In Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death chapter ten is titled 'Teaching as an Amusing Activity.' Postman states that televison had warped children's minds by wiring them to believe that teaching and learning is entertaining and anything worth learning should be entertaining. Some examples of this are those children's programs that encourage learning by singing songs or playing silly games. Television shows such as Sesame Street, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, and newer programs such as Dora the Explorer or Little Einsteins. I think the last one speaks for itself.
With this mind set is it surprising that students like the more entertaining or fun teachers more than those who are strictly academic? I don't think the idea is too far off from reality. Most students, I believe, prefer teachers who are amusing and make them laugh then just merely stand there and lecture. Has television programed our childrens and students mind to think this way? If so then it would also explain why some teachers are also incorportaing games and other interactive actvities in their studen't studies. Games such as Jepordy are played in school. I think this one is also self explainatory since Jepordy is a television show.
So I'd like to know, do you, as students, think that your fellow classmates benefit more from an entertaining teacher than your average teacher?
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7 comments:
It depends on what you view as beneficial to the students.
One might argue that as long as students are learning the material, then all manners of teaching are acceptable. It can be fun to learn. Right?
From experience, I have found that entertaining forms of learning are much more beneficial from a short-term standpoint. I have found that I know the material well enough for the test but that I do not retain that information.
This goes back to what you view as beneficial. If the point of school is to see that you are not bored and that you pass your classes, then entertaining forms of teaching are great. On the other hand, if the point of school is to send you off in life having learned something that will help you be successful, then entertaining forms of teaching are probably not so great.
Entertainment is an easier way to learn material for me because it sticks in my brain longer. But simplicity isn't always the best way of learing. I remember things long term better when i actually understand the material. We definitely should not learn by entertainment all of the time but we need it sometimes as a brake from taking notes and always doing work. I like teachers who have I can relate to and have a similar personality to me. Although everyone gets teachers sometime in their life who they just really don't like which makes paying attention more challenging. I pay attention to all of my teachers and learn as much as I can from them because for now education is free, until I get to college.
Like Keith said, it depends on who you are trying to reach. I think for those who are constantly learning and are diligent in there studies should be entertained more often, and vice versa. I know it seems like they would lose some of there determination when it comes to learning, but that's not always the case. I learn better through visuals by myself, but I have to learn in a more traditional way in the classroom. I think it just depends on what your trying to accomplish by teaching. Are you trying to help this person think on there own, or are you just trying to teach the subject matter?
I can see where you are going. I think that these "educational" kid shows nowadays do more harm than good. I remember one of my teachers telling my class that shows like Sesame Street prepare kids for a future of watching television instead of actually teaching children something, as most people think. It's true that children can't handle the idea of being bored.
Postman says in the book that educators are trying to find methods of controlling television using education. I think incorportating games such as jeopardy in studies is one of those methods. So i think either type of teacher is/will become a product of the idea of education controlling television.
As far as learning goes, a student would benefit more if the media would step out of learning and let teachers do the job they were trained to do. However that isnt the case anymore. As you stated, television has given the youth of today the mindset that learning is fun. This causes students to seek the fun teachers instead of ones that actually focus on the curriculum.
I do not say this to shoot down fun teachers (I like them as much as the next student), I am mearly raising the arguement that sometimes the BEST way to learn is to sit down, open a book, listen to the teacher and take notes. On occasion it is okay to be fun in the classroom, but not if it only keeps a class entertained for an hour.
It seems awefully sad that students complain about a teacher in an hour long class that they LEARN WELL IN if they are not entertained, and praise the teacher that may not be giving the same results academically but is fun.
So to answer your question, students would benefit a lot if they could learn from lectures instead of jokes, or reading instead of movies. However the sad reality is, because of the AGE OF SHOWBUSINESS, education will always rely on entertainment.
I think that as students, we benefit more from an entertaining teacher than an average because, if the teacher makes us entertained then we wouldn't be so bored. It also depends on how the student likes being taught. I personally like to do lots of work so I can understand and memorize more, but other kids can listen to a lecture and do the same. I agree with Postman that television had warped children's minds by wiring them to believe that teaching and learning is entertaining and anything worth learning should be entertaining. Would children consider even watching educational films when there little such as those boring science movies? The answer is most likely no. Children need funny, catchy characters like Big Bird from Sesame Street, or Dora from Dora the Explorer so learning is fun and easy.
-Rishabh Mehta
I personally learn better from teachers that incorporate games and fun things into learing than just their lectures that we sometimes get bored of hearing or fall asleep. Its the same information that another teacher could be teaching but its also another way to help students remember things better. We benefit from teachers just by learing. But if a teacher inquires a fun way of learing then im pretty sure that it sticks better to our brains than just hearing it. So it really doesn't matter if a teacher is entertaining or not because we learn things either way, its just their way of teaching.
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