Jim+Trelease's+Thoughts+about+TV+and+Technology

Is TV harmful? Quotes that can get the conversation going… “TV and medicine in your medicine cabinet have so much in common. They need to have the proper dosage and they need to be monitored by parents.” “The damage of TV may not be the content or hours spent in front of the TV, but more so what has been missed because of those hours. For example, friends that were not made, drawing not drawn, hobbies not worked, the chores not done, the balls not caught, the skateboards not ridden, and books not read.” Amount of daily viewing effects amount of children who go on to higher ed. 40% who watched an hour of TV daily went on. 31% who watched 2 hours went on. 19% who watched 3 hours of TV went on. 10% who watched more than 3 hours furthered their education after high school. A woman who had two children in Detroit – she had a third grade education from a family of 24 children – saw her own children going down the wrong path of education when they were in 5th grade. What this woman did not have academically, she made up for in common sense. She saw no excuse for her boys not knowing their times tables. She had a third grade education, and she knew them up to the 12s. She did not allow the kids to play outside until they learned their times tables. She also limited TV to three television shows per week. She saw a powerful connection between over-viewing and underachieving. She filled the extra time that was once used as watching TV as a time to go to the library. Her two boys had to check out two books and write reports on them by the end of every week. Little did her boys know that she could not read all that they had written. By the end of high school, her boys were in the 90th percentile. One became an engineer and the other Dr. Ben Carson – neuro surgeon at HopkinsMedicalCenter. We now learn about Ben’s accomplishments in fourth grade. Talk about a success story for all parents to model. Was it easy for Mrs. Carson? Absolutely not. She had to be persistent and consistent. Jim Trelease writes, “Presidents, schools, and religious institutions are among the biggest offenders” in not “waking up parents” concerning over-viewing. Presidents complain about teachers not teaching and students not learning. Has anything changed in a “positive” direction at home in order for goals to be met. I see less being done at home. Perhaps, parents are finding ways for others to do it for them at home…let the computer teach my children. I will be the Einstein CDs to teach my children. I will provide my child with music lessons, girl/boy scouts to teach my children how to act toward one another etc. The old saying of “it takes a village”…have we left our raising of children up to everyone else? Preachers should preach it. Presidents should speak it. A recent poll showed 54% of parents had no limits on TV for their children. 63% watched TV while eating dinner. If the family discussed what was on TV while eating, I can see some worthiness, but usually people want it quiet so they can hear the TV. Shouldn’t dinner time be a time to talk with one another? Shouldn’t it be about sharing each other’s daily happenings? Are audio books harmful? 40 years ago, you had to be blind in order to get a recorded book. Then, the world of tape recorders came to us. This opened a whole new world. Some feared that it would stop people from reading the written word…it would make us lazy. It turns out that this was not the case. 75% of people using audio books are college grads. 41% have advanced degrees. 80% had an annual income of $51,000 or more. 86% read at least one newspaper, daily. Have you ever stopped at Cracker Barrel on a long trip? They have audio books that are cheap to rent. What about DVD players in the car? It is believed that they deprive another “classroom” experience…this one being with their parents. The video can only be viewed by those in the back seat. On the other hand, an audio recording, encourages everyone in the car to listen and visualize in your mind and also allow for discussion among the front and back seat passengers. Although I share this information with parents, I realize (as a non-parent) that this may fall of “deaf ears”, for many believe the Car DVD to be the greatest invention on Earth. It does keep the kids occupied and it’s less stressful for the driver. What did my parents do with me to make the ride manageable for everyone? I may be too “idealistic”…and I’ve accused others as being so when it comes to “teaching”, so I will understand if you disagree. My mother planned ahead with activities to do in the car…find a brown and white cow on a farm along the interstate. Look at the license plates on the cars passing us or in front of us. See how many different plates we can find. Did my brother and I argue back and forth?…yes…did it end quickly?...yes…There was a part of us that were scared of Dad…we knew Dad loved us, but he was our parent. Do parents try to be their child’s friend first? That’s a whole different “book”…but it’s something to think about. I have shared the story of BEN CARSON in more detail with my students…particularly as I have read more about the downfall of the Detroit culture in 2013. Have you heard that Detroit has become such a city of crime that when a fire hall receives a call, they question if they should put out the fire, due to the location of the fire and its high crime area? This man, BEN CARSON, is someone we can all discuss in our classrooms and in our homes. His mother should receive an award, too!