In a recent story from Teaching Professor, Camille Belolan of Bloomsburg University wrote about about bringing media into the classroom. I think this is a quaint idea as many k-12 teachers have been doing this for quite some time – make content relevant by connecting what is in the classroom to what is outside the school. It’s good to see people thinking about doing this in higher ed to be sure, but disheartening to see it coming so late. Some bits:
As teachers know firsthand, students are afraid of certain subjects and disinterested in others.
Students are, however, knowledgeable about and interested in various products, services, celebrities, and
trends. Teachers can channel this familiarity and enthusiasm to nudge students into mastering difficult or
seemingly irrelevant concepts.…
Media materials can never, of course, take the place of meticulously written textbooks. However, if ads,
articles, commercials, informal essays, tabloid newspapers, gossip columns, and even coupons elaborate
in a reader-friendly way on real-world experiences, and if our students’ perception and reception of these
materials is positive, why not let these free, nonthreatening materials enliven and enrich the education
process?
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