Education and Media
In at least one class every day, some video or documentary is shown. Did students ever stop to think what messages are present in the shows that the teachers provide for us? Under the pretext of educational context, underlying messages that are unintentional could be influencing student's thinking long term. Media can also be having an effect on the school system in general that people are not noticing.
Starting with zero period, both creative writing and critical thinking, numerous videos have been played for our class this year. Last semester, Mr. Perry made us watch "Sleepless in Seattle" and analyze it for examples of modern day love as it was shown in the movie. That exposed us to all the ad placements in the movie and added to preconceived expectations and anxiety students could have about love. It only showed straight couples and white people, which limits the perspective of the world our teachers are showing us.
In Critical Thinking, we watch documentaries that have to do with the world around us. Problem is, while talking about ad placements and the dangers of certain types of advertising, we are being fed brand names and advertising within that video.
In History, all the Anthony Bourdain videos show a lifestyle that we will never be able to have, but would want to have. It advertises a places and foods and cultures like they're a product. Is putting that unattainable expectation of live in our heads helpful? Do those episodes actually teach us something or just make us hungry? Moving on to the documentaries that we have watched in Griffin's class and the few in Starace's/Garzona's. They tend to be slanted towards a certain culture or demographic. Usually pro-america, but sometimes against (like the Nagasaki doc). These videos, depending on how accurate and truthful they are, could majorly influence the biases we as students hold about our country and other places around the world.
In Literature we watch movies that dramatize history and are expected to take them at face value. this gives us an unrealistic view of what we're learning about. Those movies are giving up accuracy for entertainment.
Today in math class, we watched YouTube videos that explained a phenomenon in math, an unsolvable, or rather un-provable problem that related to what we were doing in class. Most people were on their phones or doing work from other classes while it was showing. Is it worth it to incorporate technology into the classroom if it gets ignored?
I don't mind all these somewhat educational endeavors into media but there are two questions I want to ask. One: Are these videos actually beneficial to our education or are they just a way for the teacher to have a break every once in awhile? And two: do the teachers realize the underlying messages of the TV that they show us and is that intentional?
My opinion on the first question is that the videos we watch do give students and teachers an easy day or a break once in awhile, and that's okay, but the problem is finding a balance. I feel like it is too often when I walk into a classroom and see the lights off and a screen on. Most students will just take the required notes for the video and slack off the rest of the period. I don't mind that, trust me I need a day off as much as the next HISP student, but I also want to learn something engaging and interesting once in awhile too. Media in the classroom is not an inherently bad thing, but it can become one if the videos and actual teaching get too unbalanced. There is educational value to many of the films shown, just not all.
I absolutely do not think the teachers are trying to push messages onto us with any of the videos they show. It is just a result of media today that with our documentaries or YouTube videos, we get hidden advertisements and values embedded in the media. Should teachers be aware of the messages in the videos they show? Yes. But I don't think a video should either be played or not played because of the messages it presents.
Media and education are tightly interconnected in today's society. It's difficult to put school away at home, and home away at school. Our phones have all our friends, our parents, our teachers, our work, our calendars, etc on them. I get Reminds from teachers on weekends. How does education escape becoming entirely automated? If we can get the same education at home by watching a video as we can in a classroom, the school system the way we have it now becomes outdated. I absolutely see the benefits of a traditional classroom and teacher, but that setup could be outdated. Are we catching up to the times by using media, or are we clinging to an old system unsuccessfully trying to keep up and stay relevant?
Starting with zero period, both creative writing and critical thinking, numerous videos have been played for our class this year. Last semester, Mr. Perry made us watch "Sleepless in Seattle" and analyze it for examples of modern day love as it was shown in the movie. That exposed us to all the ad placements in the movie and added to preconceived expectations and anxiety students could have about love. It only showed straight couples and white people, which limits the perspective of the world our teachers are showing us.
In Critical Thinking, we watch documentaries that have to do with the world around us. Problem is, while talking about ad placements and the dangers of certain types of advertising, we are being fed brand names and advertising within that video.
In History, all the Anthony Bourdain videos show a lifestyle that we will never be able to have, but would want to have. It advertises a places and foods and cultures like they're a product. Is putting that unattainable expectation of live in our heads helpful? Do those episodes actually teach us something or just make us hungry? Moving on to the documentaries that we have watched in Griffin's class and the few in Starace's/Garzona's. They tend to be slanted towards a certain culture or demographic. Usually pro-america, but sometimes against (like the Nagasaki doc). These videos, depending on how accurate and truthful they are, could majorly influence the biases we as students hold about our country and other places around the world.In Literature we watch movies that dramatize history and are expected to take them at face value. this gives us an unrealistic view of what we're learning about. Those movies are giving up accuracy for entertainment.
Today in math class, we watched YouTube videos that explained a phenomenon in math, an unsolvable, or rather un-provable problem that related to what we were doing in class. Most people were on their phones or doing work from other classes while it was showing. Is it worth it to incorporate technology into the classroom if it gets ignored?
I don't mind all these somewhat educational endeavors into media but there are two questions I want to ask. One: Are these videos actually beneficial to our education or are they just a way for the teacher to have a break every once in awhile? And two: do the teachers realize the underlying messages of the TV that they show us and is that intentional?
My opinion on the first question is that the videos we watch do give students and teachers an easy day or a break once in awhile, and that's okay, but the problem is finding a balance. I feel like it is too often when I walk into a classroom and see the lights off and a screen on. Most students will just take the required notes for the video and slack off the rest of the period. I don't mind that, trust me I need a day off as much as the next HISP student, but I also want to learn something engaging and interesting once in awhile too. Media in the classroom is not an inherently bad thing, but it can become one if the videos and actual teaching get too unbalanced. There is educational value to many of the films shown, just not all.
I absolutely do not think the teachers are trying to push messages onto us with any of the videos they show. It is just a result of media today that with our documentaries or YouTube videos, we get hidden advertisements and values embedded in the media. Should teachers be aware of the messages in the videos they show? Yes. But I don't think a video should either be played or not played because of the messages it presents.
Media and education are tightly interconnected in today's society. It's difficult to put school away at home, and home away at school. Our phones have all our friends, our parents, our teachers, our work, our calendars, etc on them. I get Reminds from teachers on weekends. How does education escape becoming entirely automated? If we can get the same education at home by watching a video as we can in a classroom, the school system the way we have it now becomes outdated. I absolutely see the benefits of a traditional classroom and teacher, but that setup could be outdated. Are we catching up to the times by using media, or are we clinging to an old system unsuccessfully trying to keep up and stay relevant?
This is very important to note, because a lot of the times we don't even realize how we are being influenced by the media, especially in a school setting. The things we watch in class have a great ability to influence our opinions and outlooks, so we must look at these pieces with a critical eye, making sure we understand what they are saying instead of blindly believing.
ReplyDeleteJust how much of class today is taught by documentaries and reference books? It doesn't seem as though many teachers are there to provide new information. Instead, many of them moderate the flow of information to accommodate the topics we are learning about. I like your point about the Remind app. It's just another way media has influenced the way we go to school, and if we can be assigned schoolwork at home over text, what's the point of having a teacher in a formal classroom setting? Maybe school has just become a way to get students out of their houses at this point; I wouldn't have any of the friends I do today if I didn't go to school with them.
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