New Approaches
by 
Mimi Lozano Holtzman
Circa, early 1980

 

Education in the United States is currently faced with major social changes. This coupled with spirally costs demands new approaches for solutions. A review of the current literature indicates that bilingualism and biculturalism,  and the quality and quantity of television for children represent two of the most urgent concerns.

"Despite an astronomical increase in educational spending from $29,700,000,000 in 1965 to $75,000,000,000 in 1976, test scores for graduating seniors have been consistently declining." (1)  Austin McCaffrey, Senior Vice President, Association of American Publishers, New York City.

In addition to the declining overall overall test scores, the minority student presents other problems. Among Puerto Rican students in Chicago, the dropout rate runs about 70%  a year for Hispanic students. (2)  State officials in Colorado concede that "Chicano students generally score lower on achievement tests, repeat grades more often and drop out sooner and in greater numbers than do their Anglo classmates . . . 
double the comparable rate for Anglos.(3)  Other minorities are affecting the national level of education, "School drop-out rates for Indians are twice the national average." (4)

Thus the concern of educators and ethnic leaders is founded on a real problem. Immigration into the United States, legal and illegal indicates that the problem will increase in severity. Of the 287,000 foreign born students in America, 76% are Hispanic (5) Dale Cozart, agent in charge of the El Paso, Texas Border Patrol Station, said, "It's like trying to push back the ocean." (6)
In addition, barrio situations result in thousands of native Americans in which Spanish in their first language. Estimate of all Hispanics in the U.S. including illegal aliens is 19 million.(7) California has more Hispanics than any other state (8)and estimates are that this will increase further. "Half of California's population could be Hispanic by 1990 - up from 16 percent today, community leaders predict." (9)

The increase of Hispanic as well as Oriental and Middle East immigrants is no*t being met by qualified teachers. Currently "there is an acute shortage of qualified teachers." (10) and bilingual programs tend to cost about twice as much as regular classes because of special teachers and materials." (11)

The challenge of bilingualism in the schools is not the only giant to tackle. The quantity and quality of' television has become both a foe and friend to educators.

"It is estimated that most children have watched 3,000 to 4,000 hours of TV before the first grade and even through high school more hours have been spent before the TV than in school." (12)

" . . . .  for most children, the more television, the worse they do in school." (13)  Professors George Gerbner and Larry Gross of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communications.

However as Frank Viviano, teacher at Wayne State University stated, "It won't disappear because instructors despise and ignore it - the opposite is more likely." (14)

A -problem solution briefly stated then is to use the captivating power of Television and develop classroom techniques to reach the increasing number of minority, bilingual children.

Where does the Junior College curriculum fit into this national problem? As a Junior College we are to meet the changing educational needs of the community. Francis Scott Key Elementary School in Washington, DC has a student body of 32 nationalities and 23 language groups. (15) It has successfully met this awesome challenge by employing aides when staff teachers were not linguistically prepared. In a developing migrant program, it was found that "teacher aides have proved to be of great value . . " (16)  If aides are trained from the very minority groups entering into the educational system, local needs can be mett but,, stimulating, attractive techniques which the aides can use comfortably, must be sought.

The added dimension to the concept of Junior Colleges preparing aides quickly and effectively is to use television to train bilingual aides in classroom use of television and puppetry techniques to reach and keep the bilingual-bicultural child learning and progressing.

Current research of television techniques for puppetry production has revealed tremendous potential for combining these two dramatic art forms. Many projects have both television and puppetry to teach the minority, Seasame Street and Villa Allegre to name a few. But the child has remained a viewer, not an active participant.  Experts such as Dena Chapa Rupert, Bilingual Program Specialist for the Stockton Unified District, believe that language development is enhanced by Total Physical Response (TPR).  (17) Whereas Psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland has stated "TV" may be a training course in the art of inattention." (18)  Professors Jerome and Dorothy Singer, Yale University's Family Television Research Center also express concern, "... heavy TV viewing stunts the growth of the imagination in the crucial ages between three and five years old. (19)

By contrast when the child is personally involved in producing a puppet show and then also videotaping it, his interest, depth of involvement, self-image, self-confidence, and enthusiasm for learning are incalculable, though real.

I have seen the results of this combination in my own classroom and workshops given. I have spoken to teachers whose children have been involved in joint projects with my puppetry students. Our involvement with the Irvine School District on their closed circuit interactive cable system afforded, a very real and dramatic opportunity to see the excitement of the combination working. 

At this time, I am not aware of any schools or colleges which are involved in this specific type of combined dramatic arts research. The following gives supportive statistics on the effects of children involvement in television production.

Laurel Elementary School received funds under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to improve educational opportunities for the disadvantaged. Videotape recorders, classroom monitors, and other equipment that is used to produce television shows were purchased. Within 5 years, reading and math test scores at the school rose to levels above the national norms. Teachers and administrators give credit to the developed audio-visual program in which the children themselves produce daily shows. (20) 

Two articles in American journals stress the value to students of using their natural interest in television for furthering learning, "Basic Skills of TV viewing" in Today's Education (21) and "Where TV and Education Come Together" in American Education. (22) 

The value of puppetry itself to the child is a constant source of amazement. It is difficult to fully grasp the delight, joy, and intense involvement that they produce. Puppets are being used in all aspect of education from teaching health principles to working with an autistic child, from stimulating poetry writing to encouraging the use of a spastic arm, from stopping stuttering to preparing for surgery.

This fascination with puppetry and the one-eyed box can lead the child forward and at a faster rate. I sincerely believe that a speeded up approach for training bilingual aides would be to familiarize them with what is an electronic marvel of the now and future and combine it with an art form that goes back to the beginnings of man, puppetry.

Editor Mimi:  Sorry, I misplaced the last page with the footnotes. Will include when I find it.