However as a science teacher I am skeptical about videos in class. I remember in my 12th grade biology class a video meant nap time to most my classmates. This is unfortunate since a video can show many things that is impossible to illustrate in the class. For example a video in science can be a witnessing of a volcano or earthquake, or exploring oceans depths and outer space.
I think the problem is that most educational videos are out dated. A student is more inclined to watch a video with actors in current clothing or updated quality. The student will concentrate less on the ancient look of the actor and more on what he or she is saying.
However teachers today are lucky to have the internet as a resource. Instead of showing a VCR tape we can YouTube a video on any content. Instead of having a movie waste time while students have a midday nap, we can show a shorter video that gets right to the point and that will grab our students attention.
I tend to agree with your opinion on movies in the classroom. When I took science classes, I don't remember ever being engaged about a movie on science. So, the question is: are movies actually educational? The answer, as you stated, is a mix. Of course these movies help elaborate on concepts that cannot be accurately shown in the classroom. But the movies are not engaging at all which translates to that the meaning is being lost. The new question is: If we truly want movies in the classroom, how do we get them to be educational, i.e. engaging? Well, Mr. Bill Nye has been doing just that for years now. Making science fun can be extremely easy as long as your passionate about what you do. With the internet we can easily find people who are very smart and passionate about what they do, like Mr. Nye. I think the easiest way to connect with students is to show them why you love to do what you do. Why is it awesome when volcanoes erupt, why does that happen? Why did The Great Gatsby make you cry at the end? Why is Beethoven's 5th so cool? All in all there are a lot of less than spectacular resources out there so, we have to work extra hard to find things that are fun and educational. Because, I do think videos/movies are important and should not be rid of.
ReplyDeleteSuzana, you bring up a great point. Movies are not a bad tool for teachers to use, but they need to find movies that will entertain the kids and keep them focused. I feel like science is an easier field to find better movies with great quality. Sure, narrations can get boring, but there are so many fascinating things on programs like National Geographic have recorded for use to see. (Similar to what you said) And You Tube is always a good tool. I had a science teacher in high school that would find a You Tube video almost every day for us to watch. It has everything on it!
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