"Reel Education" - Documentaries, Biopics and Reality Television in the classroom

Dr.Jacqueline Bach, CHSE Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Publishes New Book

Dr. Jacqueline Bach recently published Reel Education, the first single-authored book that analyzes documentaries, biopics, and reality television shows, bringing together the theoretical and practical considerations of teaching cinematic texts about education that claim a degree of verisimilitude. Dr. Bach is associate dean of the College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) and the Elena & Albert LeBlanc Professor of English Education at LSU’s School of Education.

Given the influx of these mediums, new theoretical frameworks are required to understand how these productions shape public conversations about educational issues.

Bach says those texts, through various mediums, have a particular power to sway audiences who may uncritically accept stories as realities about what happens in schools. Since all texts, including works of fiction and texts through digital mediums, are grounded in specific ideologies, the book explains that those in the fields of humanities, education, and media and communication studies must pay attention to how these films and television shows are constructed and for what purposes.

Reel Education examines the construction of the genres, the explicit and latent ideologies they contain, and the ways in which students and faculty might critically engage with them in classrooms.

Dr. Bach’s scholarship examines how young adult literature engages teachers and students in conversations about social issues, the ways in which popular culture informs and might improve pedagogy, and the preparation of secondary English/ Language Arts teachers. She is the co-editor for the “Engaging Texts” section of The Journal of Curriculum Theorizing.  She has published texts on films and reality television shows in journals such as The Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, English Education, and Pedagogies.

About SOE
The LSU School of Education (SOE) offers graduate and undergraduate programs in Curriculum and Instruction and in Educational Leadership, Research, and Counseling. The School’s mission is to prepare P-12 educational professionals to be leaders, practitioners and scholars knowledgeable in contemporary educational issues.

Visit the School of Education at lsu.edu/education

About CHSE

The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The College is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Library and Information Science, the School of Social Work, and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs and 18 graduate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 977 graduate students. The College is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is continually working to improve its programs.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education at chse.lsu.edu.