Chapter 5
After reading this chapter I was not aware that televised classes were introduced as early as the 1950s. I always thought that the virtual classroom was a concept of the millennium. I am constantly learning something new with the readings. The chapter started off with the use of television for instructional use. They compared the televised style of teaching with the traditional classroom. I can personally say that I find a major difference in distant learning courses and classroom courses. The style of teaching is very different because with distant learning courses it requires the student to be more organized and self-relying. Don’t get me wrong, the classroom style of learning requires the student to show up but it is more structure with timelines. I find with distant learning you have a lot more time to procrastinate than with classroom learning. I am a type of student that requires structure rather than the freedom to learn at your own pace. But I can also see how slower learners could benefit from the large break between assignments.
I also found it interesting that in the 1970s those teachers monitored the use of television and videos for elementary and junior students. Apparently there was a lot of educational and children advocacy groups that were against the use of television. I agreed with the author when he stated that everyone interprets television messages differently and how it depends on how the children are taught to how to view subject matters. Today in our classrooms we use videos and television for learning opportunities. We are teaching children what is real and what is not. We are trying to take scenarios created by television and using them as a guideline for problem solving. Often on Fridays we allow the children to bring in Show and Tell. The majority of the time it is DVDs or fairytales or nursery rhymes we have been studying that week. On occasions we allow children to view G or F-rated movies and we have discussions on what happened in the movie. I find it funny when a movie is on the children all huff when there is an inappropriate word. They have been taught that these words are adult words and they always look for my reactions when they notify of a bad word! I think if monitored properly, the use of video for teaching opportunities is a fabulous idea!
I also found it interesting that in the 1970s those teachers monitored the use of television and videos for elementary and junior students. Apparently there was a lot of educational and children advocacy groups that were against the use of television. I agreed with the author when he stated that everyone interprets television messages differently and how it depends on how the children are taught to how to view subject matters. Today in our classrooms we use videos and television for learning opportunities. We are teaching children what is real and what is not. We are trying to take scenarios created by television and using them as a guideline for problem solving. Often on Fridays we allow the children to bring in Show and Tell. The majority of the time it is DVDs or fairytales or nursery rhymes we have been studying that week. On occasions we allow children to view G or F-rated movies and we have discussions on what happened in the movie. I find it funny when a movie is on the children all huff when there is an inappropriate word. They have been taught that these words are adult words and they always look for my reactions when they notify of a bad word! I think if monitored properly, the use of video for teaching opportunities is a fabulous idea!