Sesame Street: The Positive Effects Of Technology On Children

1370 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect of technology on learning

Wouldn’t the world be so much better without technology? Our lives would be far less corrupt without all these gadgets surrounding us, right? Technology is actually one of the reasons the children of today will prosper and live up to be that much better than the people of the older generations, and it all starts as early as pre-kindergarten. Millions of American children are introduced to some form of educational media outside of school, possibly before they even step into a school. Starting in the 1960’s, some could say that Sesame Street dominated the educational media with their fun and entertaining skits. Sesame Street encourages children to follow along with their fuzzy animal-like creatures while teaching them new and useful concepts, …show more content…

Technology is very beneficial to children in school because it makes education more entertaining, allows kids to learn outside of school, and provides low-cost alternatives to poor families that are just as good as going to school.
To begin with, technology makes education more entertaining for children. According to a paper from the University of Maryland’s Melissa Kearney and Wellesley College’s Philip Levine, the Vice President and person behind the Research and Evaluation and Sesame Workshop team of the Sesame Street Franchise, Jennifer Kotler Clarke agrees that one of the main reasons for the positive effects of Sesame Street is that “the program’s laughs and lessons stick with children”(Tankersley 1). The show encourages children, and parents as well, to follow along with their interactive and educational skits. Each skit is unique and memorable with its own themes and messages, and that is a big …show more content…

In Levine and Kearney’s paper, they state that Sesame Street allows kids to keep up and even go beyond what they are taught in school: “(Levine and Kearney) find that the show has left children more likely to stay at the appropriate grade level for their age”(Tankersley 1). Staying at the same grade level that your teachers and peers expect you to be is very crucial, because it will allow you to get access to special programs and live a wealthier life in the long term. Being able to study and learn new things from the comfort of your home is a very appealing concept, not to just children and teens, but also to adults as well. Since a show like Sesame Street is targeted to a much younger audience, it allows children who haven’t even entered school to get a head start and start off their school year knowing many concepts. Technology use outside of schools has been a very promoting thing to happen in recent years. A few examples could be Google Classroom or news outlets. It allows children to do online work from class at home if you were to be absent for a day or two, and it allows the very curious kids to look up and go beyond what the school teaches and decide if that idea is in a field that they might be willing to look into in the

Show More
Related

  • Screen Time- Devil in Disguise or Misunderstood?

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    Moses, Annie M., and Benson McMullen. "What Television Can (And Can't) Do To Promote Early Literacy Development." YC: Young Children 64.2 (2009): 80-89. Education Research Complete. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Amusing Ourselves To Death

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1985, television was a platform to use for educational purposes and entertainment. It did teach our youth that teaching and learning could be both fun and educational. With new developing technologies, it is only natural for our culture of education to develop. Although the format of education changes, change is not a bad thing. I see images, video, music, and all media as tools for our youth to learn. Making viewers and users aware of the impacts is necessary to inform the generation to

    Read More

  • tangled

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ildren that seem helpful and educational. Learning systems such as leap frog or educational television programs are also a hot topic when it comes to giving your child a boost in the education department. Being that it is still “media”, the question is; how helpful are they really and how much is too much? (Garrison & Christakis, 2005) Many researchers suggest that there are no negative effects of these educational programs. However it may not be the education department that these children will be lacking in. It is found that more children that are preoccupied with media, even educational, are more likely to become obese, lack in social skills, and be less creative. There are pros and cons to every situation that occurs in life. When it comes to the development of a child, balance is ultimately what needs to be achieved to be able to obtain a healthy lifestyle.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Technology Essay

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Technology is making this generation much easier. It chances the way we do business, communicate, and order food. Tomas chamorro from Psychologytoday said “ Life has become more complex but we hardly ever notice because technology has made complexity simpler than ever”. Some teachers say that they prefer technology than books because it helps kids learn. Other also say that it helps the environment because they don't have to cut trees to make textbooks.

    Read More

  • Entertainment Hiding Education: The Benefits of Children’s Programing

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    Think about a blue dog, a red monster that can talk, and a Spanish speaking girl who goes on an adventure every day. To a person who has not watched television those characters might be made up people. For a child, however, those characters are Blue from Blue’s Clues, Elmo from Sesame Street, and Dora from Dora the Explorer. These three shows air on networks that are based for children, and are what could be referred to as educational entertainment; they hide learning into an entertaining television show. Experts say that this technique, that children’s education television shows use, builds a foundation that children can use for a lifetime. Though some parents may argue that these programs do more harm than good, these shows have an educational value that other children series do not have. For a child that is watching these television shows, they are not aware of the learning component; rather, they believe that they are having fun. Even though some parents argue that children’s educational programs have little to no value, television that uses the entertaining education techniques in its programing can help children develop lifelong social and educational skills before, during, and after they start and finish preschool or kindergarten by developing their memory and mimicking appropriate social behaviors.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Watching Too Much Tv

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    For example, a good TV show that helps a child become smart and learn a couple things is Sesame’s Street. Sesame’s Street is kid’s show that’s been airing since the 1960’s. The show is consist of humans and puppets, who use comedy and cartoons to teach children educational things; based off songs and games (Sesame Workshop). I’ve seen this show work for children right in front of my face. Ever since I was sixteen I would go to my grandma’s Day Care and help her with the children. At her Day Care, Sesame’s Street was always being played. The kids would learn so many things from the show. There was one episode here Elmo and the Cookie Monster would sing the Alphabet in a song. It wasn’t like the original song, this one was different and catchy. So catchy that I’d find myself singing along the song too. I could definitely see that catchy song working for the kids too because every time I would see them, I would ask them the alphabet and they said to me, perfectly. So I absolutely disagree with Sach, parents shouldn’t keep their in a box and hide them from TV, instead they should search for the appropriate ones and show it to

    Read More

  • Sesame Street and its Effects on Children

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sesame Street is a TV show directed towards children. It contains Muppets that experience some of the same problems that today’s children face. They talk about being a good sport, getting new kids in their families, having arguments with their friends, and sharing, just to name a few. While helping children deal positively with the things they are dealing with, the show also has an educational aspect exposing children to letters, numbers, and other pre-literacy items. With all of this being advertised it’s important to make sure that the educational aspect is actually positively influencing the millions of children that watch it.

    Read More

  • How Technology Effects Children

    3455 Words  | 7 Pages

    In today’s society we are overwhelmed with technology. Technology is changing everyday, and will forever be a staple in our lives. The effect that technology has on our children has brought on some concerns and some praises. Children these days have no choice but to some how be influenced by the ever growing technology in our societies. Our common concern has been that although digital technology has boosted children’s talent for multitasking, their ability to process information deeply may be deteriorating (Carpenter, 2010). Many people have a wide range of opinions on if technology is having a positive influence on our children or a negative, there is a vast amount of evidence to support both of these arguments. Technology can refer to so many things, but there are three main parts of technology that are having the greatest effects on our children: video games, television/media, and computers. The modern technologies we have today are so powerful because they attract our genetic biases, that the human brain has a tremendous love for visually presented information. Video games, television, movies and computer programs are all very visually oriented and therefore they attract and keep the attention of children easily.

    Read More

  • Socahtoa Sparknotes

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sesame Street sought to use the medium of television for good by educating children using cartoons. Sesame Street helped children develop a love for learning; however, it also conditioned kids to only love school if it is like Sesame Street (143). This is a problem because the medium of TV does not allow students to ask questions, requires no social behavior, and teaches kids more about images than about language. Children expect to be constantly entertained, and thus do not want to patiently wait to learn how to read and write or go through the long process of philosophical discussion. When watching Sesame Street, children are allowed to sit on a couch in their pajamas eating popcorn while they learn, so they expect the same at school. The kids do not have to read or do any other type of meaningful work to absorb the images from the television screen, so Postman Says they don’t want to work hard to learn in school. The problem with Sesame Street is not that the publishers did a poor job, but that the medium of television cannot accomplish the goal of teaching children to use language, behave properly, and ask questions. Postman suggests that the medium of TV is not well suited for teaching

    Read More

  • Technology in the Classroom

    1792 Words  | 4 Pages

    Technology is becoming more and more dominant in our society.Everyday upgrades are being made and new innovations are being discovered. Technology is all around us whether we want it to be or not: it is the vehicles we drive, it can be found in our homes, and can even be found in the grocery store.Every place we look there is some type of technology.I believe technology has had a major impact on our school systems and is still impacting it today.There are those who do not agree, though, that technology has impacted our schools.Eric Gormly writes, “In fact, many theorists point out the overall impact of technology on education has been quite small, manifesting little discernible change in the classroom.” [1]Yes, there are some schools that are not as advanced as others, but many of them do have a significant amount of technology in them.I find it fascinating that so much technology has been incorporated into our classrooms, but I believe that, even with all of the positive aspects that are associated with technology, there are some negative and even dangerous aspects that should be taken into account.I will be sharing some of the equipment that has been used in the schools, how both the students and the teachers use the equipment, and also the positive and negative effects that technology has had on our schools.

    Read More

  • Technology: Friend or Foe

    2108 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is no surprise that technology is rapidly taking over the world, and defining the day to day lives we live. As humans we are constantly engaged in some form of technology. However, the role of technology in early childhood classroom is a growing and controversial topic. The bottom line question for most teachers is whether or not computer based technology is developmentally appropriate for early childhood students, and if they benefit from using computers as a primary learning tool. Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment (Webster Dictionary). Technology has been present in the world for centuries, from cave men to the industrial revolution which brought on a whole new era of technology to the United States. The Department of Education is granting schools with seven million dollars to help fund technology based learning just this year (Luebbe, 2011). Schools are now starting to be judged by the student to computer ratio, to determine the schools ability to provide a “quality” education. It’s no wonder everywhere we look and everything we do is a counterpart to technology.

    Read More

  • The Influences of Technology on the Childhood Experience

    2518 Words  | 6 Pages

    A mere twenty years ago, children played in their neighborhood all day, jumping ropes, riding bikes, and building forts. They were the masters of imaginary games. Children created their own play that didn't require any money or parental supervision. Children would play with sticks. It could become a slingshot, a pistol, a claw, or anything else that they could dream up (Sawyer 1). In the past, family time was often spent doing chores, crafts, and homework. The dining room table was where families came together to enjoy their meals and have conversations about their day. After dinner, the dining table became the center for baking and homework after dinner (Mendoza 1).Today's families are different. Technology's impact on the 21st century family is fracturing and altering its very foundation, and causing a disintegration of core values and breaking down the fabric that held families together long ago. Comparing to this current generation, children have been born into a digital world and grown up with the most advance and updated technology. Children are called “digital natives (Richtel 1).” They are contrasted with the digital immigrants, such as their parents and teachers, who have adapted technology much later in life (Richtel 1). Technology has advanced so rapidly that families have scarcely noticed the significant shifts and transformations to their family structure and lifestyles. According to 2010 Kaiser Foundation, the study showed that elementary aged children use on average 7.5 hours per day of entertainment technology, 75 percent of these children have TV's in their bedrooms, and 50 percent of them have the TV on all day (Mendoza 1). Laptops, phones, and televisions are considered as some of the most popular technologies...

    Read More

  • Electronic Media Negative Effects On Religion And Education

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    In our society, today, we can learn a lot from television; however, we cannot interact with a television like how we interact with each other. Postman uses a well-known example of a children’s show, Sesame Street, to highlight his argument of why the learning from another human is superior than learning from a TV program. Postman begins his argument, “We now know that ‘Sesame Street’ encourages children to love school only if school is like ‘Sesame Street’. Which is to say, we now know that ‘Sesame Street’ undermines what the traditional idea of school represents. Whereas a classroom is a place of social interaction, the space in front of a television set is a private preserve” (Postman 143). Although we know Sesame Street encourages our children to love school, it really encourages our children to love television. Our schools are becoming increasingly like the educational programs on TV because parents expose their child from a young age to these educational program; therefore, the child will be expecting school to be like the TV program they watch at home. And at home, they are not socializing with their teachers or fellow classmates. Just because a child knows how to do math, read, and write, does not mean the child is fully and completely educated. For example, a computer can only have so many programed

    Read More

  • Technology in the Family

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the United States in this day in age, technology has become a fighting force that parents and teachers both love and hate. I recently interviewed Cindy Moser about some of these problems and questions that concern technology and kids. When it comes to children right now, they are all engaged in some type of technology. Kids are getting phones at younger ages, they are able to watch more mature television shows before they are of age to watch, and with the easily accessible technology around them, actual human to human interacting has become a struggle to some children. However there are many benefits to the advancements of technology that we have made, the benefits are often accompanied by challenges. It can change the relationship between parents and children, not allow children to learn essential life skills needed to interact with other people, and even jeopardize their future by thinking everything that they post is private. Technology can be very useful for young children, but to a certain point it has to be regulated on what they can do.

    Read More

  • Effect of Technology in Education

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a college student who would like to become a teacher, I believe that technology will help a child. All children learn differently, and technology is to help the children who have no other place to go. Some children are just unable to learn from a teacher, that is when technology plays a big role. Some children have to show themselves how to do things and technology will allow that.

    Read More

More about Sesame Street: The Positive Effects Of Technology On Children

Open Document