Educational Significance
Media is central to our lives. Consumption of media starts in early childhood and influences children’s behavior and values. Television, DVD, video, C.D.s, the internet, and computer games are part of most children’s daily media diet. Media literacy is an important aspect of education because the role of teachers is to prepare students to function in society. Tools that can help empower students to become thoughtful media users for learning and their lives are important for teachers to learn.
Piaget suggested that classroom teachers should provide students with opportunities for personal discovery through problem-solving rather than by programming students with authoritarian rules. This project will ultimately encourage elementary school children to know how much television they watch and how their viewing choices make them feel. By learning to be objective and critical thinkers, students can remain introduced to the ideals of being responsible contributors to society.
Definition of Terms
Scope and Limitations
This discrete unit project targets fourth-grade students and is meant for usability at any elementary school. Incorporating new activities into required subjects calls for specific plans that address state standards and must also meet curriculum approval by the administrator.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Few developments in society in the last millennium have had a greater impact on children than television. Many children spend more time in front of the T.V. than they do with their parents. Television can be seen in many ways, depending on one’s point of view; one may consider television an opportunity to learn about the world or blame television to the detriment of children’s positive behavior. The ‘one-eyed monster’ or the ‘magic box’ has been accused of creating negative effects: it takes children away from homework, makes passive learners of watchers, and helps people internalize stereotypes. Television also provides viewers with violent models of aggression while normalizing unrealistic views of the world.
Counter to these criticisms, Esty and Fisch (1991) stated that television could also positively influence children’s development by presenting motivating educational programs, increasing children’s information about the world beyond their immediate environment, and providing models of prosocial behavior. The most influential mass medium affecting children’s behavior is that television can present children with a world different from the real one they live in. Considering the positive aspects of what television can do for children, there are several possibilities that many parents and educators overlook. A child in front of a television has the opportunity to watch a variety of educational programs which provide access to experiencing science and music, including science exploration, symphony orchestras, operas, and public television programs, along with those programs specifically designed to teach academic skills and concepts. It can also inspire, motivate, and enlighten children when used effectively by teachers and parents.
This study aims to analyze and research the topic of television usage and its involvement in children’s education. This study will also explore how teachers can incorporate television viewing to improve education in the classroom—keeping in mind that the students’ responsibility to learn extends beyond the classroom and is not simply up to teachers. Their home environment should also be a place of learning and inquiry. For example, teachers often advocate for greater parent involvement outside the classroom and encourage parents to help their children make television viewing choices and be more involved with their homework. When a home en
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