Jan 03 2009
Bring Back School House Rock!
For anyone that was a child in the 70’s, I am sure you remember School House Rock! Conjunction Junction and I’m Just a Bill are just two of hundreds of songs and videos from that era. I loved those videos and remember learning many things from those songs. I know it is still around and it seems to be making a comeback, but is it shown in schools? Probably not. Maybe it should.
With hundreds of cable channels and internet and XBox, how many educational programs do children watch anymore? When I was a child, we did have all those choices, so we watched one of the 13 or so channels on television. I grew up on Sesame Street, Mr. Roger’s, and Romper Room. Squeezed in between Saturday morning cartoons were three minute videos that taught us everything from multiplication tables, to history, to science and technology.
I think kids today would appreciate the goofy videos with the memorable, catchy lyrics. Maybe we can try to squeeze them in Saturday morning again, or better yet, Monday mornings in elementary classrooms.
Our family loves those videos, and you can actually watch them on YouTube. That’s the leveler of all. Good luck to you in getting to your teaching career. I’m a former teacher myself, so I wish you well.
I loved those videos. I know what you mean about shows today. The funny thing is if parents are careful about what their children watch, there is so much more than there was in our day. My children are growing up on PBS shows and the educational Disney shows, but most of the parents I talk too let their kids watch just about anything and it’s usually not educational.