As I mentioned before, I watch PBS whenever I can and I’m always seeing shows that could be perfect for classroom use: discussion, debate, writing, expansion, etc. Videos are not a common occurrence in my classroom, but I think videos can be effective in a way that written text cannot with today’s generation (maybe this has always been the case, that video has a greater impact than the written word). While I’m on a roll and thinking about it, I’ll mention a few PBS shows I’ve caught that I can see being used in the classroom, if for no other reason than to remind myself of the good things I’ve seen over the past several months.
- Raising Cain
- I know I mentioned this already, but trust me when I write that it’s worth a second mention because it’s that good.
- My Shakespeare
- An English actor takes on directing a production of Romeo and Juliet with a group of Londoners who society would stereotype as being unable to perform such a play. They come from a very poor part of town and are thought to have a negative attitude toward education. He has director Baz Luhrmann as a virtual mentor (they video conference online) and this is a powerful depiction of a group of people making a 400-year-old text relevant.
- Girl Trouble
- I haven’t seen this (it airs tonight at 11:00pm, at which time I hope to be asleep since I haven’t slept more than a few hours in the past 48), but I swear I’ve seen something like it in the past year or so. This could be an interesting companion to Raising Cain.
- Secret History of the Credit Card
- I often think that if my students leave my classroom a bit skeptical and even a touch cynical about the world and what others offer them, I’ve done my job. This would be a good video to watch for just that reason.
- The Merchants of Cool
- See above. That and this also works toward any media literacy standards.
I’d like to keep this list growing; more shows to use in the classroom have aired, I must have simply forgotten them. Even if it’s not from PBS, if you’ve watched a show that would be useful in the classroom, leave the details in a comment here. If it warrants itself, I’ll cull all comments into a new posting.
Aside
Another cool way for students to submit work done for school to the world outside of high school (authentic assessment) stammered across my path while I was doing this. KQED has a photo of the day section on their site and there are submission guidelines along with a submission form (maximum file size is 1 MB, so plan accordingly). There are two photo galleries to submit work for: the Photo of the Day gallery is exactly what it sounds like, just cool shots of someplace around the bay area; the Bay Area Bites gallery is full of food-related photos. Just thought this would be useful to someone.