subject: Educators In Wisconsin Apply Digital Media Like Satellite Tv [print this page] Some people seem to think that geography has a lot to do with available resources. Those in high profile cities and communities might think that the resources they have access to create a better learning environment for children, and foster academic growth. The truth, however, is that all across the nation there are affluent communities as well as middle class and even low income communities that still manage to educate children well. A state in the middle of America like Wisconsin has just as much access as a big name state like California when it comes to digital media. Increasingly this is becoming possible thanks to digital media. With features like satellite TV and the internet its possible to spread the same information across populations of all income levels nearly instantaneously. Those who think that television has nothing academic to offer have not paid attention to some of the top academic programming to come out over the course of the past decade. Not only are some programs specifically designed to be shown to elementary, middle and high school aged children, they have been proven extremely effective. The way the world works these days is not on paper, out of the dry pages of a book, but rather in the interactive world of digital media.
Consider the world that a child today is presented with very carefully before condemning the use of digital media as a educational tool, and even in the classroom. When a child is put into a world in which he or she has a high degree of control, say operating a computer or playing a video game, and becomes used to this autonomous position, it can be hard to then harness the childs attention into a classroom setting where he or she is nearly entirely passive. When information is simply being presented to, instead of integrated into the childs sphere of existence, it is nearly impossible to grab the childs true attention. Now, think of how an interactive satellite TV program or computer program could bridge that gap. School could take on the role of being a place for children to practice and share the ideas, skills and concepts they are absorbing via digital media. Changes like these should never encourage living entirely in a digital world, but could help to bridge the gap for many children who are being raised in a digital bubble then suddenly having that bubble burst by authoritarian educators.
Some of the scientific discoveries and images being shown on television today as entertainment are high definition spectacles that would easily capture the attention of any child or teenager. Using these images and exciting discoveries can help kids stay on the edges of their seats while learning, instead of simply daydreaming away in the back of the classroom. Educators today need to face the fact that the speed of life is simply moving faster than their days as students in classrooms across the country from Wisconsin to Washington. Help kids keep up with the times, and start enjoying the benefits of using digital media by using educational satellite TV programming in the classroom.
