Discuss educational programs on television: how effective are these in enriching the

educational process in Philippine schools? What are their flaws and limitations?
Learning doesnt only happen inside the four corners of the classroom because,
most of the learning happens outside the classroom. With these being said, one should
take into consideration the number one place of leisure and the thing that consumes
most of the students time, or peoples time television. Since most children love to
watch television, it is the ideal tool for entertaining while educating.
Before kids became addicted to morning and afternoon cartoons and before
cable channels -- Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network -- arrive in the
country, Filipino educational shows are the most watched programs. Through the
efforts of big TV stations, like ABS-CBN and GMA7, with the support of the Department
of Education, educational television (ETV) programs were developed to cater young
audiences. Some of the most popular and most successful, as well as most favorite
(personally), ETV programs in the country are: Batibot, Sineskwela, Hiraya Manawari,
Bayani, Math Tinik, Epol Apple, ATBP -- Awit, Titik, Bilang na Pambata, Pahina, 5 and
Up, and Wansapanataym. And one should not forget: Matanglawin, Aha!, History with
Lourd, and Kultura.
According to the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics,
educational television programs are successful in broadening young childrens
knowledge, affecting their racial attitudes and increasing their imaginations.
Furthermore, kids who watch informative and educational shows tend to watch
informative and educational shows when they get older (Macbeth, 1996). They use TV
effectively as a complement to school learning. Anderson (2001) said that, preschoolers
who viewed educational programs tend to have higher grades, are less aggressive and
value their studies more when they reach high school.
It is also noteworthy to include the generosity of Philip Morris International in the
education sector. They are helping the government to raise educational standards by
partnering with Knowledge Channel Foundation Philippines Inc. (KCFI) which provides
access to a cable-based educational television channel for primary and secondary
schools.
On the other hand, we should also consider the negative effects of television on
the learning of the students. Researchers from the University of Sydney report a link
between total screen time and retinal artery width in children. Kids with lots of screen
time were found to have narrow artery in their eyes, which may indicate heart risk. Also,
kids who watch too much TV are usually overweight, according to the American Medical
Association. Moreover, kids who watch a lot of TV have trouble paying attention to
teachers because they are accustomed to the fast-paced visual stimulation on TV.

Some critics also argue the learning passivity imposed by television. According to
them, young people are being conditioned, much like Pavlovs dogs, to be passive
learners for learning how to learn requires active engagement (i.e. reading, hands-on
activities, etc.)
Yes, there are positive and negative effects of the use of television on students
learning; but, the bottom line here is the CONTENT of the television show -- high
educational programming can have a positive effect on childrens learning. It can aid in
the acquisition of general knowledge plus improve overall cognitive knowledge among
students. Just like what Ed Palmer said on his opinion article, television is the foremost
tool for learning in the 21st century, use it wisely!

*Reference/s:
Educational TV Has Positive Effects on Toddlers and Preschoolers, Press Release.
(November 06, 2006). Seattle Childrens Hospital Research Foundation. Retrieved from
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/media/press-release/2006/11/001531 on December 08,
2014.
Klemm, William. 2012. Television Effects on Education, Revisited. Psychology Today.
Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201207/televisioneffects-education-revisited on December 08, 2014.
Palmer, E. 1999. Television for Learning: Our Foremost Tool in the 21 st Century.
Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/lwf/doc/portfolio/opinion7.htm on
December 08, 2014.
The Good and Bad Effects of TV on Children. Raise Smart Kid. Retrieved from
http://www.raisesmartkid.com/all-ages/1-articles/13-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-tv-onyour-kid on December 08, 2014.
Using Television to Improve Education, Philippines. Philip Morris International.
Retrieved from
http://www.pmi.com/eng/about_us/charitable_giving/education/pages/philippines_knowl
edge_channel.aspx on December 08, 2014