Abstract

As we begin the decade of the 1980's, the Captioned Films for the Deaf Program and all who are associated with the education of the deaf can look with pride on the accomplishments of the program since 1965. A national network of 65 depositories exists, each capable of circulating over 950 captioned educational films —films which have passed rigid standards for selection by educators of the deaf from among the estimated 25,000 films in the educational film marketplace.

While the films have been and will continue to be the most visible and sought after facet of the program, another facet of the program is of equal importance. Since 1965, 15 volumes of Lesson Guides for Captioned Films have also been created. Each Lesson Guide is designed to give the film user insights into the message, content, purposes, and applications of each film in the collection. Each Lesson Guide follows a continuously improved formula of providing film users the necessary information on the most effective utilization of captioned films. Going beyond the synopsis provided by the Captioned Films Catalog, the Lesson Guides offer a comprehensive outline of each film. In recent years, the Lesson Guides have also offered a comprehensive subject heading index attempting to cross-reference each film under the maximum number of possible subject headings: In 1978 Volume XIV of the Lesson Guides added for the first time, an inclusive alphabetical title index.

Captioned films can make a difference if they are utilized wisely, judiciously, and with care. Lesson Guides offer the user of captioned films the inside track on effective utilization of captioned films and a chance of making that all important breakthrough to knowledge with their students.

If we are in fact committed to better, more effective utilization of the captioned films we already have (and can look forward to receiving), Captioned Films Lesson Guides are a necessary, vital, and valuable resource.

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