Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

Film ■ I t hy Alexander H. Howard, Jr., Associate Professor of Education, Central Washington College of Education, EUensburg This article first appeared in WASHINGTON EDUCATION, March, 1958, under the column "Audio-Visual Aids and Ideas." The latter is sponsored by the Washington division of DAVI. 4tT^lLM FIT" could be a label for •T an idea that is of concern to all those having to do with educational motion pictures. Of course, it could designate the state of a teacher whose frlm did not arrive on time, or, to a principal who had to pay a film damage bill, it could have to do with the way the projector was threaded. But it could mean how a film "fit into" the instructional program. To say n film is "not fittin' " may be putting it in non-educational vernacular, but it certainly does put the point plainly! Putting the point more precisely, we should mean that a film ought to fit particular purposes for a particular group of pupils. And to be even more precise, we should want a film to fit specific learning purposes— to contribute to the development of specific understandings, specific skills, specific attitudes. But how often films are used because they fit a general purpose— they fit the schedule, they fit the grade level, they fit our own personal interests! And even when we know exactly what is needed in a film for our program we often find it difficult to find a film that fits. Producers try to help us achieve better "film fit," both in producing films and in promoting their use. In the first place, they do a lot of analysis of curricular needs before they decide to make a film. Then they take pains to make a film to meet one of those needs. And when they promote the use of the film they suggest where it can fit your program. This is done personally, sometimes, by sales representatives who visit schools, but more often it is done through printed circulais. In both cases producers are careful to let the responsibility for decision on "film fit" lie with the teacher, who is theoretically best able to decide. Film libraries try, too, to help us achieve "film fit." They base the selection of films for their collection on the apparent instructional needs, and designate "fit" in their catalogs and special listings by means of grade level indicators and subject indexing. But they, too, do not want to be presumptive—they feel the teacher should make the "film fit" decision. .Audiovisual coordinators try, also, ^o help us get films that fit. They keep us informed about available films, talk with us about our needs, write us memos and send us notes, put catalogs in our hands, set up preview sessions. But they, too, seem to feel that the ultimate "film fit" decision belongs to the classroom teacher. Are you taking fvdl advantage of all this effort toward better film fit? Do you watch for points in your program where a film might do the job best? Do you seek the coun.sel of your audiovisual coordinator? Do you check film catalogs, read film reviews, preview films? Do vou spell out your learning purposes specifically, and seek films that fit? One aid to better film fit that might be used more often by classroom teachers is the teachers' a:uide. Most of the major educational film producers publish .such guides, and distribute them free or at nominal cost. Typically, there is a guide for each separate film, and it contains several kinds of useful information. A guide will tell who collaborated in making the film (this helps in deciding about the authenticity factor in film fit). It suggests a grade level Cthis helps decide the fitness to readiness level) It names the curricular area (this makes the suitability to subject decision easier). It states a film purpose (this helps you match the film to your own specific purposes). It summarizes the content of the film, often printing the complete narration script and selected picture's from the seauence (this helps you check carefully for details). And it may suggest ways to use the film in the classroom (which can help you fit the film effectively into your classwork). For example, Young America Films has released a film (one of a series) entitled "Walk Better" (nine minutes, sound, black-and-white). The guide for it says: for use in grades three to eight; purposes: (1) to show students the correct habits of walking, (2) to help students understand that correct habits of walking are essential to good posture and good health, (3) to help children build healthier, sturdier bodies; content: analyzes walking movements in slow motion, discusses correct and incorrect habits (and so on, including the complete narration); advisers: physical education professors Drury and Bridgman of San Francisco State College. All this is elaborated more, of course, in a concise, two-page brochure. .Another example: EBFilms released a second edition of "Sound Waves and Their Sources" (eleven minutes, sound, black-and-white). The guide says: use of film: for high school and college courses in physics, general science, music, speech, radio and physiology (would you have guessed these applications from the title alone, or from a short catalog description?); story of the film: (here skimming through the comprehensive sinnmary we catch "high school orchestra," "three different sources of sound," "how sounds are produced," "oscillograph," "loudness, pitch and quality," "overtones," "harmonics." "human vocal mechanism," and so on); suggestions for using the film: (includes guide questions for before and discussion questions for after the showing). And another example: Coronet Films has a film entitled "Seeds Grow into Plants" (one reel, sound, color or black-and-white). The guide includes: recommended use: grades one to three: film purpose: to introdu<:e basic concepts of plant growth, showing seed dispersal, the plant embryo, and the growth of a plant from a seed: behind the scenes: (more of why the film was made, its backgroiuid. how the film tells the story): film summary: (the style of the summary conforms to that of the film narration); educational collaborator: Helen Challand, science specialist at the National College of Education, Evanston, Illinois; related questions and related activities (named and described). \ very helpful aid to deciding whether this film fits. Pitting films more closely to learning needs is the responsibility of the classroom teacher, and by taking advantage of the available help, especially by using teachers' guides, a teacher can more easily find films that fit. 572 EdScreen & AV Guide — November, 1958