Our readers write: On THS film study

Film in curriculum ‘challenging’

I am writing in response to the recent letter in the Oxford Press “warning” us of the dangers our young people face in their Talawanda English classes.

As the parent of a student in Ms. Webb’s junior English Honors class, I am informed about the material she includes in her wide-ranging exploration of American literature. And, yes, that exploration includes viewing the movie “American Beauty” this spring. This film won over 80 awards the year it was released, including Oscars for Best Picture, Best Performance by an Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Director. While not all critics embraced this film, it is generally acclaimed as a significant work of cinematic art.

I would expect that a teacher of honors-level classes would select challenging material to help stretch the minds of her students. The complex visual and thematic images in Sam Mendes’ film certainly fit the definition of challenging material.

Does the film include nudity? Yes. Is there swearing? Yes. Do these artistic choices made by the director further the message that is being conveyed? How would the film be different if those elements were not included? I certainly hope that Ms. Webb and her students explore those questions, and more. Young people today are exposed to much graphic violence, sexuality and language in nearly all media. Learning to critically evaluate works of art, including those of popular culture, helps prepare our young people to be discerning consumers of culture.

I, for one, am pleased that Talawanda and Ms. Webb are willing to stretch these students. Thank you for helping our students discover a variety of forms of artistic expression along with the critical skills to evaluate them.

Cathy McVey

Oxford

Student found film study enriching

As a Talawanda High School senior and former pupil of Ms. Webb, I found my experience in English III Honors to be enriching, engaging, and educational. My class watched “American Beauty” last year, and our response was very positive. Not only was the film excellent, it was also incorporated seamlessly into the curriculum, in which we discussed the concepts of Modernism and the American Dream. Juxtaposing the film with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” made the novel even more thought provoking, and this comparison instigated many insightful discussions for our class.

Graphic scenes in the film were met with maturity, as should be expected of rising seniors. The scenes themselves, when viewed in proper context, are not meant as shock value but rather to make a profound point. Indeed, one question that sometimes appears on the AP English test that our class will be taking this May asks students to respond to the statement that scenes of violence sometimes appear symbolically, or to illustrate a theme. This can be directly applied to “American Beauty,” as well as “The Great Gatsby,” both of which end in the metaphorical death of the protagonist.

I would consider myself to be a fairly squeamish movie-goer; that is, I prefer films that do not have graphic content. However, I made the choice to watch “American Beauty,” not because I felt pressured to, but because I felt I could truly benefit from viewing the film. Our class was given plenty of time to think about our choice, and Ms. Webb was very open to any comments or questions our families might have. Nobody opted out last year, and it certainly appears, from my perspective, that we all gained insight from the film.

Based on our class’s reaction to “American Beauty,” it seems wrong that future students may be prevented from having this enriching experience. Every class reacts differently to curriculum material, but our response was so overwhelmingly positive that I believe that “American Beauty” is worth keeping in the curriculum. I hope that concerned parents will take the film’s educational benefit into account.

Claire Meikle

Talawanda High School

Class of 2010

Students as wise users of information

Regarding the recent debate about R-rated films in schools, I believe that intellectual freedom and information literacy are critical to making sure our students have the best education we can provide them.

In American Library Association’s bible for library media specialists, “Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning,” Standard 2 states, “The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.” By presenting our students with a variety of resources and an opportunity to critique them in an educational setting, we encourage and help them become better users of information.

Standard 5 from Information Power says, “The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.”

By providing our students with many forms of creative expressions, and the opportunity to compare and contrast the effectiveness of each, we are making sure they will have skills for the future.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas, made the following statement regarding a court case concerning First Amendment Rights, “Students in school as well as out of schools are ‘persons’ under our Constitution. They are possessed of fundamental rights which the state must respect It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

We can try as hard as we may to protect our children and students from the kinds of literature, videos and cyber sites we feel are bad for them, but they can and will still find them. Wouldn’t it be much better to teach them how to analyze, synthesize and evaluate these resources?

By treating our high school students as citizens possessing fundamental rights, we are ensuring they will become lifelong learners and wise users of information which will enable them to make informed decisions throughout the rest of their adult life.

Carol Morison

THS Librarian

National Board Certified

Ohio Master Teacher