Assignment 1-3-2

In Fantasy Media in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching with Film, Television, Literature, Graphic Novels and Video Games, Brooke Ford summarizes the uses and effectiveness of these strategies. The summary isn’t full in-depth on each object, but how society has changed the minds of individuals over time and needing to find ways to teach/instruct students keeping them entertained and knowledgeable. Every person has their own unique way of learning and takes things differently to get them to further understand a topic. Teachers need to find that medium of where it is easiest for students to grasp onto quickly and efficiently without confusion building a great learning environment. Setting that type of environment creates attention and the participation a classroom looks for.

This article presents popular culture in ways of teaching to enhance the structure to build from and the critical thinking in which to pursue. Words from Ford’s review that I entirely agree with: “a familiar misconception is that teaching with mainstream films, books, comics, or video games takes time and meaning away from teaching the canon, which ultimately forgoes any sort of foundation students are meant to be steeped in” (Ford, p. 441). Students prefer the entertainment of a movie rather than a lecture, but sometimes the visual and story can be more attention grabbing than most lectures and create that easier way of understanding a topic or subject.

In simple terms, the article contributes techniques and practices that can be effective, depending upon the audience, with pop culture. It uses all mainstreams to help understand pop culture to get to the studies and discussions of the matter. By getting the understanding of pop culture helps students relate through everyday life experiences and for future expectations. A set curriculum isn’t ideal as things change as well as ideas and opinions, so with the change comes the need to find another form in which to teach that is effective. Teachers, too, are in learning stages of trying to better understand what works for their students to excel within the classroom and be ready for what is outside of the classroom. Presenting topics from traditional to censorship to fantasy displays the wide variety of perception and how pop culture plays a role into each through the perceptions and knowledge taken from each.

I agree with the author’s main points within the article, as teaching is the foundation to our future. The younger generations need to have a better system in which to follow to be able to take in all information from the past and for the future. History is a big part of pop culture, so in a sense students need to learn the concepts of the turning points in history and other events to comprehend what works and what was wrong. Students have to be learning off some foundation that is built from history, but then be learning from the present just as well. Both points are very important to the education system and for us as one to grow. The use of other visuals rather than that of a book and lecture gives a easier visual and comprehension to relate, and, a huge part of teaching, keeping the students well entertained.

“Nevertheless, what is important here is the creation of dynamic classrooms that promote highly participatory students through the use of pop material” (Ford, p. 442). The main points of the article are of that relating to techniques and practices, but the most important is the students’ interactions and participation towards the topic of matter. By getting the attention of the student, whether it need be anything but the average book, is necessity within the classroom. A teacher who cannot reach out to students in ways that are to the student’s level voids that creation of a learning environment. If that were being done, students lose all interest and ignore the importance of any future material. Yes, students get that look in their eye of happiness when you tell them that in today’s class they will be watching a film about the topic at study rather than taking notes over a lecture because it is, keyword, entertaining.


Reference

Ford, B. (April 2013). Fantasy Media in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching with Film, Television, Literature, Graphic Novels and Video Games, volume 46 issue 2. P. 440-442.