There are a variety of ways of learning productively at school, and gaining knowledge through watching TV is perceived as an optimal means. Therefore, it is suggested that children should be encouraged to view television both at home and at school. However, I am of the view that learning by watching TV is detrimental as it causes mental exhaustion and health problems, as well as less interaction with teachers.
The principal reason why productive learning through watching TV is appealing has to do with the attractiveness of TV itself. TV offers an interactive and engaging atmosphere. It is true that TV can instruct thoroughly with the interaction of music, animation, and quizzes presented at the end of the video. In this case, this may catch students’ attention and enable them to learn with passion and engagement. For example, during history class, the teacher may show videos to make the class more dynamic and involve each student. The video may demonstrate the exact period of the historical theme. Students will witness what happened in history with their own eyes, even though all of these occurrences are simulations. As a result, students’ interest in each class will increase, and they will learn with their own passion and excitement.
Nevertheless, I personally disagree with this view because I believe that there are serious consequences behind this method. First and foremost, if television videos are watched for a prolonged period, this may result in health issues, such as eye strain and headaches. Admittedly, if a child looks at the television both at home and school, the time they spend in front of it will be too long, and therefore, this may lead to mental fatigue. Subsequently, this exhaustion will affect the eyes and head, causing them to be sore and in pain. Another fundamental reason why this method is detrimental is that it can reduce the interaction with teachers, which plays a pivotal role in students’ learning. Indeed, if students only use TV to broaden their horizons, they will rarely rely on their teachers’ guidance and instructions, choosing TV over their teachers. For instance, during mathematics, children make use of digital videos to interpret how to solve mathematical issues on a specific topic. In this case, they can watch the video multiple times to learn to find solutions for their problem, but they often may not understand the formula. Hence, teachers’ assistance will definitely be needed to explain everything in detail.
Consequently, this may not be a reliable method in preparing for exams. In conclusion, while productive learning could be done through TV viewing as this method provides interactive learning with its own appeal, I firmly contend that this is rather negative, for it leads to permanent health issues like eye pain and headaches, as well as less involvement of teachers.