Years ago when I first started in the Early Childhood field, I worked at a privately owned center that had television sets in the classrooms.
In my classroom; we only watched it after nap-time and when I wanted to reiterate a theme that we were working on. It really helped in getting the students settled after nap-time while I helped students that needed additional assistance with changing clothes or help with putting away their nap-time items.
Then everything changed and at the corporate centers there were no more televisions, they said that preschool should be a place for learning and televisions should be something that the students watched at home, not at school.
In addition to that, some teachers were taking advantage by letting their student’s seat in front of them for long periods of time.
Nyeri Senator, Mutahi Kagwe told Standard Media that education should be more attractive to young learners, so they should have access to television sets in their classrooms, since most students did not have them at home.
Kagwe wants to make the schools’ environment comfortable, while making learning fun.
I never disagreed with televisions being available in preschool; I just don’t think they belong in classrooms. They should be available as an additional teaching resource when needed. Just as some elementary schools used them to share educational films with their students.
But in the case with Nyeri, I do agree that something additional for the students would be beneficial in making schools more exciting for them. I just don’t agree that televisions should be installed in classrooms.
They could provide students with television time, by bringing in the televisions when needed, whether than having them in the classrooms at all times, which would be a distraction to the students, especially since this is something new for them.
However, since students learn differently and based on their five senses, this might be a great learning tool to incorporate in preschool classes. It would also give students a different perspective on television use.
I also don’t see anything wrong with a movie day every once in a while just as long as each parent has approved the desired movie. My students wanted to talk about Frozen as a theme. We all agreed that we would talk about ice, and at the end of the study we would watch the movie Frozen. I put out blankets and we had popcorn and I made it a movie day.
What do you all think about this? Should or shouldn’t televisions be allowed in preschool?
*Darla the Teacher *
I think a television in a preschool room is fine as long it is reiterating a point in a lesson or if youtube is playing thru it as background noise when the children are having a specific period of music and movement. I worked in a center awhile back that had televisions in every classroom. Yes even in the toddler room. When I was in there I used it at naptime (because she didn’t have a CD player.)
I agree, there are so many creative ways to use it. Thank you for your reply
I agree, I think if used in the correct contexts they are okay. I use to use it for after naptime. It helped be work with the students who had accidents while the others were engaged in getting up and ready for snack