By Brian Lassiter, Astoria Park Elementary, Tallahassee, Florida
One of my main goals as an educator is to help students find their way as an independent learner. Many times I have witnessed students look to the teacher as the holy grail of knowledge. I would love for that to be the case (for my own ego), but believe it or not, teachers are human – we don’t know everything.
How does this tie into PBS LearningMedia? Simple. While guiding my students to think for themselves and formulate ideas based on their own collection of knowledge, students need to have a safe place to learn this skill. What is safer than allowing students access to a brand they trust and are already familiar with – PBS?
The student access site for PBS LearningMedia (www.florida.pbslearningmedia.org) is a great tool students can use to research and discover information on their own. I trust when they visit this page nothing inappropriate will pop up on the screen. I can plan assignments for students to complete on their own if they finish early. They can complete projects and share with students in class as well as with me.
Another feature I love about PBS LearningMedia is the quality of the content. PBS is a trusted brand I feel safe using. Many times I have searched for a topic only to find the resource needed a tweak for student use. With FPBS Learning Media, I am secure knowing I do not have to stand over the shoulders of students and monitor their every keystroke.
PBS LearningMedia gives me full freedom to allow students to explore. The content is safe and educational. There are full-length programs students are familiar with such as Cyber Chase, Martha Speaks and Curious George. All these programs have been used in my classroom as a way to introduce topics like engineering, or to assist in such school community building like Reading Buddies.
When asked, most teachers say their favorite thing about teaching is when the “light bulb” goes off and the student “gets it.” I get satisfaction from that as well, however, what really makes my heart swell with pride is when a student comes to me and says, “Mr. Lassiter, I want to share something I learned with the class.”
So allow your students the opportunity to explore PBS LearningMedia, a quality stepping stone in learning – and it’s FREE!
