SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...
SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...
SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...
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& Richey, 1987; Liddell, 1988; Lovelace, 1991; McFarl<strong>and</strong>, 1992; Palmer, 1988; Strommen &<br />
Revelle, 1991). Eric Choat (1986) suggests that children at that age may not be cognitively<br />
developed to gain any redeeming value from aired programs. The following study presents a<br />
slightly different view <strong>and</strong> suggest that televisi<strong>on</strong> may have educati<strong>on</strong>al qualities for very young<br />
children: The Study <str<strong>on</strong>g>Group</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> TV programs for Two-year-olds has been engaged since 1979<br />
mainly interest-producing <strong>and</strong> evaluating TV programs for very young children. According to the<br />
NHK Public Opini<strong>on</strong> Research Institute’s survey in 1980 for Japan, the average daily TV<br />
viewing time of two-year-olds are at a crucial development stage, when they develop imitative<br />
behavior <strong>and</strong> the foundati<strong>on</strong> for imaginative power <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>cept formati<strong>on</strong>. Therefore, the proper<br />
use of televisi<strong>on</strong> can be extremely meaningful.<br />
It was found that the children’s attentiveness rate rose for scenes in which human beings or<br />
animals appeared, those in which there was no movement of the camera but active movement by<br />
characters, <strong>and</strong> those in which some counting of things took place.<br />
In the group’s sec<strong>on</strong>d study, several variati<strong>on</strong>s were produced of a segment in which three things<br />
were counted, since the attentiveness rate for this had been high in the first study. It was clarified<br />
that what attracted the children’s attenti<strong>on</strong> was the acti<strong>on</strong> itself of counting things, rather than the<br />
compositi<strong>on</strong> of the images projected, the kinds of objects shown <strong>on</strong> the screen (e.g. toys, food) or<br />
the accompanying humorous c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
In the third group study, attentiveness rates <strong>and</strong> imitative acti<strong>on</strong>s were checked with regard to<br />
short segments <strong>on</strong> "tooth-brushing," "work," <strong>and</strong> "picture-drawing s<strong>on</strong>gs." (The results showed<br />
some differences by sex in imitative acti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> the attentiveness rate for the segment about<br />
Awork). In the case of the youngest children, the attentiveness rate was high for segments which<br />
were short, c<strong>on</strong>taining simple pictures with quick movements, <strong>and</strong> accompanied by easy-tounderst<strong>and</strong><br />
narrati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
In c<strong>on</strong>cluding this secti<strong>on</strong> of televisi<strong>on</strong>, it should be menti<strong>on</strong>ed that although we see a positive<br />
correlati<strong>on</strong> between caregivers, televisi<strong>on</strong> usage, <strong>and</strong> actual child development, studies show that<br />
in settings where televisi<strong>on</strong> is used as a learning tool for nursery school <strong>and</strong> infant children, the<br />
teachers must be mediators between children <strong>and</strong> educati<strong>on</strong>al televisi<strong>on</strong> broadcasts to make the<br />
experience meaningful. A more ideal situati<strong>on</strong> would be the use of video recordings that can be<br />
suited to children’s needs <strong>and</strong> used to supplement classroom activities. Teachers should evaluate<br />
whether they are providing adequately for children’s needs with their use of educati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
televisi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Video as a training tool<br />
Although videos will never replace the virtues of face-to-face communicati<strong>on</strong> for effective<br />
training, the proper use of videos can excite <strong>and</strong> initiate involvement in educati<strong>on</strong>. This is mainly<br />
because TV "language" is pervasively present in the lives of children but also because its use at<br />
school futures communicati<strong>on</strong> between teachers <strong>and</strong> pupils.<br />
Because videos have an entertaining element, it is more likely to appeal to several age groups <strong>and</strong><br />
create interest in the topic of discussi<strong>on</strong>. The use of videos over other training materials may be<br />
its dual advantage of reaching the eyes <strong>and</strong> ears. Previous studies (e.g. Choat, 1986) indicate that<br />
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