Videos in Kindergarten
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Anonymous
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I am so annoyed by this. I know I risk sounding like some nutty hippie, but I see no reason to have videos regularly in K! My DD came home today (MCPS) telling me about the math monsters video they watched in class. Wha???
I'm all for a play-based K where they don't do academics. I am all for an academic K where they focus on math and reading and writing. What I don't like is a dumbed down K where math has to be presented as monsters! During the summer, and at her pre-K, my DD was becoming very interested in math and was doing addition, subtraction and multiplication on her own accord. Can some one help me with some perspective or advice? Am I overreacting? |
Anonymous
| Are they watching this video everyday? How often do they watch videos? How long was the video? These are the questions that you should be asking the teacher. |
Anonymous
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We use Envision math at my school which is integrated with daily math smart board videos. The kids love it and they are very engaged.
Presenting some content utilizing technology makes sense, imho. |
Anonymous
| That is my complaint with the fancy white boards..lots of videos. Likely curriculum related but how nice for the teachers. I think Magic School Bus is great for indoor recess but not so much for science class. |
Anonymous
Envision is crap. I'm sure the kids are engaged--they're watching a cartoon. The teacher simply presses a button and steps aside. It's the most passive form of learning. Just because it's on a screen doesn't mean it's "advanced" or an appropriate learning tool. |
Anonymous
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Are you a teacher? Have you ever taught with Envision?
Obviously it could be misused. But a good teacher uses it as a tool, not as the whole lesson. |
Anonymous
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OP here.
Is there any data that supports using videos, Envision or not, as opposed to video-less methods? I'm sure kids love it, as a PP wrote -- kids love cartoons. I just do not see why this should be a part of school. I really don't get it. We get more high-tech earlier on, and still we trail in math and science. Something doesn't up (excuse the pun). |
Anonymous
Don't be such a nutty hippie. Seriously. Relax. Leave the educating to the professionals. |
Anonymous
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Used to bug me too. I am not a squeaky wheel at all but I came close to complaining about it.
I remember they used to do it for art a lot. I get that you might want to show kids something about Pollack before you have them splatter paint, but when they get one art class a week at most, and the video takes over all the time for actual painting there's something wrong. |
Anonymous
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Ughhh. You guys need to get a grip. These videos are so short. So helpful. You're balking because they are engaging your children? Teaching them math? It's not like that's ALL They are doing all day.
We are in the 21st century, yes? Videos are not considered evil anymore, when used in moderation. |
Anonymous
| MCPS embeds technology and video clips in the 2.0 curriculum. Your child is probably seeing a very short clip that will explain a concept for visual and auditory learners. I would seek further clarification from your child's teacher about the role of video in the classroom. |
Anonymous
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No offense, but if you are "annoyed" by lesson supplemental videos being shown in K, you are in for a long hard ride.
Your kid has been in school about a month and you are already annoyed by the way DC is being taught. As the parent of an 8th grader, let me tell you that technology is now embedded into the curriculum a great deal in math and reading...and that includes videos and computer screen time. For those of us who have limited screen time at home, it took some adjustment. I would just urge you to focus on results. I was taken aback at first, but it (computer screen time) has actually helped DS in math. |
Anonymous
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I went to what, by today's standards, would be considered an under-performing school in a very poor school district in Appalachia. There were no extras, we barely had books. All workbooks were re-used year after year. Since the county had only 1 school 1st - 6th (no K) and 1 school 7-12, some kids rode the bus for nearly 2 hours each way. FARMs rate??? probably off the chart. Everyone was on free and reduced lunch.
Do you know what was a huge treat for us? The days that our class had a turn with the 1 movie projector. The teachers would hang a white sheet over the blackboard and show us an educational movie (not VHS... the old reel type projector). It was amazing, Schoolhouse Rock was my favorite. I bought the DVD for my kids. As long as it's not a frequent occurrence, I wouldn't make a huge deal. Its a nice treat for the kids and if used correctly, it does add value to the class. OTOH, if you are vehemently opposed, I would suggest (this is a serious suggestion) that you look into Waldorf education. |
Anonymous
I am not annoyed by your response at all. In fact this is what I fear, that I am in for a long hard ride. I know it may not be rational but there is something about watching videos in school that makes me see red. I do let my kids watch TV at home, but I don't pretend they are learning when they do it. I will take your advice and try to focus on results. |
Anonymous
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Pull your kid out quick and homeschool them so they don't watch any videos...i am sure your pre-k wonderchild who was doing multiplication will be forever tainted by the few educational videos they are watching...Get a grip!
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