Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Television as Technology
I was wondering about many of my other classmates posts on the lines of television and the thought of TV as a popular technology that almost all kids can relate with. Unfortunately, I think the use of TV on that level is limited. Sure, they might watch all of the same shows and tv might be a very good communicator, but it seems to me like this would be the same argument that was used in one of our articles previously in the course. They talked about how we always assume that children are "technologically advanced". However, just because they use technology does not mean they are gaining skills for using it towards educational purposes. Unless we filter and funnel that learning in a way that benefits them in the future, they become people who can play video games and watch tv without relating these skills back to real life challenges and implementations. I'd warn against using TV until we've figured out a really good way to channel their attention and ideas into positive outcomes.
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You make some good points about how technology is used. We do have to be clever about which tools we incorporate into teaching. Students are open to being guided, but they are also impatient and might get bored unless more stimulation is added to the curriculum. These courses are hopefully teaching us how to deal with that. - Jennifer Knott
ReplyDeleteFunny, I remember how there were specific companies that made "TV shows" for educational purposes when I was in high school. Every day we would watch a 5-10 minute segment that was supposed to be enriching. Sadly, I think nobody was that interested. Still, I think shows like "How It's Made," "Build it Bigger," and others, especially those related to science and technology, definitely have value in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteEvery new technology that comes out has the expectation attached to it that it will transform teaching and learning - and TV was no exception. I think your reflection points to the fact that TV is still a misunderstood and possibly underestimated resource... and more discussion is needed.
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