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 an TV can do so much, they have their own limitations, too.

• ·    Television and film are one-way communication device.
• ·    The small screen size puts television at a 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 on text.
•      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:
•      What do you like best in the film?
•      What part of the film makes you wonder? doubt?
•      Does the film remind you of something or someone?
•      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.