Integrating Media: Film, Literature, and Theatre

There are many reasons to integrate media into the classroom: student interest and engagement, diverse learning environment, and more. Of most concern for me, however, is that students begin to examine the ways in which the media sphere shapes information, presentation, and to some extent reality. By successfully integrating various media into the classroom, I hope to teach students to more effectively and critically navigate their mediasphere.
First, nearly all media presented in class should go through some sort of deconstruction process. The best way to accomplish this task is to provide the students with many variations of the same story. For example, although some schools have difficulty with 'R' rated movies, Troy is a movie version of The Iliad that definitely sets for a different agenda than Homer's classic. Viewing these two together would allow the students to analyze the movie's agenda and consider typical movie conventions. The activity could lead to a decent discussion as to what Hollywood thinks America needs for its movies. This deconstruction will allow students to more effectively resist media images and persuasions.
To understand the differences in experiences between text, film, and theatre, students should attempt to decipher the intended goals and audience of each medium. This activity would involve viewing several versions of the same story. For example, The Wizard of Oz is a good example of how book, film, and play (Wicked) attempt very different goals. The activity would have to begin by reading the book version, which is a sort of analysis of capitalism, American society, and the gold standard. After deciphering what key ideas the book set forth, the students would then compare the book with the original film version. They would see the slight differences, examining how those changes create a different meaning. Finally, the play Wicked would allow the students to view the story from a postmodern view, which in turn would all the students to see both the book and the film in a slightly different light.
In addition, televison and other media would have to be a critical part of the classroom. Creating an environment in which the students could learn to think critically about all the images and advertisements presented to them each day is extremely important for students in today's world. Students must begin to analyze the way in which advertising shapes their world and their lives. One example may be to simply list all the fast food restaurant slogans on the board and have the students identify which slogan goes with which restaurant. The students will likely accomplish this quite quickly. Then the students should compare that experience to matching important scientific finds to their discoverors. For example, Marie Curie's discovery of radiation. Examining the way in which important scientific finds are less likely to be recalled than some food joint's slogan could lead to an important discussion on American reality.
Creating an enviroment in which students can increase their skill at navigating the great media sphere is an important task for any teacher. By integrating media and technology, teachers can hopefully allow students to critically anayze their world and begin to resist or accept that reality more consciously.