Education and Television

Today in class we started talking a little bit about education and television. Lipton said that children shows, such as sesame street, doesn't teach children anything accept how to watch television. I have to say that I completely disagree with him. Now I agree that babies can't learn anything from televison because they cannot yet comprehend words, but the stimulation, such as colours and sounds and watching other beings interact, help to activate a infant's mind. On one level I agree that very young babies do not directly learn anything from television, but theres no denying that sounds and lights help to stimulate the mind. On the other hand, slightly older children, say toddlers between the ages of one and three learn by repetition. Shows like sesame street repeat words, numbers and letters over and over again. Once children recognize these words they can follow a long. Hearing the words over and over and repeating them with the television helps them to learn and remember. Also seeing number and letters being used in a social setting helps children to understand what they mean. Now I don't in anyway believe that a television can substitute as a teacher, but television can definitely help in allowing children to practice and remember words that they are beginning to recognize. I think Lipton was right in the sense that television can't teach a child directly, but when he or she is first becoming accustomed to things such as letters, shapes, numbers and words television helps them to remember by repeating what they know and displaying it clearly and simply for them to remember.