Documentaries and Nonfiction

10/24/2023

State: MARYLAND

Great individual feedback from the instructor!

8/25/2023

State: OHIO

8/19/2023

State: CALIFORNIA

I enjoyed the course very much, and I found it beneficial to my current curriculum - thank you!

8/7/2023

State: WISCONSIN

6/13/2023

State: OHIO

6/11/2023

State: CALIFORNIA

I learned how to teach students the skill of "reading" nonfiction films and documentaries and how to apply a number of critical thinking strategies to the process. All the assignments required in this class will are directly applicable to my high school English classes at all levels.

6/11/2023

State: NORTH CAROLINA

Great textbook and information. The instructor was great.

5/17/2023

State: NORTH CAROLINA

11/27/2022

State: PENNSYLVANIA

For this reflection, I decided to create a semi-list with explanations… ~What I discovered about myself as a teacher… I always thought I did not enjoy nonfiction. I loved reading fiction novels (Tartt, Franzen, Atwood). I wanted something I could get lost in and always felt amazed by the creation of worlds. What I have found over the years is that nonfiction can be literary, and I enjoy the true stories that are told as well. I am becoming a huge fan of memoirs, podcasts, and now I am very excited about documentaries. My teaching of nonfiction skills is a work in progress, one that I was uncomfortable with because I found it limiting and maybe I was a bit insecure in my own analysis of it. I like this journey I am on, and this class and Golden’s book has been inspirational. ~What I discovered about my students… Many of my students are reluctant readers. Nonfiction is available in so many mediums and the skills we ask them to show with text can be done with film and podcasts. This opens a door for my students. Not only are they well-equipped (as Gen Z) to analyze digital mediums, they are highly engaged by it. Everything I read in Golden’s book and the documentaries I perused offer students opportunities to discuss real-world topics that are relevant, timeless, and very human. They are soundboards for debate and rich discussions, which my students love about the humanities. ~My favorite things from this course… *SOAPStone *Exploring Ethics and Bias in Film *Spellbound and Girlhood *Teacher-led Discussion Forums (SO HELPFUL) *Opportunities to create lessons I can use…

9/7/2022

State: MASSACHUSETTS

8/9/2022

State: OHIO

8/6/2022

State: CALIFORNIA

This was a very useful course that I plan to incorporate with my lesson designs for the upcoming school year.

7/3/2022

State: NEW JERSEY

I enjoyed this course and learned how to better utilize documentaries in an English classroom.

2/28/2022

State: OKLAHOMA

I enjoyed my course. I appreciated the kindness of my instructor. I liked the assignments and the challenges the course and assignments gave me. The course caused me to research more and think more intentionally about showing documentaries in class and how I utilize non-fiction resources. I am confident what I learned through this course will help me be a better curriculum creator and instructor. Lastly, I so appreciated the prayers, support, and kindness of each person on the Fresno staff that I interacted with. Wonderful experience!

2/10/2022

State: IDAHO

I greatly enjoyed this course. It was challenging but not overwhelming. They instructor's assignments are designed for you to finish the course with several lesson plans ready to go. Her feedback was quick, encouraging, and helpful.