In the tenth chapter of Amusing Ourselves To Death Postman brings up the issue of teachers using television as entertainment. He states that using the television, a tool for entertainment purposes, as a form of teaching is generally a bad idea. I agree with him because I think that the television is a great source for entertainment, and a good way to pass free time, but when attempted to be used as an educative tool it can bring more damage than knowledge. A study that Postman brought up showed that only 3.5% of students were able to answer questions correclty on a segment they watched on TV, proving that television as an educative tool is a bad idea.
I think teachers should stick to the traditional form of books and lessons to successfully teach their students the material that is required for the class, altough to the students the television might seem like a better idea because it is a source of entertainment in an otherwise bland school environment.
A television in the classroom isn't always used for entertainment. It can at times be used to display the ways and forms of life outside of the classroom. So that the student can visually learn as well as physically learn. However, I do agree that the television shouldn't be used in the classroom 24/7.
ReplyDeletethat is true but there are students in classrooms who use that time for sleep or other things that aren't for learning
DeleteI get what you're saying there but I guess that's on them, isn't it?
DeleteVideo, which is similar to television, and maybe the right kind of television can be useful and beneficial to education in some circumstances. From time to time, I will not understand something in math, and I know that asking Mr. Nguyen often makes me more confused. I will then go to Khan Academy and watch a video on the subject, and that usually helps because I understand his explanations more. Also, video can be used in science classes to show a relatively dangerous (or otherwise inpossible to perform in a classroom) experiment or chemical reaction without having to acquire hard-to-get materials or use dangerous chemicals. However, there are always downsides and ways to incorrectly use a tool.
ReplyDeleteI agree with teachers using videos as a supporting tool when teaching specific subjects. For example, previously in my AP World History class, Mrs. Garvin showed us a documentary on 9/11 to support the curriculum she was teaching. The video was extremely detailed about the disaster and I found it to be thorough. After I watched the documentary I had a better understanding of 9/11 than before. However, using videos to teach might be overused in a classroom to the point where there is little to no teacher to student interaction. All in all, videos can be used for teaching certain subject such as history, science, and math, but only in moderation.
ReplyDeleteI think that videos should only be used for certain classes. For example Mrs. Garvin showed her normal World History classes the same 9/11 documentary but many of my classmates fell asleep and only a few of us understood the content at the end of the movie.
DeleteI somewhat agree with the use of television for education. I agree that it often creates distractions and allows leisure in a classroom. Some student's take advantage of videos by not focusing in on the information, and some teachers show videos of lessons that don't need images to support the topic. On the other hand, some topics taught by a teacher could use the help of visuals from television to strengthen their student's understanding. For example, teaching location and the characteristics of the location's geography could be more easily taught with images of the place.
ReplyDeleteI agree that teachers should stick to the traditional book because, like you've mentioned, it's just an excuse for students to nap and otherwise not pay attention to the material. You could say it's on them, but it's a teacher's job to make sure that their students get the most out of their class. It's an excuse to not pay attention and many students get away with it.
ReplyDeleteIf you're using the technology correctly, students shouldn't be distracted by it. Technology shouldn't replace the traditional way of textbooks and lessons, but rather be used alongside it. Technology shouldn't replace the teacher. It should be used as a tool by the teacher to help teach the kids, and if the teacher's using it correctly, the students shouldn't be distracted by it. Also, you have to keep in mind that Postman's book was written in 1985 when he says 3.5% of students were unable to answer questions they saw on the television. It's different today, with us having access to smartphones and Chromebooks, which allows us better access to the information.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about the 3.5% number. I'm not convinced that the study Postman cited is relevant anymore. Since 1985, people who make educational film and video are now better at presenting the information in a way that people can learn and retain information. And the study probably used an easy-to-control television program. It probably was not very interesting as a plain show would have variables that are easier to control. Also, I agree with what Andrew said about teachers such as Mrs. Garvin being able to ensure that students are attentive to a film or video.
DeleteTechnology is a great advancement for our generation and to upcoming ones as well. Over the years technology has had it's ups and downs with agreeing if it's "good" or "bad" for us students to use. But whether you think we should keep the textbooks and the regular tradition of teaching, the world around us is evolving and so is our way of learning. Technology isn't all that bad nor should it be completely taken away for our informational use. How many times do you use a search engine to look up information or answers to a question on homework or essay? Yes, sometimes students just slack off and think its a free day when a teacher shows a video but it doesn't mean they do that too when they teach right off of the textbook either. I understand where you're coming from with that statement saying we should stick to our traditional ways but having some form of technology should still be seen as an alternative.
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