Movies and Videos in the Classroom

Is it possible for a teacher to show too many movies and videos in the classroom? Our child must see at least two or three each week in her middle-school social-studies class. -- Too Many Movies
Answer: On the surface, viewing two or three movies or videos a week in social studies definitely sounds excessive. You need to investigate this more closely by talking to your child about the length and content of the movies and videos. If you are not satisfied that these presentations are enhancing the curriculum, talk to the teacher.
Find out if these movies and videos are being used to teach a part of the class and if they are going to be used at this level for a few weeks, a semester or all year. And more importantly, find out if the social-studies curriculum for this level is being taught. It would certainly be worthwhile to know if the other social-studies classes are using the same instructional method. Such presentations can be a poor way to teach a class. However, used in the right way, they can be a very effective tool in teaching social-studies material and make it more interesting and meaningful.