I love television. I love the TV shows, I love the time I spend relaxed in front of it, I love that pleasure is a click or a remote away. Although video games are slowly replacing regular TV, I think that trying to incorporate it into the classroom might be a good thing. When I was younger, I used to watch a lot of TV. It wasn’t only cartoons and The Simpsons but educational shows. I know what you’re thinking, what is an educational show and are they really any good for kids?
Yes. Yes they are. I learned quite a bit from certain TV shows that I probably wouldn’t have paid attention to in the classroom. Shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, or The Magic School Bus piqued my interest in science, Sesame Street and Mr Dressup taught me how to use my imagination, Fred Penner was my first foray into Canadian music. Now, these are all shows geared towards children and, with the exception of Bill Nye, the age range in quite young. This doesn’t mean, however, that there are no shows for older children who are interested in something other than sex and violence. Take Mythbusters for example: this is an excellent jumping off point for a high school science teacher.
I hope that more shows come out that both interest kids and teach them something, but that it not always the case. Maybe I should try to find something to teach in popular TV shows?
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