Cable Television

Cable television is a great source for entertainment, offering a large number of channels and special features like On Demand that put nearly any program on the tips of your fingers whenever it is convenient. The service is ideal for just about every family who enjoys movies and family programs. Cable television offers something for everyone, even teachers.

I discovered the value of cable television in the classroom when I worked as a long-term substitute teacher for a local high school. I was recruited to replace a teacher who was sent overseas during the beginning of the conflict in Iraq. His sudden departure left the school desperately looking for an adequate replacement. I was the adequate replacement.

Since I was an English teacher, I was not the ideal candidate for the job. The teacher who was called away taught Political Science and Economics. Although I am a history buff and I keep pretty current on events, I am no professional when it comes to either Political Science or Economics. Fortunately, the staff and administration worked closely with me to help make the transition from English teacher to Poly Sci and Economics teacher.

One of the most valuable resources was cable television. There were a number of great programs available through the History Channel and The Learning Channel that helped me create interesting and relevant lesson plans. The programs were available through the Cable in the Classroom resource available to our schools. The students looked forward to seeing the engaging programs and I was able to effectively use the programs as a valuable learning tool.

When we think about education, cable television does not immediately pop into mind, but the quality programming available really helped the school, the students and my self through the difficult time. Cable television offers web resources that are presented at the touch of a button. These resources became an extremely valuable tool for our class. Students were able to use the search engine to find programs specific to the lessons.

Allowing student to become actively involved in selecting programs demonstrated that they recognized key concepts and it was a powerful motivator. As each unit came to a close, students who earned enough credits were allowed to help me choose programs and organize them into the lesson review. This process was very effective and students worked very hard to have the honor of choosing programs.

After a few months, the school district found a Social Studies teacher who could work with the class. I will never forget the collaborative effort among my peers and among the students to make the class run smoothly. From what I hear, the new teacher continued to use cable television as a learning tool in his class.