This post has included a presentation from a session with Iestyn representing myself in which I forgot to mention impactful movies. As such I am attaching them with some comments below, and presentation has audio recording to provide some context for the slides. Unfortunately, as the slide is over 10 MB I cannot add it to the blog post itself but please find its copy on my OneDrive.
The conversation I had in class with one of my peers (Sheldon) made me reflect on playful aspect on games and it reminded me of a variety of movies that led me to my current role, and impact my teaching and staff/student relation. When I was a small boy several movies made a huge impact on me personally as well as my perception of the role of the teacher:
- Stand and Deliver (1988) taught me, that anybody can learn however individual circumstances and needs must be recognised to be able to deliver on both ends. That being a teacher is much more than just a 9 to 5 job, it is a lifetime commitment to the betterment of the world as a whole.
- Forrest Gump (1994) and Good Will Hunting (1997) made me aware, that despite not being understood by others you may succeed at your own goals and be much more valuable to society as a whole than you think.
- Lean on Me(1989) and Dangerous Minds (1995) taught me that everything in our life is a choice, no matter the circumstances nor skin tone (also the latter inspired my love for Hip-Hop music)
- White Squall (1996) taught me that even in the darkest of times what we inspire in students remains for the rest of their lives, and it may take them a different amount of time to realise it and reflect on it.
In my teens and twenties several other movies remained me of those aspects and pushed me to even greater focus on pursuing my dream career (which have happened in 2018):
- Facing the Giants (2006) allowed me to think on a longer-term goal, then just a success than just achieving something, you have to look at the journey, not the end goal.
- Captain Fantastic (2016) reminded me that the education system as such is broken and does not teach many valuable life-long skills, widening of one’s horizons are also the base of the movie.
- Hidden Figures (2016) made many people aware of issues of lack of representation of not only minorities but also genders, that your background should not matter as long as you can do the job.
- Gifted (2017) a moving picture of the host of unleashing someone’s potential for the greater good of society but at a price of childhood versus individuals values, plans for life and happiness.
References:
Captain Fantastic. (2016). [Online] Matt Ross. dir. USA: Electric City Entertainment, ShivHans Pictures.
Crawford, C., 2003. On Game Design. Indianapolis, In.: New Riders.
Dangerous Minds. (1995) [Online] John N. Smith. dir. USA: Hollywood Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Via Rosa Productions.
Facing Giants. (2006). [Online] Alex Kendrick. dir. USA: Carmel Entertainment, Destination Films, Provident Films, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sherwood Pictures.
Forrest Gump. (1994). [Online] Robert Zerneckis. dir. USA: Paramount Pictures.
Gifted. (2017). [Online] Marc Webb. dir. USA: Dayday Films, FilmNation Entertainment, Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Good Will Hunting. (1997). [Online] Gus Van Sant. dir. USA: Be Gentlemen Limited Partnership, Lawrence Bender Productions, Miramax.
Lean on Me. (1989). [Online] John G. Avildsen. dir. USA: Norman Twain Productions, Warner Bros.
Hidden Figures. (2016). [Online] Theodore Melfi. dir. USA: Fox 2000 Pictures, Chernin Entertainment, Levantine Films.
Stand and Deliver. (1988). [Online] Ramón Menéndez. dir. USA: American Playhouse, Olmos Productions.
White Squall. (1996). [Online] Ridley Scott. dir. USA: Buena Vista Pictures
Thanks for sharing moving that had an impact on your life. I think that’s the great thing about art and in this case movies. While they may seem “just entertainment”, so many movies have powerful messages behind them. The way you linked to teaching was interesting and now I’m inspired to watch a few, especially, Hidden Figures, as that touches on diversity, which is something that I teach in my unit.
To share with you, one of my favourite films growing up was The Power of One. As the title suggests, it shows how an individual can make a difference. I know it’s not a film, but my favourite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird. It has so many powerful messages to share and in particular, the ethics of the father to see beyond skin colour and fight for what he thinks is right.