When I was a child, I was in love with Sesame Street. I would sit in front of the television for hours watching Elmo and all the other characters sing songs and figure out clues. As I grew older, and elementary school came around, I learned that school was nothing near what type of adventures Sesame Street had. Sesame Street does teach children about ABC's and 123's, but the bond between a child and an teacher can only be done in a class room.
In Amusing Ourselves To Death, Neil Postman explains the difference between children watching television for hours straight, and children learning in a classroom. I agree with Postman's analogy because television can only give children so much knowledge. In a classroom, you learn more than just ABC's and 123's, you learn how to communicate with others and how to treat people. On television programs for children, they only learn what they see on the show. They do not learn how to interact or visually write things on the board. I am not saying that Sesame Street and other children programs are not beneficial, I am stating that being in a classroom and learning from a teacher gives them a better feeling of the real world.
I loved Sesame Street, Barney and Friends, and The Teletubbies when I was younger. I enjoyed the adventures and music they would display for me. When elementary school rolled around, I learned that television and the classroom were two different situations. A television show can only do so much for a child as they grow, but a teacher will benefit them all the way through college.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you, television shows like Sesame Street can only go so far in increasing a child's education. When Children watch these television shows, they cannot respond or ask questions. These educational television shows are also focused on only children, there aren't many that are centered to educate teenagers or adults. The television shows that are out there to educate a more mature audience contain information that really has no use. In a classroom environment, children, teens, even adults can ask questions and get answers. A teacher can do more than just teach, and that is something television shows will never be able to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteIt’s true what your saying that a teacher provides the student a much more better learning experience than watching television for hours and hours on end. I cannot think of any other learning method that would be considered as equally progressing as a teacher giving knowledge to his/her student. They help provide wider knowledge and understanding for the student’s educational skills. If a child just learns through television, it just seems that they are being brainwashed into what they think is true and to not ask questions that could help them in expanding their learning experience. It is important for a child to become a student so they can have a bigger surrounding that would be beneficial for their progressing knowledge. Television can only do so much for us, like introducing us to the basic educational skills that we should learn in our early years in life. I find your thread agreeable that a teacher and a classroom could help a child to improve their way of thinking and not let them be as close minded from learning education out of a television screen.
ReplyDeleteHonestly for me, the shows were really just a source of entertainment. I don't think I even really payed attention to the things it tried to teach us. My father had already taught me my ABC's and numbers, so really I just liked paying attention to the details of those shows and the art I guess. Or it was just something for me to watch. As for the teachers, I do agree that it is more beneficial. You can actually ask questions and be involved with a conversation. However, I don't really think that being in a classroom teaches you about the real world. They teach you to be kind and respectful to others, but in the real world...That is not always the case. The class room is a controlled environment. Where as, in real life, anything can happen.
ReplyDeleteMy two year old cousin loves watching Sesame Street and other kid's educational shows and it has in fact taught her letters and numbers. I think that kids educational shows like Sesame Street are a good way to start off your child when they are too young to go to school, but it doesn't replace the knowledge a teacher can offer. Teachers can explain the how and why of reading and math. Television just shows you what it is, but doesn't explain further. Children flourish in the classroom and become better students and citizens. They learn the concept of sharing, working well with others, and how hard work pays off. Teachers can act as mentors and offer guidance in the difficult situations.
ReplyDeleteThey may not be as entertaining, colorful, or funny as the characters on children's shows, but they can spark the mind of the person who will change the world.
You state that television just shows you what it is, but doesn't explain further. I respectfully disagree with two arguments. First, if I were to record one of my teacher's lectures and then giving it for another person to view, would there really be a difference? Maybe the other person had a few questions that couldn't get answered, but the person who was there physically and the one who saw it on television would see the exact same thing. When Postman criticizes televised education, he criticizes the kind that is there for entertainment rather than teaching.
DeleteAlso, with televised teaching - Discovery Channel for example - they are able to display pictures, videos, and virtual diagrams that very well could enhance the viewer's comprehension of the topic rather then if the viewer watched a live demonstration.