Can Television Be Used For Homeschooling?

Towards the end of the class we were given a writing assignment. The topic: Can television be used as a learning aid? Now given the class title, all the information we were given through the semester and the professor’s obviously leaning towards “books only” almost everyone in the class chose to write their paper saying that no, television should never be used as a learning aid. I, however, chose differently. I wrote my paper from the perspective that we can use t.v. to help us teach lessons and that kids can actually thrive when exposed to the right shows and the right amounts of time in front of a t.v. I thoroughly researched my answer, provided an abundance of supporting evidence and skillfully wrote my paper. When all was said and done I received an A on the assignment but at the end of the paper my professor wrote that I received an A for the thoroughness and the skill in which I wrote but not because I was right. She insisted that my thoughts were still wrong.

So where am I going with this? How does it apply to homeschooling? Well, through the years I have relied on our television and vcr to help me out sometimes. When my oldest children were little Barney helped teach manners. Sesame Street helped teach numbers and letters. Certain shows taught my kids what not to do… no fighting, no whining, no bullying, etc. Today we have Dora to teach bits of Spanish and how to be helpful, Blue’s Clues helps teach problem solving and The Little Einsteins teach a love of classical music and art. But as my children have grown and they have outgrown these types of shows how has television been helpful in my quest to homeschool?

We have found many channels on t.v. that provide a look at different subjects that I could never accurately teach. Channels like Discovery, the Biography Channel, The History Channel, A&E, PBS, Animal Planet. All these channels have an array of interesting shows on them. Shows that not only entertain but teach as they keep our kids’ attention. One of our new favorite shows is Time Warp. This airs on the Discovery Channel and shows things in super slow motion. My kids have seen that water will actually hold it’s shape for a brief moment after a balloon is popped. I could tell them that or they could read it in a book but to actually see it makes a huge difference! They love the show and have learned so many things!

There are a couple channels that actually have shows specifically for teaching purposes. The shows are called “In The Classroom” and air early in the morning. You are able to record them and use them for your teaching purposes. You can request their “Idea Book For Educators” and receive twice a year a complete listing of all the shows that are specifically for teaching purposes. Included in the book are lesson plans and learning ideas plus websites to visit. Each corresponds to a specific show that will be airing on one of the channels. It is an invaluable resource to have, especially for older children who often times get bored with just reading and memorizing facts. History becomes a living thing instead of just words in a book, a time forgotten. The people, places and events that have helped determine who we are and how we live suddenly are real and meaningful.

While television can be overused and damaging if used incorrectly, used in the right contexts and in the correct amounts it can be a valuable teaching aid. It can help our children to not only learn the information and facts that we are impressing upon them but it can make that information come alive and be meaningful for them. I encourage you to check out some of the sites I’ve mentioned above. If you are interested in receiving The Idea Book For Educators from A&E/History/Biography Channels you can request a copy here: The Idea Book For Educators. Some of the upcoming shows to look forward to are shows on Albert Einstein, Cleopatra, the Dalai Lama, Frederick Douglas, Tokyo Rose, Pocohantas, Yo-Yo Ma, John the Baptist (all on the Biography channel) as well as shows on Niagra Falls, The Rise and Fall of the Spartans, The Search for George Washington, Yellowstone Park, Digging for the Truth: Neanderthal, and The Little Ice Age (all on The History Channel). You might be surprised at what a wonderful resource your television can be!

When Michelle isn’t searching for information, interesting and fun shows to help her teach she can be found blogging about her family at Pass The Flu Bug Please.