This is a simple tip that will help you leverage media in the classroom and get better discussion.
Determine before class what the main discussion points are in the material you will cover. Instruct students before you watch or listen to your media which main points to watch for as the media plays.
You might say "wait for when Jesus jumps over the fence and think about what this tells us about his personality" or "watch Jesus's 'violent' behavior and be ready to talk about how important it is to keep the temple/ourselves clean" when showing the video of the cleansing of the temple:
"Wait for it" helps prepare students to participate in discussions and make relevant comments. It also helps movies or music used in class become learning opportunities instead of mere entertainment. I was trained at Seminary inservice to use this technique (or something similar) each time we watch a movie or listen to a song during class. It also helps when Reading a long passage of scripture or story.
For example, when I showed a film about the prodigal son this week in Seminary, I invited students to pay attention as they watched the movie to see which of the characters they considered to be most like themselves. This prepared the class for our discussion after the movie, which was intended to point out that at different times in our lives, we are all like each of the characters in the parable.
Another time I told students to watch for a 'd' word that might surprise them during our reading of the entry BD, Mark. The word was "deserted".
