The Low Cost Educational Power of Movies

There has been a boom in the usage of technological resources this year at my school. The majority of my teachers set up Google Classrooms, and now most of my projects include some use of technology. Recently, both my English and History teachers assigned a movie project. Basically, I have to watch movies for both classes and complete a project pertaining to the movies. yay! In English, I am watching 2001: A Space Odyssey and in History I am watching Selma (2014).

Many may think of movies as a way to relax and rest after a long day of work or a form of entertainment. However, we must not miss the opportunity that education may bring. Teachers in schools are not just assigning movies for fun, they know for a fact that movies are a great educational resource for students who may be more of a visual learner or simply not a fan of reading.

So, if a teacher assigns a movie, it's obviously something that is not  just watched  in a carefree manner. Many movies are based upon sociopolitical/historical context and taking notes on these subjects is a great way to enrich one's knowledge. The best part about a movie is that it provides a visual perception that is (hopefully) accurate to historical context. In a simple book with no visuals, sometimes misperceptions could arise (not that there aren't pros as well to a simple book).

The movie Selma (2014) is a great example of learning about historical events. This movie is based upon a voting rights march in 1965 for African Americans from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. The movie provides a great depiction of the historical march.

Movies are great, and now so is accessing them. With advanced technology and the internet, they have become a much cheaper resource. My preferred method of watching a movie is borrowing it from the public library within my county. Many libraries around the nation now offer not just a variety of books, but also a wide variety of films to be checked out free of charge. My library even offers to buy you the resource,free of charge if it is not available within their system. If a library cannot be accessed or if the resource is not within the library, you can also use moderately priced online services such as Netflix. Instead of buying two movies, I simply used my local library system and watched the movies for free. 

Movies are a great educational resource which provide a visual learning experience that is exciting and educational. Many teachers today are now assigning and using movies to educate their students. Not only is the experience fun and educational, there are now many ways to watch a movie at a very low cost at home.