DVDs in class

[anotherglass]

My son (Y4) tells me today that his teacher is putting on Maths and Grammar DVDs during class time. They watch the DVDs then might do a worksheet or might not. Is this normal in other schools? Why are teachers who and trained and paid to teach sticking on DVDs? He is at the local comp.

Why is putting on a DVD a 'good' thing, especially to teach grammar? Why is a teacher not able to do this more effectively?

When I was little we used to watch a video of a big pencil writing letters, and a couple of other ones too. Used to wheel in an old TV on a stand, hey presto.

Think this is not a new thing.

I am also an MFL teacher and use DVDs/video clips a lot to aid teaching. That is just what they are - a teaching tool, just like worksheets, the board (interactive, blackboard or otherwise), my own voice, authentic materials from abroad, I could go on.

Since you ask, the teacher is adding value by spending their evenings scouring the internet, youtube, BBC class clips etc looking for suitable and relevant clips which support the learning objective and present new information in a more technologically engaging way that having me stand at the front reciting verb endings, for example.

There's a wealth of difference between sticking Merry Madagascar on for an hour while I catch up on the last of my reports so I don't have to write them over the Xmas hol (which I may well do a week on Friday, so shoot me) and using valid real footage as an engaging teaching tool in my ever increasing toolkit. Kids expect to be entertained these days, 'just' teaching don't quite cut the mustard.

I rarely use DVDs in the class ... however occasionally we view things like Shakespeare's Animated tales as part of our study of the text.

MrZ, is there a reason why you won't use DVDs for other lessons?

DVDs can be great, video clips can be great. However if you think you get a real idea of what happens in a classroom from what your child says, then you have a lot to learn. Kids often get confused, and their idea of time is often wrong. So "I watched a DVD for all lesson" means ten minutes at the start, as an attempt to keep engaged the kids who already know this and are having it "re-enforced" for the twentieth time; before we move on to differentiated work. Or "I didn't play with anyone" which equals me and Sam had a row just before hometime.
DVDs can be good as: it gives another voice, it can show things in a different way, they can show things you can't really show in the class room (they can be fabulous for science - eg. you can't just take a class trip to a power station), kids may pay more attention to a TV.
If the timestable DVD has a song, that could be re-enforced in the classroom to help the learning.

My kids have all learnt a lot from watching TV both in school and at home (and I'm talking about educational things such as Spanish or Maths or the History of Science etc.).

I'm 47 and we had tapes and films as teaching aids in class when I was at primary back in the 60s. And those flannellogram things

Good teaching will be good teaching regardless of the media used. Bad teaching, alas, will be bad teaching whether modern or traditional. The important thing here seems to be that your son is not the making the progress he should: that is what needs investigating.

In the 80s it was standard practice to watch TV programmes that explained grammar.

I see I should read previous posts before posting!

If the DVD is relevant and can be understood by the children I don't see a problem. There are some really good movies out there. For example I recently watched the cbeebies Alphablocks movie that explains a_e and their explanation is great- very clear and short.

I would have no problem with that at all. Teachers use a variey of methods in teaching and children learn in different ways. Some child need to see something visually, others need to do activity, while others respond to listening.
It is quite common to have worksheets to go with DVDs..an acceptable form of learning and better than just watching a DVD...as remember they have to be awake and look for answers.
My Dd in Y3 has tests in Maths..which are played on a CD...or so she tells me.

UPDATE: I spoke to the deputy head this morning and she is investigating as use of DVDs in this way is not something the school encourages. We didn't discuss in depth as we were in playground but she said no other classes were using. I also spoke to 3 other parents before discussing my concerns to ensure I wasn't going in half cocked and yes my son's version was right. Another parent, who is also a teacher, has also raised her concerns. I am quite surprised by this as after reading many posts on this board, I was prepared for a robust defence from the school. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Hi Anotherglass

I am a very old Mum (Past 40) with two DDs in Y2 and Y4 respectively, and they also have videos to support their teaching - also quite a bit of whiteboard work.

I think there are several things changing for our children here.

An adult talking at them all day seems incredibly boring to today's kids.
They are used to fast paced tv/ video games/ etc...
They are the multi-media generation

At first I had your reaction - Oh my goodness they're just parking my kids in front of the t.v. But in fact it's not always like that. Yes, they're using resources to help underline the point they're trying to make - but sometimes the short-clips explaining the central point do it so well & visually (which really helps with maths) that it makes learning more straightforward and productive for everyone.

A lot of the 'DVDs' shown are in fact short clips which last less than 4-5 minutes. Some great examples for Primary maths are here: www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/primary/maths/

As ever it depends on the teacher - but anotherglass - I would talk to the teacher - you'll probably find that the school is signed up to on-line learning tools (education city/ espresso/ mymaths/ etc...) and that it is unlikely they are spending hours in front of DVDs - with the exception of when the entire class watches a movie (which usually includes writing exercises, whole class discussions & role play later).

So basically anotherglass - I think what you may need to realise is that things have moved on quite a bit since you were at school. And frankly some of the clips explaining grammar, geography, etc... off the BBC Learning 'BETA' website can explain a point far better than I ever could, so I wouldn't be against a teacher taking advantage of these useful teaching tools.

The Maths tests on CD are to prepare for the mental Maths aspect of SATs. Quite often teachers practise reading out the questions, but then they can go slower or emphasis, in the real SATs a CD is used to give standardise delivery, which it is a very good thing to practise.

anotherglass I would and do use DVDs as I would any other resource when I think they were the best tool for the purpose. Our children are growing up in a digital age and my personal feeling is that to some extent they are so familiar with DVDs etc (unlike my generation when watching the BBC schools programmes on the TV was a novelty ) they become "background" and aren't always as effective as we would hope.

Anotherglass - Is your issue with the use of the DVD, or the fact that they are given a worksheet afterwards?
As others have said, DVDs can be used perfectly well to help reinforce learning. However, I agree that watching a DVD then filling out a worksheet is not good practice.

Is anyone going to rail against this creep towards the e-education of our children? I have only heard one poster express some faint disproval of the outsourcing of 'teaching' to educational aides? At this pace, albeit slow, teachers are set to become extinct as children engage in self learning through computers. We are on that path. Is anyone going to speak up for the value of true, gritty, engaging, vocal and motivational teaching? Do we need to blithely accept that this is the digital age and sitting children in front of a screen really is the appropriate way to impart information to them. Is no one going to challenge this?

I'm not a celeb, to answer your question yes I am concerned that worksheets are doled out after a 'lesson' delivered by DVD. This is at the very passive end of teaching, and I am being generous.

TBH OP, you've been given plenty of reasonable answers on this thread.

There are many, many good reasons for using DVDs etc in lessons. As is clear from this thread TV programmes and clips have been used for decades.

I went to primary school in the late 70s/early 80s and watched 'How We Used to Live'. Hardly the dawning of the new 'digital age'.

It is not new and that is why people are not challenging it.

Come on! Actually to really motivate and engage children requires special qualities, which apparently these days can be only be found in an e-learning aides. We all got by without these tools. Don't dress them up as a satisfactory replacement for exceptional teaching.

Once again OP, these aides have been used for decades.

My worry is the growing prevalence of these e-learning tools. In my case, I feel that they are supplanting, not supplementing, or even complementing, the teacher. It is a line that can be easily breached if technology is easily accessible and the view held that children of the 'digital age' respond best to this approach. I am not against progress or moving with the times but also realise that busy teachers my become over reliant on these aides, and devalue their own input.

Use and abuse are different issues, handsomeharry.

So it's not new, is that a valid reason not to question?

Educational programmes have been broadcast since 1972 and have been use as an aide since then.

I see no evidence that they are supplanting the teacher nor that teachers are becoming over reliant on them.

IMO they enhance rather than detract in a classroom.

1972 is vastly different to 2011, both in terms of the educational aides available in the classroom and the increased workload on teachers. Do you disagree handsomeharry?