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Okay, so I was going to ask my middle schooler when she came home today if they were going to be watching it. This is because on the news another area school district had a huge showing of parents all up in arms that they were NOT going to be showing it on Tuesday. The school board relented and now they are making ALL of their students watch it. So my daughter comes home and says they are making EVERYONE gather in the gym to watch it.
What do you think?
What are the schools in your area doing?
With the way we are nowadays it can be recorded and viewed later?
Kids can watch bits of it that are important in history class and discuss it?
Most adults are going to be working and won't be able to watch it, so why not view it together as a family that night on tivo or whatever?
The one "issue" I'm having is that the kids are going to be missing 2 class periods of instruction in order to view it when the day before they were out for a Federal holiday. This means that a 4 day instructional week has now been cut down to practicially 3 in at least 2 subjects. I'd personally MUCH RATHER watch it as a family TOGETHER. I know I'm not going to be able to see it myself "live" as I'm already scheduled for medical appointments that are not going to be canceled.
My kids are in college and grad school now, so I can be a little objective. I think missing two class periods of school to watch the inauguration is acceptable, especially when you think of all the other things they miss class for. I know your oldest is in middle school. When my kids were in middle school there were all sorts of assemblies, etc., and when they were in high school there were pep rallies, music performances, play performances, and other events for which they missed class. This is history. Watching something live has no equal.
Even though I don't like Obama much, I think its okay to miss a few hours of school to watch a historical event. However, I do doubt elementary kids would even know, care, or remember any of it... I don't remember elementary school at all... or middle school (or junior high as they call it where I was)... and high school is very vague in my memory (probably will be forgotten completely in a few years)... its nice but it don't really amount to much...
When I was in elementary school we used to watch all the inagaurations- meaning US President and if PBS showed the governor's inauguration, we wathced that too. We also watched space shuttle launches- and for those who remember the late eighties that proved to be a big mistake with the Challenger.
I think we watched a Reagan-Gorbachev conference in middle school but that might have been only during history class or recorded on the VCR (which was quite the marvel for a few of our teachers.)
Watching the inauguration went right through high school however and no one made a fuss. Clinton's inauguration actually occured during my physics class and the teacher was actually president of a county's Republican Women's Club but she was a a good sport about it and asked us to point out Justices and Senators we could recognize.
I think it was a good thing to do because it gives you a perspective or frame of reference for events and I doubt I would have seen the Reagn-Gorbachev interaction any other way since my parents were anti-cable and I might not have cared to watch even if we did have C-SPAN.
When I was in elementary school we used to watch all the inagaurations- meaning US President and if PBS showed the governor's inauguration, we wathced that too. We also watched space shuttle launches- and for those who remember the late eighties that proved to be a big mistake with the Challenger.
Anytime I hear "live on TV at school" this is what I think of. I'll never forget being in my 5th grade classroom, all the excitement when they rolled the TV in, the anticipation, and then the take off, then seconds later the explosion. I'll never forget the look on my teacher's face for as long as I live. Shock and confusion, then near tears. It was very, very sad.
I don't see the purpose of young children watching the inauguration. Not because of missing two periods, because in the scheme of things that's not a big deal. But because of the fact that many kids think when the TV comes out it is goof off time, and besides young kids are not going to be interested in what is going on, generally. So why bother? I am thinking it is going to be rebroadcast in prime time, so the teacher can make viewing it a homework assignment if she really feels that they should see it.
I understand the historic value, but maybe just back off of things like this, yes in part to the Challenger incident.
Honestly with all the crazies out there, I will breathe a sigh of relief after the inauguration. I already was holding my breath when Obama came out for his acceptance speech. I fear for his safety, to some extent, as sad as that is to say.
I certainly do remember an event when I was in 6th grade - President Kennedy's assassination. We didn't watch it on TV, but our principal announced it over the intercom. Then we were out for several days to watch the funeral on our black-and-white TV.
Wow, are people really upset or defiant over schools deciding that rather than teach from a book, they are going to allow their students watch history live. Years from now people will remember where they were and the discussions they had when this historical event took place. It amazes me what some people will choose to complain of.
I don't see the purpose of young children watching the inauguration. Not because of missing two periods, because in the scheme of things that's not a big deal.
My principal at my elementary sent an email out to all of the teachers, just about the Inauguration. In the email, she specifically stated specific grades...the older grades....but didn't say it was mandatory. I teach first grade and we're thinking about letting the children watch some of it.......and of course speaking during it to "baby-fy" it (yes, that's a new word!!). While on one hand I do understand that my children probably won't be interested in it, it might not be interesting, it might be too advanced.............this is a history making event. At this moment, it is time in our 1st grade social studies curriculum, to be teaching about MLK and what he stood for (to help African American people rise at the same level as Caucasians).......and then we're teaching about heroes, Black HIstory month coming up along with Presidents.....so this fits right into the curriculum. And......as I said above.......it is a history making event. This is our first black president. It shows that what MLK and everyone else did in the past, worked, to allow this to happen. There might not be another black president. I would love for my class, as they're adults, to be able to say that the saw the Inauguration of the FIRST black president..........especially if it's the ONLY black president that America will have....................and with that all being said........I might actually put it on, and just take it from there and see how it goes.
Shame on the people who basically said it's no big deal.
I'm currently studying abroad in the UK and my professor cancelled class (and I'm the only American in class!) for the election and passed out a sheet showing a list of pubs that will be broadcasting. I can't imagine NOT watching something so important, regardless of age.
I remember my middle school announced what happened with 9/11 and the principal stated over the intercom specifically that teachers were not allowed to show it. Thankfully my teachers had the attitude that they'd rather get fired than not watch coverage, and we watched. When I reached my final class where the teacher would not show the coverage, I walked out and went back to one of my other teacher's classrooms.
I also remember being 12 years old and my parents pulling my 11 year old brother and I out of school for a few days to go to the rallies in DC right before the 2000 election Supreme Court Decision. You never, ever, ever forget things like that and there can't be anything that I missed in those days that were more valuable than what I got to see.
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