The Use of Television in the Classroom
The use of television in schools has been a large issue in schools since its development and mass production in 1928. Every one of us have had some experience with the small screen in our lives, for some it was like a replacement babysitter, and for others it was a magical box that only was turned on as a reward for good behavior. So how do we implement a technology into the classroom without abusing the many different ways it can be used? One advantage of using a television in the classroom setting is that the students have a chance to visually understand different concepts that up until then were only verbally understood. To read about the human circulatory system in a textbook with overdeveloped language and something confusing stationary images can be stale and will lose their interest very easily. However if the students were to watch a part of the famous TV show “The Magic School bus” where they are given a tour of the h
uman circulatory system while inside the human body the students will be much more interested and will be more likely to remember key concepts and words because they have a visual and physical representation for them.
However one major downfall for using a television in the classroom is the abuse of its convenience. For some teachers they use the television as a sort of substitute teacher, in order for them to have a break from teaching a lesson. Television is a useful tool like a textbook, however when a teacher overuses it students can lose focus and use the time to do other non-academic things. Another downfall to using a television in the classroom is the danger a teacher faces when showing students a segment of news, sitcoms, documentaries or other shows. Before any use of the television as an academic aid it is the teacher’s responsibility to inform the students about the issues, opinions and biases of certain TV programs and how not everything you see and hear may be true.
Dr. Faith Rogow states in her article, Don't Turn Off the Lights: Tips for Classroom Use of TV, “Television can be a powerful educational tool, but it we want our students to absorb specific content from what they see, we need to give them a model for viewing that is active and critical. For starters,
- view from videotape rather than real-time broadcast
- Don't be constrained by programs; only use the segments you need
- Don't use the television as a babysitter”
This article can be found here
In conclusion television can be a very efficient tool in the educational environment however some exclusions and rules must be made while starting.
It was said that TV would restructure schools and replace textbooks. It never did. Then in the 80's, technology advocates said that computers would restructure schools and replace textbooks. They never did. So some people call the phenomenon "recycled promise." Will Web 2.0 the next one?
ReplyDeleteR-J
I agree that a television can be a very useful tool when used right. Back in high school, my history teacher before watching anything would explain to us the bias that the particular program we were gonna watch had. He also would show us different viewpoints so that we could see how one event can be interpreted in many ways based on the bias of these programs.
ReplyDeleteI agree that sometimes television is used as a babysitter. I always try to limit the amount of time my two kids watch television, and when they do it is a teaching type of show.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school, I really enjoyed reading a novel and then watching the movie version of the novel. I think reading then watching really helps the storyline to stick in your memory.
I believe you are on to something here. Many times i have felt that teachers do use television as a sort of subsitute teacher. They also can use television to help use up time in class. I feel television can help classrooms as long as content on television is just as educational as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI too agree with your thoughts regarding television within the classroom. If used correctly, specifed television programs could be used as an advantage for students. For example, your lesson for the week is about marine life, with that you can have your students watch a program you found about "Sharks" and have them write a report on what they saw, and what their thoughts were. Obviously not every student has cable, however most of these programs can be located on hulu.com.
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