The Video Conflict
Videos have always been a large part of the educational process. From the safety videos in elementary school to the long documentaries of high school, videos have been central in much of any student’s learning experience. The times are changing however, and there has been an immense ideological shift in how class time should be spent in this school district.
On the upper end of educational politics, there exists a belief that videos are nothing more than a hindrance to the overall learning process; that they detract from, rather than aid in, the child’s understanding. Junior Amanda Lewis shared her opinion on the matter, “There is only so much that students can comprehend from just listening. Videos are beneficial because they capture the attention of the individual and allow them to experience the content of their studies in an entirely different way.” In this statement, Ms. Lewis captures the view of many students. Oftentimes, students become insipid from the unending monotony of their curriculum and are renewed with a sense of vitality through the implementation of such delightful clip, unanimously agreeing upon their benefits.
More often than not, the teachers are thought to be on the opposing end of the spectrum from the students. However, there are numerous teachers who seem to share a similar view to most students on this matter. The famous AP United States History teacher Mr. Ferretti often plays videos whenever opportunities arise, ranging from presidential documentaries all the way to Star Trek clips. Mr Ferretti’s offered his opinion that videos are essential for any learning environment as they provide different perspectives towards history, which he can not easily provide. Mrs. De Stefano seemed to be part of the minority of teachers holding a belief in the middle ground, stating “In our entirely visual society, the proper use of a video can be the greatest thing; however, used improperly to the point of abuse, they prove to only waste valuable time.”
From student to teacher, this question seemed to only give way to one opinion, that videos are undoubtedly a part of this system that needs to stay. Despite the unending pursuit of harsher regulation that this school district has partaken in, it is clear that the “purging of videos” is something that will upset a great number of students and teachers alike.
