TV OR NOT TV II

My career in broadcasting ended when I became a certified educator. After I became an elementary school teacher, I continued to utilize media in my instruction, although I struggle still to convince most principals and administrators of the merits of television in the classroom. An example would be the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama, which was televised on January 9th. I was the only teacher who allowed the students to watch this live, ground-breaking event during class, and I admit I did this covertly. There is such a push to stick to the pacing schedule of mandated curriculum, any divergence away from the routine is a hard sell. But I could not let this pivotal moment in history go by without being witnessed by my small citizens. Plus, I wanted to see it, too! The class loved the coverage, and discussed the whole proceedings with interest. (The favorite single aspect of the whole broadcast, according to my class, was the size of Aretha Franklin's hat! Kids will be kids.) As we analyzed the coverage afterward the students had great questions,  which lead to further research and fact finding on the internet during computer time during the week. 

I have also tuned into pertinent newscasts, recaps of Olympics games, and recorded  videos that related to subjects we were studying. (When I read Make Way For Ducklings to my primary students, I showed the clip from July, 2009 "Washington Banker Saves a Dozen Ducklings".) I believe the difference between education with television media and mind-numbing television viewing is demonstrated in the pause. If I am familiar with the clips I show, and I have intent and direction with the lesson I am teaching, the t.v. is a great resource.  

In the days of VHS tapes, I learned the "Power of Pause". I discovered that by simply pausing the tape, I could produce a number of responses and interactions with the class. The first response is always, "No! Don't stop!", which is a good sign they are engaged. Then there can be questions and conversations, such as "What happened?", "Why do you think that happened?", and "What will happen next?". This deepens the experience of whatever movie or show is being presented. It taps into Bloom's taxonomy of cognition in a subtle, accessible way. And it keeps the process of watching television controlled and purposeful.