College and upper-level high school writing teachers are the audience for Writing About Media, which attempts to integrate writing and composition studies with a critical approach to modern media. Created by Prof. Peter Elbow, director of the writing program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the DVD provides a wealth of segments from educational films produced by the Media Education Foundation, as well as clips from mainstream cinema and television (both programs and commercials) that can be used as a foundation for lesson plans (a detailed PDF curriculum containing classroom strategies and several writing exercises is also included). The idea here is to use popular culture to motivate students towards an analytic approach to media, developing a sense of critical interpretation that would—in turn—lead to better academic writing skills. Students should definitely be spurred to express distinctive opinions—too often, writing and composition classes favor structural rigidity over imaginative substance—however, the program should have added a cautionary note on the pitfalls of highly subjective writing (such as being overly harsh in analysis, etc.). This minor caveat aside, Writing About Media offers an intriguing supplement to general writing and composition studies. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Writing About Media
(2008) 2 discs. 329 min. DVD: $34.95: public libraries; $65: high schools; $115: colleges & universities. Media Education Foundation. PPR. ISBN: 1-932869-24-7. Volume 23, Issue 6
Writing About Media
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