Beyond The Textbook: Documentaries As A Tool For Teaching

[Frank W. Baker]

This essay was originally published in the Spring 2010 issue of POV Magazine.  Excerpt: “Documentary has a critical role to play in education. The rapid advances in media technology have forced educators like myself to rethink notions of literacy and adapt our curricula accordingly. If students are watching, listening, and producing even more than they are reading, we must ensure they have critical frameworks for analysis. We can use documentaries to raise questions around voice, truth, ethics, and a range of themes relevant to the shifting literacies of the 21st Century.”