[Kieran]

Hi Marialena,

Thanks very much for your great lesson outline.

The short film I chose is The Present.

I nice choice.

Pre-viewing: I would do the adjectives list activity that you suggested.

The adjective activity would work well here.

Additionally, I would initially play only the sound at the beginning of the video to encourage the students to predict what the start of the video is about (gaming) by asking questions such as – Where is the film set? / What sounds can you hear? / What is happening?.

Showing the film without sound is a great way to get students speculating, inferring and predicting.

After they predict that somebody might be playing video games I would also ask them – Which of the adjectives on your lists are generally used to describe people who play videogames? (by their peers vs by parents) – in order to connect it to the previous activity.

This is a good pre-viewing task. I like the way you’ve connected it to the previous task.

While-viewing: Pause at different points and ask students -> What do you think about the boys behaviour? and What happens next?

Pausing and asking students what they think of the boy’s behaviour is a very effective way of checking comprehension. The question ‘What do you think happens next?’ is obviously really effective at getting students to make predictions based on present evidence.

Post-viewing: I would use the video as a prompt for a discussion around the themes of disability and the treatment of nonhuman animals.

Yes. The film lends itself very well as a prompt for discussion of disability and the treatment of nonhuman animals.

For h/w: write a sequel of the film (How’s the life of the boy now that he’s got a nonhuman companion?)

A sequel would work really well for homework.

OR ‘Though Bubbles’ -> re-watch the film and write down the thoughts of the boy and the dog

Getting students to write the thoughts of the mother, son and dog would be a lovely activity.

Thanks again for you great lesson outline, Marialena.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the suitability of the film.

The short film I’ve chosen is Alma – I’d use it with older classes of young learners, teenagers and young adults.

This is a great short and a good choice.

There’s no dialogue, just music and sound effects. It’s just shy of 5 minutes long which means it can be rewatched during the lesson.

A five-minute silent short film with a clear coherent narrative is pretty much perfect in my opinion.

Students are familiar with toys and toy shops, but not like this one! It’s a little creepy and mysterious but I think that’s what makes it interesting and it think it will appeal to the students too.

Yes. It’s quirkiness is one of the things that make it so appealing.

The film can be exploited in a number of ways, leading to a variety of possible tasks in the pre, during and post viewing stages.

There’s definitely a wide range of activities we could do with this film.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Andrew.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Marialena,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the suitability of the film.

I chose the short film The Present.

A good choice and an interesting film to work with.

Level: A2 – B1 (low B1)
Student type: Primarily young learners and teenagers (as they could identify with the character), though I assume it would work really well with learners of all ages

From my experience, I can say it works with all levels but possibly best with kids and teens.

Language: quasi-silent, only a couple of easy dialogues, also high visuality

Yes. It is quasi-silent.

Length: it’s on the ‘longer’ side (4:19) though given that it is quasi-silent and the narrative is mostly told visually time would not be overwhelming. It’s rather necessary for the narrative to unfold to dedicate the 4min.

In my opinion, 4–5 minutes is about the perfect length.

Relevance and interest: I think it’s relevant to teenagers given that it begins with a boy who we see playing video games – which is exactly what my students are always talking about – so already since the very first second it is captivating and familiar.

Excellent. The fact teens can directly relate to the film makes it suitable for them.

Then the themes of disability and treatment of nonhuman animals are introduced both of which could be of interest to students. Especially given that in Greece both groups are often disregarded by both the citizens and the state (huge numbers of abandoned companion nonhuman animals on the streets / mistreatment is a common phenomenon / no care for people with disabilities / lack of respect)

Great point. Sadly, these two groups are marginalised in many countries.

Task potential: adjectives to describe both the boy and the dog (character-wise) / prediction tasks

Adjective to describe character and making predictions are definitely two things we could use this film for.

Thanks again for your lesson outline, Marialena.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your evaluation of the framework.

Do you think it could work with your students?
Yes, sounds great!

I’m happy you like the framework.

Can you foresee any problems?
Maybe the film editing… I hope they don’t ask me any questions on that!

As I mentioned in a previous thread, most students already know how to edit a video or can learn to do so really quickly.

How would you adapt this framework so it could be used in online classes?
With my university students it wouldn’t be a problem. They would get the task and do most of it outside of class or would meet each other online. Presentation online.

Yes. Students can still the framework online.

Thanks again for your evaluation, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the filmmaking framework.

Which ones could you use with your students?
All of them are interesting.

I’m glad you find them all interesting.

Which ones are your personal favourites? Why?
I think the how-to’s would be my favorite, but I’d have to test them.

The how-to videos are one of the best to start off with.

My question:
Do you have any recommendations on video editing tools? I am intrigued by having the students make their vids, but I never make any myself and find this quite intimidating, I wouldn’t know where to start to combine the vids of the students for example.

I recommend the software that students already have on their computers or mobile phone. The Window Movie Maker software which comes with Windows is absolutely fine as is the iMovie software which comes with Macs. It’s not necessary to use any other editing programmes. I would also say that students will know more about editing software than their teacher, and if they don’t know how to edit a video, they learn how to do so very quickly.

Also, anecdote: I had wanted students to record their presentations in class once (uni class), it was only for them to evaluate themselves after the presentation. One of the students anonymously complained to the university and as I hadn’t had them sign wavers to have their image taken and I hadn’t included it in the course description before they signed up I got into trouble over the issue.

Oh dear!Not a pleasant situation to be in. It’s necessary for students to sign a waiver if their image is going to be shared.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Marialena,

Thanks very much for your great analysis of what makes these films good at fostering empathy.

Common general features of the films that foster empathy: cinematic scenes, music used to generate empathy,

Yes. The films all use music really well to generate empathy.

relatable or extraordinary characters, situations in which we could potentially see ourselves, our friends, neighbours etc., real life inspired problems / scenarios,

Yes. The relatable character and situations help to generate empathy.

close ups, focus on the individual characters,

The close-up shots help to foster empathy.

colours that match the soundtrack (dark when melancholic music / brighter when upbeat),

The use of color also generates empathy.

positive images about situations to which society tends to attribute negative features (e.g. disability / illiteracy).

Yes. Positive imagery about what society often tries to hide is another factor which can generate empathy.

Thanks again for your great analysis, Marialena.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your comments.

Have you used any of these new short film and video genres with your students?
No, a lot of them were new to me.

I hope you’ll be able to use some of these new genres in your classes.

Which genres do you think would be most popular?
I think branded shorts or virals.

Branded short and viral videos are two popular genres that tend to go down well in the classroom.

Can you think of any other new genres?
No, you already surprised me.

I hope you’ve been surprised in a good way 🙂

Thanks again for your comments, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Marialena,

Thanks very much for your comments.

I would say that the values presented in the films are indeed important in my teaching context as well though given that I am teaching younger learners I feel that the format of the videos would be overwhelming. Of course these particular ones are for higher levels.

I’m happy to hear these values are important in your teaching context. There are, of course, other videos which promote these values which are more suitable for lower levels.

Thanks again for your comments, Marialena.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your comments.

Which of the activities using short films and videos to teach vocabulary do you think your students would like?
I like them all, and if I do, the students will ;o)

Good point! If you’re enthusiastic about the activities, students are likely to be too.

Have you used any other activities with short films and videos to teach vocabulary?
Fill in the gaps

Fill the gaps are fine but I hope you feel the activities vocabulary activities we’ve looked at in this Topic are more engaging and interesting 🙂

Thanks again for your comments, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Marialena,

Thanks very much for your great analysis of the framework.

I particularly like the idea of making a storyboard in order to prep the film visually….I’ll try to implement this step in the future though I fear that it’ll require a lot of explaining because storyboards are not that common in Greece. I’m afraid that students will feel that I’m making them do activities for children.

Yes. Storyboarding is a great way to prepare the story. I understand what you mean about perhaps facing resistance to a ‘childish’ activity. Canva have many great free storyboard templates that are definitely not for children. Here’s a link:

https://www.canva.com/create/storyboards/

I’m wondering: How would you suggest that we deal with students who already know how to film videos (e.g they’re YouTubers) and thus they don’t want to follow the steps because they feel that they’re already proficient enough and able to go to the filming step right away?

Really good point and one I hadn’t previously thought about. Perhaps the students who are already proficient at filming could help train other students in the collaborative film-making projects.

Thanks again for your great analysis.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Marialena,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the film-making activities.

Making a one-second film: I like how versatile this one is, it can be used for any topic and it doesn’t require a lot of effort from the students.

You’re absolutely right that this activity is really versatile.

Making a five-second film: Great for lower levels

This would definitely work with lower levels.

Making a one-minute film: I’m not sure about this one. Personally, I’m not a fan of having a favourite person whether they’re an actress/ actor, singer etc…Moreover, I think young students nowadays don’t really have favourite actors, they’ve still got favourite musicians…but I think YouTuber’s are re-placing actresses/ actors as student’s favourite pop icons.

You’d definitely know which type of icon would work best with your students. YouTubers and influencers might be more relevant than actors in many contexts nowaadays.

I do like the idea of students recording their classmates though so I could follow this format with a different topic!

Good idea to adapt the task to another topic.

Making a “how to” video: We did a very similar task some months ago and most students really enjoyed it and put real effort in producing their videos! The ‘how to’ was about one of their hobbies and they created videos between 2-3 min where they spoke about their hobby and explained how it’s played/ done etc. I asked them to write the script for h/w though and after they sent it to me and we discussed potential corrections they filmed the video individually at home.

The way you did the how-to video sounds great. I think hobbies work really well as students can showcase something they’re interested in or passionate about.

Filming a dialogue: I agree with Andrew’s observation! That’s definitely a bonus of this task! Though I fear that till Covid is over it’ll be tricky to carry out this task as current Covid measures require students to be seated during the lesson so that they maintain a safe distance ?

Good point about covid! Let’s hope it’s not too long until we don’t have to worry about social distancing in the classroom.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Marialena.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks very much for your great evaluation of the film-making task.

– One second film – this is my favourite of all the projects. It seems like an impossibly short time but I think it would challenge students to think creatively and use their imaginations. Like with the 5 second film, I’d make this a project over a month, turning it into a 1 second video diary compilation.

This is one of my favourites too. It does initially seem impossible to create a one-second film but it is possible! I like your idea of making this a project over a month.

– One minute film – good to get students into the habit of talking for a longer period of time, like they might need to do in exams, and getting them to give written feedback.

Great point. This could definitely be used for oral exam training.

– Instructional video – this builds on something my students have done before, for example recipes and science experiments. It gets them firstly thinking about instructions then writing their own, drawing on that existing knowledge. Feedback is just teacher to student which might benefit those who feel self-conscious.

Excellent point about this getting students to firstly thinking about instructions then writing their own, and then drawing on that existing knowledge.

– Film a dialogue – it gives everyone a role, not all students want to be in front of the camera. It also allows them to personalise the task, writing their own dialogues.

Great point that some students don’t like being filmed and this activity lets them choose another role.

Thanks again for your great evaluation, Andrew.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your comments.

Thanks again for your comments, Angie.

What is it about the short films and videos showcased in the text which makes them good for fostering empathy? Think about camera shots, colour, music, and dialogue.

They expose the students to different worlds.

Yes. The short films in the Topic definitely expose the students to different worlds. We might also like to explore how the directors use different cinematographic techniques to cause an emotional impact and foster empathy.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your answers.

Which of the activities in the text do you like most? Why?
I especially like the task of empathizing with a character… that can lead to interesting insights and growth.

Yes. The empathising with a character activity works well on a numbe rof levels.

Which of the activities could you use with your students?
I see the writing activities as suitable for teenagers. Though short writing activities work well with adults.

Yes. The writing activities work well with both teens and adults.

Have you used any other writing activities inspired by short films or videos?
Journaling on current issues including the vid we watched in class.

I like the sound of the journalling activity.

Thanks again for your answers, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

[Kieran]

Hi Angie,

Thanks very much for your comments.

Which activities did you like the most? Why?
Great activities!

I’m delighted you like the activities.

Have you already used silent short films with your students? What was your experience like?
Only once, and several years ago. It was actually fun, but I felt like I hadn’t scaffolded the activity enough to get the most out of it.

I hope that after doing this Topic you’ll be able to use silent short films more effectively in your classes.

Thanks again for your comments, Angie.

All the best,

Kieran

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