There is a lot of debate in the teaching profession at all stages of education about the advantages and disadvantages of using film in class. However, on the whole, most professionals would agree that when used right, it can be an effective tool.

At the heart of using film – which here encompasses movies, documentaries, moving images and, well, anything posted on channels like YouTube and Vimeo – successfully is creativity.

There are certainly times where pressing play and letting students watch a film for an hour or so is the most effective approach, one that fulfils objectives and engages students, but that is just the start. Endless possibilities are achievable – you just have to be open to it.

This guide outlines how to be more inventive in the classroom when it comes to film. When properly utilised, anything can be possible. Film has, after all, the ability to provoke, inspire, confound and intrigue swiftly.

Create the right environment

A lot of teachers lose time and interest by struggling to connect various devices to the right wires and even when everything is hooked up, chances are something will go wrong. There will be no sound or the clip will have been lost and, what do you know, the DVD has been left home.

So, plan ahead and ensure that when it comes to pressing play, everything is in place. Invest in surround sound, consider a projector to ramp up the visuals and dim the lights. The right environment can transform the viewing experience significantly, and, it is worth noting, the "the wrong environment" can make it just as unpleasant.

Stop and start

This is applicable to videos that are long but warrant being watched in full. Find ideal "pause moments" to break up the activity. While the piece may be interesting, holding the attention span of your students is always a challenge. As such, stop and start, with each break being filled by a Q&A session or activity related to the film.

Get interactive

The sophistication and accessibility of video-making software - a lot of it free - is providing more people than ever before, young and old, with a richer vocabulary and expertise of how to shoot films.

Use this to your advantage. Take a poll to find out what apps/programmes your pupils use and then figure out a way of making the most out of it. For example, Vine is hugely popular, free and easily shareable. Make sure any films shot are in compliance with your safeguarding policies.

Set up a film club

While video is ubiquitous and one of the dominant forms of communication and culture in the 21st century, cultivating a real interest in the medium adds the kind of depth that is otherwise impossible unless your students are already aficionados.

Depending on what it is you're doing or what subject you're teaching, you ideally want all your students to benefit from extra-curricular activities of this ilk, otherwise you may create certain imbalances.

Think outside the box

You don't have to experience film within the confines of a classroom – take it further and explore other venues and spaces in which videos can be shown or broadcast. It's about thinking beyond the box.

For example, consider hiring out a local cinema or showing films outside. Utilise portable technology and create an experience that is fluid across multiple devices. You want students to feel inspired by film, not distracted by it.

The great twentieth century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso once said: "There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence transform a yellow spot into sun."

It's an eloquent line that captures, better than any definition could, the notion of what it is to be creative.

Moreover, it also expresses the power of creativity because, as anyone who has seen an original Picasso in person can testify to, the application of paint to a canvas in an imaginative and unique way has the power to move you. And, there is something majestic in that.

Creativity is vital in education. It excites, it engages, it inspires and it takes what is perhaps considered to be rather mundane and transforms it into something more engaging.

Everyone wins. Teachers feel empowered to re-imagine their subjects and offer new, distinct ways of passing on knowledge and skills. Students benefit from a better quality of education that not only challenges their preconceptions, but gets them to really engage in the learning process.

The significance of this cannot be underestimated because the state of being creative is all about going above and beyond what is required. As the French artist Henri Matisse and contemporary of Picasso once said: "Creativity takes courage."

In this guide we look at five ways in which teachers can transform the classrooms into creative hubs.

Take lessons out of the classroom

While the familiarity of a space offers you and your pupils a sense of safety, over the course of an academic year it can become quite formulaic. While teaching in the same space at the same time helps to instill a sense of order, it can become rather perfunctory.

Every now and again, break up the repetitive nature by changing the environment. Take your lesson outside, into another classroom or beyond the school gates. Contextualise what will ultimately be a trip with the lesson. Visit a museum, gallery or lab and bring to life your subject matter.

Always try to be active

One of the biggest concerns teachers have is ensuring that they communicate everything in their subject curriculum and this pressure can sometimes manifest itself in a didactic approach to teaching. In short, the focus is on teacher-led instruction.

While this approach has its place in education, it can nevertheless have a negative impact on students because ultimately they're passive partners in this style of teaching. Instead, get your pupils involved in their own learning through active exercises and regular discussions that do away with you standing at the front of a class.

Call in the experts

Whether it is a musician talking about their career in the industry or a scientist recounting an experiment gone wrong or a footballer talking about just how demanding their profession is, there is something special about learning from an expert.

The ability to relate what your pupils are learning to the real world is invaluable and moreover, it offers youngsters precious insight into what possible careers they can eventually end up in. It is often the case that students feel unsure about the relevance of what it is they're learning – this helps make sense of it.

Get your pupils to teach

It may sound like a bit of a copout but it is anything but. This approach is about empowerment and moreover, peer to peer learning can be a fun, engaging and effective way of learning.
Assemble your class into different teams and over the course of a term, get each one to run the lesson. You'll need to be involved to ensure they cover everything and fill in any gaps that may emerge, but, for the most part, you have to let them take charge. Out of this will come some innovative ideas to say the least.