Numerous approaches have been adopted at different levels and in different parts of the world. Film can be utilized in class as an alternative source for delivering course material. Goldfarb (2002) notes that Since 1980’s films have been considered and favored as teaching methods for Open universities and distant learning a. Also the wealth of situations, voices, accents, themes and presentation techniques of a film cannot be portrayed by any teacher, as mentioned by Hill(1999, p2). More specifically with regard to perpetuate connection of films and academic writing, research carried by Kasper (2002) illustrates how screening can accentuate the writing skills. During her study she made students visualize the course material from 3 different courses- Linguistic, environmental science and anthropology. Students were subjected to Secret of the wild Child (a documentary based on child deprived of linguistic exposure); Savage Earth: The Restless Planet (Documentary about Earthquakes) and inherit the wind (Film about the scopes of Monkey Trial). By watching films, students are facilitated in learning graphical illustration of relevant material (Kasper 2002, p52). The debate in the film “inherit the wind” between science and religion provided an opportunity to examine the argumentative process and helped students in their essays effectively. Similarly, Maseillo (1985) promotes films as a platform for brain storming of ideas among students around specific themes such family relationships in films like “The God Father”. Students can relate to the film and adhere to it more for essay analysis. Moss (1987) advocates soap operas in remedial composition class. Having watched a day time soap opera students are asked to write about their innermost thoughts and feeling for subsequent essay. The use of news reports pertinent to their compilation which involves introduction, body and conclusion provides students with close view of academic essay in secondary and post-secondary writing classroom, argues Jeremiah (1987). Utilizing films in the composition class depends on the audience, the purpose it needs to serve and the course in which it is assigned. The films can enhance the process of composing and at the same time it can prompt and individual to write about something. Watching a film about an aspiring leader may compel you to write about any renowned motivational reader or perhaps your moment of success, similarly watching a fictionalized screen character may sometimes help you write about any distant or close relative. Certain themes in movies can encourage you to write about the events, traits and characteristics. For instance, watching a character that remains ardent and honest in the most overwhelming situations can help suffice the composition of integrity. Similarly, sometimes students can be asked produce the review of the films. The reviews could be based on the student’s choice of film or perhaps from an approved list. Students are encouraged to evaluate film based on certain aspects involving plot, characters, acting, direction, special effects. The writer in the review ought to discuss the effectiveness of the movie and whether it should be recommended to a specific audience or masses in general. Such type of an assignment provides evidence to reason opinions. Moreover, it allows students to develop ideas, cognitive organization of their claims about the film and subsequent development of those claims and language. Strategy practice approach for utilizing films for composition involves films which are based on organizations structure, their strategy to compete in the market and their debacle sometimes. Also, it can consist of writing controversial film which will help induce argumentative task for the students. Likewise, comparison and contrast can be practiced between the movies that were made in early times and their newer versions or perhaps between the sequels or even between the movies with relatively same themes. During strategy practice students can learn from causal analysis by explaining why a certain movie is favorite or by showing how it changed and influenced your life in crucial times. Recalling a film you like or dislike provides hefty examples and details for practicing and developing excellent composition skills. Furthermore, formal analysis of the film can lead to effective learning. It may consist of a certain ambience or even a specific attire of a character contributing to the particular idea, mood or scene. Other analysis may comprise of social, political and cultural aspects of a society or an individual. The utilization of films can effectively lead to learning process of students at relatively all levels. Students can sometimes relate to prehistoric events and can have imagination of the ancient times, thus evoking thought processing. Students can also sometimes relate to a specific actor or director for their writing and similarly to many treatments of technical element involving editing, lighting, sound production and special effects. Such types of essays are quite fascinating but require stringent research to visualize all the peculiar details of a certain era. Utilizing films in class as a composition can produce a rift in thoughts or even have positive impact on certain group, class, race and family background while negative on others. Furthermore, certain school of thoughts can induce due to storyline of the film. Students can be influenced according to their preconceived notions. Such a situation can give rise to any predicament among students. Certain movies like The great debater, Freedom writers and finding forrester create above mentioned during the class. In movie “the great debater” certain social and political issues were portrayed. Students agreed that blacks were subjected to various atrocious behavior, racism, and enslavement in early 30’s and 40’s as portrayed in the film. The film is believed to have given a lesson of fear, pride, joy and happiness simultaneously. It depicts the virtues of hard work, firm belief and discipline. A valuable history lesson which depicts how far US nation has come since 1930’s. Apart from ugliness, viciousness of southern racism and extreme poverty of agrarian South it also underpins the Civil right movement. While others believe that this film is a mere presentation of binary thinking in US culture: Winnner/loser, I/other, better/worse, black/white, us/them. Also that if the film was to remind the US of their history and legacy it shouldn’t have been overpowered by the amount of fiction that is added by dramatic effect. Furthermore, if the actual story was enough to make its mark, there was no requirement of shifting the adversary school from USC to Harvard. Similarly in “ Freedom writers” one group of students believed that the teachers love and affection for the loser group of students in film helped them realized to love themselves first followed by their importance in the society and made paved the way for loving their enemy students. Subsequently, providing them with an opportunity to cherish and rise above their circumstances, altering perspective, opportunity and their world as they chose to see things differently. It’s a movie about communicating, caring and love- above all. It brings hope and future. Others believe that there is plenty of African American Literature without violence and cursing. The Holocaust book had plenty of violence and misery. There are plenty of blacks in honor classes! The movie was biased and showed only white people in a positive light. The film made minority see the suffering of Jews to appreciate life. Only person in the class that knew about history was the white student. They showed the bombing and segregation in the 60s had made the white boy a hero. There are plenty of stories of history, pain and suffering not just the Holocaust. You can find more people dealing with the pains of slavery in your own back yard.. How many Jews were in that class? Children need heros that look like them with similar struggles. This movie was not for the children it was for the writer and actors. Let not leave out our hero’s. Also many believed that this story has been picturized on numerous occasions and quite frequently. The activity of showing a film in the class resulted in active, thought provoking and intriguing process. Students participated in it with their utmost desire as they could clearly relate to the movies being students from different factions and ethnic background. Pupils had the opportunity to learn not only about the films, characters and the storyline but also the historic events that took place during the evolution process of US. Furthermore, discussion in the class made students learn about each other’s thought and helped them endure others opinion. Such activities can enhance individual’s stature, integrity and promotes cohesiveness among class, school and society at large. References Freedom Writers. (2007, January 10). Retrieved December 12, 2011, from The New York Times: http://community.nytimes.com/rate-review/movies.nytimes.com/movie/326847/Freedom-Writers/overview?sort=oldest The Great Debaters. (2007, December 25). Retrieved December 12, 2011, from The New York Times: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/movies/25deba.html Wyrick, J. (2010). Using film in the compostion class room. In J. Wyrick, Steps to Writing Well With Additional Readings (pp. 505-507). Boston: Wadsworth. Goldfarb B(2002) Visual pedagogy: Media Cultures in and beyond the classroom, Durham, North Carolina: Duke university press. Hill B(1999) Video in Language Learning. Video Tech Vol4, no1, pp 1-58. Jeremia M (1987) Using Television News and Documentaries for writing instructions. Paper presented at the 38th annual meeting of the conference on college Composition and Communication. Kasper L(2002) the imagery of rhetoric: film and academic writing in the discipline based ESL course. Teaching English in the Two- Year College, vol28, no1, p52-59. Maseillo F (1985) the lessons of popcorn. In J spielberger (ed) Images and words: Using film to teach writing. New York: City University of New York, pp56-59. Moss R (1987) the next episode: Soap Operas as a bridge to improved verbal skills. English Journal, vol76, no1, pp 35-41. Read More