In today’s classrooms we have begun to implement new technologies and systems into our classrooms. This technology helps with improving our pedagogy skills, connect with students, and most importantly provide teachers with alternative means of teaching information. In the past most learning by students was done either through lecture or reading but with new technology being added to the classroom, teachers now have countless means to teach and engage students both inside the classroom. Not only does this make learning more interesting but I can also help students who have difficulty reading learn better. One of earliest inclusions of technology into the classroom was through video and film presentation.
Most people today may remember a time in school where teacher would wheel in a tv on a cart or set up a project on the white board. Films and video provide students with a new way of learning and teachers a new way of teaching.
19 Things Today’s Kids Will Never Experience in School. (2015). Pinterest. photograph. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/remember-this–189432728054383825/.
What is Teen Screen?
But what if this learning style and technology was taken out of the classroom and into a theater. That is the goal of the organization Named Teen Screen. As their website states “Teen Screen is a free educational experience that allows students of different backgrounds and learning styles to explore important, often difficult, topics through the engaging and dynamic medium of film. Since 2005, over 100,000 students and teachers in the region have joined together in movie theaters and in classrooms virtually to watch and discuss movies of historical, cultural, and social significance—and they have walked away changed forever” (“Team Screen”, n.d.). Team Screen allows teachers to choose a film for their class, a screening date, and choose whether to hold it virtually or selected location. Teen Screen then provides a study guide for students to complete while watching the film, afterwards students discuss and reflect on what they have learned in the film or what interested them.
I choose this Tool to blog about because I am a very audio-visual learner and I know that for students like me, we learn much better watching and listening to a film than reading a book. I also believe that film is often more engaging and interesting for students increasing the likelihood that students will pick up information while watching. Lastly, I think the social aspect of being able to meet up with friends to watch and discuss a movie together helps to improve social bonds and connects between students. Teen Screen provides all of these things in one simple service that already has a massive archive of films from topics such as Holocaust, Genocide, STEM, Environmentalism, and Social Justice/Human Rights.
Horn, E. van. (2015). 19 Things Today’s Kids Will Never Experience in School. The Aztlan. photograph. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://ehsaztlan.com/4851/uncategorized/anyone-can-become-a-movie-producer/.
I would love to implement this tool into my classroom. I already hope to use film as a tool for teaching in my classroom and Teen Screen can help provide me with the tools and resources needed to create an effective and diverse set of films and activities for students. I would also like to encourage class discussions on important topics presented in each film similar to a book club so that students can socialize while also sharing ideas with each other. I hope that more teachers take note and use this tool for this classroom so that learning can become more accessible and fun.
Thanks for reading my 3rd Blog post. If you want to check out my pervious blogs, follow my twitter account @troymdemant. Also check out the Teen Screen website Here for more information.
References
Teen Screen – How It Works. Teen Screen – How it Works | Film Pittsburgh. (n.d.). https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/teen-screen-how-it-works