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Show ypriiaexDOSure Kids ge t h ungry for educa tion ; of us must decide how we are 9in9 10 defend Public broadcasting from those who are trying to kill it," said Dr. Rex Campbell, head of Radio and Television Services on campus, at a discussion on "Sesame Street as Candy-Coated Education," held Wednesday in the auditorium of ,he Mariott Library. "The child of the television age is highly literate where that media is concerned, and we can't count on the money-grubbers money-grubbers in commercial television to help." The discussion was the first in the "Face to Face" series, to be held during, the second week of each month in the Marriott Library i auditorium. Also speaking was Dr. Anthony LaPray, an affiliate of the Head Start and Follow Through programs in Salt Lake, who said, "Children today are going to have to be educated to a higher degree and at a faster rate than every before . We need any help we can get, through any media." Dr. Campbell and Dr. LaPray agreed that "Sesame Street," an educational children's program shown on public broadcasting networks, has exerted a great impact on the learning patterns of children. "Studies show that a child has consolidated 50 percent of his learning potential by the age of five. If he doesn't realize that potential while he can, it is forever lost to him," said Dr. Campbell. "We in public broadcasting can help assure this realization." He explained that, while public television is concerned with the experimental aspects of educational media (and media in general), commercial television concerns itself with "the greatest audience and the most money." "However, sometimes we wonder if "Sesame Street" and the programs like it are too successful," suc-cessful," added Dr. LaPray. "When the kids start going to kindergarten, they soon find out that their teachers aren't equipped to come up with the same song-and-dance that appears on television." However, he expressed hope for that aspect of educational TV, saying, "The programs should make the children hungry for education, so that later on they will be willing to assimilate more of it-even it-even though it may not be presented in the same pleasing form." To the criticism that "Sesame Street" was force-feeding information in-formation to children rather than presenting it in an orderly manner. Dr. LaPray replied, "Sesame Street" is the only show that caters to a child's short attention span. This makes it more, rather than less, effective." Dr. Campbell stated his belief that media other than books will become more important to educators in the future. "The way I was brought up, adults figured that if you threw a kid in a school, he would automatically start to learn. People don't realize that, while a young child makes no distinction ' between education and fun, an adult's attitude is likely to be, 'if it's fun, it's not educational, and if it's educational, it's not fun. ' I think 'Sesame Street' represents the realization on the part of educators that education can indeed be fun." |