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Video in the Classroom

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Posted on September 7 2001 in by Mediarights_Admin

Video in the Classroom

Published on September 7, 2001

by Debbie Wei

Reprinted from Viewing Race

Teaching controversial topics is never easy and, unfortunately, race and racism remain controversial. However, students must be able to analyze the world they are moving into as children and young adults. I have worked in Philadelphia for more than 15 years teaching Asian-American studies and English as a second language and have found video to be an invaluable classroom tool. Video unlocks voices, opens worlds, taps emotions and reveals issues. The videos mentioned in this publication will go a long way in helping teachers support critical, antiracist pedagogy.

Students of color, although increasing in number, still remain largely invisible in textbooks. Trade books rarely mention people of color in the context of the "American experience." Our presence is usually signified by "the box," the little section on a page devoted to "the other." The box stands alone, ostensibly to highlight, but really to distinguish, the exception to the main text. Students and teachers, hungry for a more inclusive vision of the American experience, are hard pressed to find real images of either historical or contemporary people of color in classroom texts. Perhaps even more critical than the images are the perspectives � the voices of people of color that offer alternative visions of the American experience. These could provide a source of recognition for students of color in our schools as well as challenge mainstream assumptions, thus leading to a richer, deeper understanding for all students.

Video, when used effectively, offers an incredibly powerful and useful tool for filling these gaps. Although it cannot replace written text in the classroom, video does offer what written text lacks. For example, first-person narrative captures nuances that written text cannot equal. Cadences � influenced by ethnicity, class and region � come alive in video. First language can be honored in video. Video is also accessible to students at various levels of literacy and offers a springboard to classroom discussion that is sometimes difficult to achieve with written text.

Good teaching, for video as well as written text, requires careful and thoughtful preparation. I recommend the following steps as possible approaches:

* Preview the video and note unfamiliar vocabulary and situations. Think about possible difficult segments (those that might be hard to comprehend or cause emotional reactions) and think about your introduction before students view the video. Consider the length of the video. If you cannot show the entire video in a single class period or, if you want to use a portion instead of the whole, plan ahead of time where you will break the viewing.

* Be aware that simply because a video is made by and about a particular group (Asian Americans, for example), it may not be accurate or helpful. Both positive and negative reviews of videos can help teachers prepare themselves for using the video in class. Like so-called "multicultural texts," which currently permeate the market, there are "good" examples and "bad" examples. Sometimes "bad" examples can help students develop their faculty for critical analysis.

* Find out as much background information about the video as you can and also prepare some materials on the issues with which the video is concerned.

* Ask the students if any of them have seen the video or are familiar with the issues discussed in it.

* Prepare questions for students to consider as they watch the video. This gives them something specific to look for.

* For videos that may elicit an emotional response, allow time after the viewing for students to reflect. I ask students to write in a journal for five minutes about their reactions.

Sometimes, even with the most careful preparation, you will experience unexpected consequences. I have made my own mistakes. When trying to teach about the legacy of the Vietnam War to high-school students in an Asian-American studies class, I showed Hearts and Minds, an Academy-Award-winning documentary from the 1970s. The video captures the voice and pulse of the times, and was controversial at the time of its release because of its clear criticism of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The video highlights the controversies that arose at the time the tragedies surrounding Vietnam were unfolding. However, I failed to prepare myself or my students, many of whom were Southeast Asian, for the film's emotional impact.

Before taking my class, these students knew nothing about the Vietnam War. Although I wasn't surprised, I was not prepared for the extent of the "nothing" they knew. They did not know that the U.S. had ever been involved militarily in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The relentless cruelty of the war and its devastating impact on the people of Southeast Asia as depicted in the film devastated my students emotionally. Although I thought I had prepared them well I hadn't; the students, who had such close emotional ties to the subject, found the story difficult to deal with.

I had better luck in the classroom with My Brown Eyes, a film about a young Korean-American child's experiences in school. Because both his parents work long hours and come home late at night, the child is left largely to fend for himself. This experience resonates with many Asian-American children whose parents may work in restaurants or garment factories, or run small family businesses that require long, late hours.

In the film, we see the youngster happily prepare breakfast for himself and his parents, and pack his own lunch as he gets ready for his first day of school. The rest of the film depicts a devastating experience at school as the child, happy and self-reliant at home, becomes excluded and silent at school. We trace the cultural dissonance that affects many Asian-American students in school: children laugh at the little boy's name and they make fun of the lunch he has prepared. He ends up fighting and then being left alone in the principal's office for hours because the school cannot reach anyone at home. When I show this film to students, it affects Asian-American youngsters so strongly it often leaves them in tears.

This valuable little gem of a film can be used not only as a tool in the classroom but to help professionals develop a critical eye for understanding what Asian students experience in school and what schools, in turn, must do to help these children. There are no "bad-guy" adults in the film, but teachers can readily see that even good intentions can sometimes lead to bad results � or to no results � that still leave children shattered.

Finally, while we are discussing the topic Viewing Race, we must understand the potential pitfalls in discussing "controversial topics" in the classroom. Certain topics can generate controversy and possibly become the center of public fights about appropriateness and censorship. These topics include issues such as sexuality, race, class and U.S. foreign policy. Many teachers simply avoid any discussion of them in order to stay clear of trouble. But these are precisely the topics that have meaning to our students and help them think critically about the world. Rather than avoid the topics, I recommend a different approach.

Keep in touch with parents as much as possible. At the beginning of a unit of study, consider sending a note home to parents telling them what their students will learn about next. Explain the objectives of the unit, and talk about how you, as a teacher, intend to meet those objectives. Teachers should also let parents know what materials will be used. Be as open and honest as possible. Sometimes, for example, video used with older students may include profanity. If parents call to object, talk with them but always offer an alternative for their child if the material you plan to use makes them uncomfortable.

I often teach my high-school students about imperialism and colonialism to help them begin to see racism's institutional and structural roles both historically and currently. In this unit, I have used an excellent documentary entitled Savage Acts. This film holds a critical view of U.S. foreign policy at the turn of the century and presents a hard-hitting account of the brutality of the U.S., primarily in the Philippines. Using strong language and imagery, the film analyzes the role of racism in helping to support imperial aggression.

Some people who have viewed this film think it "un-American." I have not had anyone complain about my use of the film in the classroom, but I still have tried to prepare myself. I carefully explain why I believe it important for students to think about racism as a factor in the development of U.S. foreign policy, helping to put the film in context. The film uses primary sources as the main text � political cartoons, speeches, newspaper excerpts and excerpts from letters written during that time. I explain the value of using primary sources so that students can develop the ability to interpret events, both historical and contemporary. I also explain the need to look at events from multiple perspectives in order to have sufficient information to draw conclusions.

All told, video provides students with a crucial tool to develop their analytic powers. Teachers should learn to use it wisely.