The way that I have used images in the past has been primarily as exemplary exhibits. Images do make powerful connections. PowerPoint and advancements first to Web 1.0 and then 2.0 made dramatic steps in making the use of images in the classroom possible. For those of us, who were teaching at the time, they were “add ons”, used to make concepts clearer. They have been the accessories to teaching rather than an integral part of it. I probably would not have thought intentionally about their use until this program. My experience with film has consisted mostly of “homework” assignments that enabled students to ‘experience’ the emotion of historical context and draw connections to the past. These have been primarily “passive” assignments. I have been reluctant to bring film into the classroom, because the time involved in ‘watching’ that I viewed as distracting from active thinking. (and probably a deeply ingrained bias from the Funky Winkerbean comic strip). Natalie Zemon Davis’ demonstrated how film comparison can engage historical analysis on multiple levels. Brent Toplin’s article written in April 1966 was an excellent expression of the bifurcated view of the discipline as acknowledging the usefulness of film, but not quite having the intellectual tools to balance its usefulness in the classroom setting.
I have worked on/with a few documentary pieces for community partners and the circumspect quality of the history being presented due to equipment and editing decisions and/or the exploitation of history for marketing purposes has cautioned my participation in that realm. In this vein, I found Peter Seixas exploration into the impact of film on students’ historical cultural perspective quite interesting. Historians, via the incorporation of the American Historical Assoc. through Congress, are the guardians of the national historical consciousness. Film has advanced to become so much a part of our culture. As my secondary school teacher classmate Kathy indicates children and teens are making and expressing themselves through film creation. Ken Burns has launched a movement, the discipline needs to be shepherding the understanding of the uses and implications of cinematic history.
How will this insight change my teaching? I have already used the engaged examination of image in a demonstration lesson this week. Incorporating critical analysis and a sense of dynamic interaction with film will play an increasing role in my courses as part of my instruction on historical interpretation and perspective. I can foresee the use of film creation as special projects; but given a semester format, I think utilizing images as part of engagement, rather than examples will encompass the bulk of the change in my pedagogy.
As a consumer, I will seek images that demonstrate action or engagement more than the art or artifact. Using images or comparison of cultural standards, I will ask questions to engage the audience to think about the image as not just evidence but a launch pad for inquiry. As a producer, I will be more conscious of the impact of the images I am using and approach their incorporation in a more intentional manner.
