Lesson 12

The power of film, video and TV in the classroom

The film, the video and the TV are indeed very powerful. Dale (1969) says, they can:

·         Transmit a wide range of audio- visual materials, including still pictures, film, objects, specimens and drama.

·         Bring models of excellence to the viewer- we can see and hear the excellent scientist like John Glenn, the excellent speakers and master teachers who lecture and demonstrate a teaching method for professional development of teachers.

·         Bring the world of reality to the home and to the classroom through a “live” broadcast or as mediated through film or videotape.

·         Make us see and hear for ourselves world events as they happen, with a sense of helplessness, we witnessed the fire that engulfed homes in San Diego, California in October 2007 as it happened trough TV. When the strong earthquake shook Baguio,  Agoo , Dagupan and Nueva Ecija.

·         Be the most believable news source.

·         Make some programs understandable and appealing to a wide variety of age and educational levels.

·         Become a great equalizer of educational opportunity because programs can be presented over national and regional networks.

·         Provide us with sounds and sights not easily available even to the viewer of a real event through long shots.

·         Can give opportunity to teacher to view themselves while they teach for purposes of self-improvement.

·         Can be both instructive and enjoyable.

While the film, Video and TV can do so much, they have their own limitations, too.

·         Television and film is one-way communication device.

·         The small screen size puts television at disadvantages when compared with the possible size of projected motion pictures, for example. With new technology, how is this remedied?

·         Excessive TV viewing works against the development of the child’s ability to visualize and to be creative and imaginative.

·         There is much violence in TV.

Basic Procedures in the use of TV as a supplementary Enrichment

For enrichment of the lesson with the use of TV, we have to do the following:

·         Prepare the classroom.

-          Darken the room. Remember that complete darkness is not advisable for TV viewing.

-          The students should not be seated too near nor too far from the TV.

·         Pre-viewing activities

-          Set goals and expectation. Why are you viewing the TV? What is expected of your students? state clearly.

-          Link the TV lesson with past lesson and / or with your student’s experiences for integration and relevance.

-          Set the rules while viewing.

-          Put the film in ontext.

-          Point out the key points they need to focus on.

·         Viewing

-          Don’t interrupt viewing by inserting cautions and announcements you forget to give during the previewing stage.

-          Just make sure sight and sounds are clear.

·         Post-viewing

-          To make them feel at ease begin by asking the following questions:

1.)               What do you like best in the film?

2.)               What part of the film makes you wonder? Doubt?

3.)               Does the film remind you of something or someone?

4.)               What questions are you asking about the film?

·         Go to the questions you raised at the pre-viewing stage.

·         Tackle questions you raised by students at the initial stage of the post-viewing discussion.

·         Ask what the students learned.

·         Summarize what was learned.