Start small. Find one movie, song, or news source and incorporate it into your class. Expand once you are comfortable.
Provide a clear link between what you want your students to learn and the media. Care must be taken provide the proper learning context.
It takes time to integrate media effectively into a course. This is not edutainment, it is the conscious use of media to enable students to learn more.
Use the subtitles feature for visual media. This is especially useful in focusing student attention on the words being said.
Be prepared. Technology does not work 100% of the time so have a back up plan. If the media equipment does not work, go to plan B and continue on with your class without missing a beat.
Evaluate student understanding. Students respond to incentives. If you require them to write a reaction paper, take a quiz, or place questions on your exams that relate to the media content they will pay more attention and learn more in the process.
Stay legal. View the copyright information on the cautions page.
