When do your kids watch educational videos? (second try at this)

[plain jane]

When do your kids watch educational videos?

 

For example, we're currently learning about gravity. I found a Bill Nye DVD at the library on the topic and wanted the kids to watch it. Or, when we study Greece, the kids will watch (at some point) a Drive Thru History video.

 

When would *your* kids watch something like this? Do you set aside time during "science time" for them to watch these videos, perhaps a set day each week for similar things? Do you make them watch them in their spare time? ;) During meals? Never? :tongue_smilie: Only when they are sick?

 

We have a subscription to BrainPop this year so I do let them watch those vids during a science lesson because they are so short. Bill Nye and other such ones are much longer though and I always feel like there would be better use of our time (hands-on experiments or reading) than simply watching those.

 

Oooo. I can do a poll!!! Everybody loves a poll, right? :D FWIW, I've allowed multiple selections, if necessary.

[...................]

At night with Dad. We usally play a board game and then watch something.

[DragonFaerie]

If they're BrainPop, Aha! Science or Discover Ed videos, they are assigned during regular lessons. If they are longer videos (DVD rentals, Netflix, etc.), we'll watch them during lunch usually.

[WeeBeaks]

After the rest of school/written items usually. We reserve electronics for after lessons are done as it is hard to get them settled again. The only exception is Latin, which only my oldest does. We have the DVDs for his Latin and he takes his workbook down and does them alone then comes back to the school area. I'm working with the other two during this time.

[lexi]

Sometimes we watch during aesson if they need the visual. Those are usually only short YouTube videos.

If we watch something slightly longer it's usuay during lunch if I'm busy with the baby, if someone is sick, or if we are having "a day" and I need a short break. Overall, we don't use videos often. However, when the kids are older I probably will. If I do, we would watch them outside of our school time. I like to keep our schedule and keep the day moving. Sitting in front of the TV would mess up our motivation and kill the flow of our day.

[Mommyfaithe]

DVD player on the car.

[In the Rain]

It would be a free time activity here- even if I required them to watch it.

[*Lulu*]

We watch Brain Pop and This Day in History every morning while I am prepping breakfast and getting DH out the door. Other videos are watched during family tv time or as a part of our car schooling. (We have 2ish hours of drive time to activities each week that I refuse to lose!)

[zenjenn]

We usually finish what I consider the essentials by 1 or 2 pm. After that, I still require educational activities until 3 pm. Sometimes, this includes educational videos, but not that often. Maybe once or twice a month, and only if I find something particularly relevant. I am not against screen time at *all* btw, I just find quality educational films hard to find.

 

Films that are relevant but more on the entertaining side are after school hours. For example, when WWE used excerpts from "Nurse Matilda" , that weekend we rented "Nanny McPhee".

[kolamum]

Okay, I had to choose Other because I could have ticked SOOOO many boxes.

 

Generally we watch them while we eat lunch during the school year.. things like Cyberchase, Magic School Bus, Bill Nye, etc. BUT, if we have a down day and I want to keep things going I might have them watch one. Or, my kids are crazy enough to request them out of school hours.

 

I even consider shows like Liberty Kids educational, and they think it's totally awesome to curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and the fam and watch this. :lol:

[Critterfixer]

Free time. I don't count them as schoolwork related, because often they are simply material that we wanted to learn a little more about and not related to what we are working on.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I said after school hours or during their free time. We watch educational videos together as a family before bed. Kinda our tube time :D Right now we are watching the liberty kids series. Ds's were outside protecting our house because the red coats were going to attack us! They got them all though and our house is safe for another day :lol:

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Whenever I feel like it. :)

 

As much as I'd like to be super-structured around here...we're not.

[Bang!Zoom!]

First thing in the morning every school day. Netflix & study related. Brief note-taking during, then narration with Dragonspeak directly after.

 

After the narration, she goes back to it in Word and cleans up the grammar.

 

Saved for report building on unit.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We watch them when they fit the lesson. They watch some during free time also.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Actually we do Science videos on Tuesdays, and History videos on Wednesdays. We have Netflix, Cable(DVR), Discovery Streaming, Hulu Plus just so I am able to find videos to teach with. My DS especially learns the best this way.

[go_go_gadget]

Only when they're sick. They did both learn their letters (and in my daughter's case, also the letter sounds) and numbers from DVDs, which they watched daily until no longer needed.

[sassenach]

If it's a short video, we'll watch it in the middle of the lesson. If it's a long video, lunchtime is a good spot in our day. Bonus treat, getting to eat in front of the TV.

[Farrar]

Mostly as a part of morning school time. But sometimes just whenever.

[Matryoshka]

We used to watch them after school hours, but I've actually got a big list of stuff I want them to watch at the moment (mostly history and science) and then someone here said they let their kids watch documentaries at lunchtime because then they didn't all have to be re-corralled to start work again after lunch.

 

So, we've been watching them during lunch. I'm not sure it's saved us any time. Often then they want to play after, because they had to watch a stupid documentary and didn't get a real "break". :glare: And now we've got this "permission" to watch TV at lunch, where it used to only be allowed to go on after 5:30pm. And sometimes we end up watching Dancing with the Stars instead of a documentary. :blush: Or they sneak a Stargate... :001_rolleyes: But we're getting through a lot more documentaries! :tongue_smilie:

[Julie Smith]

My kids don't like to watch tv. So if we (as in my husband and myself) want to watch something with them. We have to put some work into it.

 

We show them the trailer to the tv show or movie. Then ask them to watch it with us. Make popcorn. Set up blankets on the couch. Sometimes serve other munchies and coke.

 

We have to do this whether it is a documentary or a movie such as "Smurfs" or "Howl's moving castle".

 

Sometimes one or both of them would rather sit it out.

 

I don't force the issue. But they have to respect the fact we are watching and find something to do elsewhere that doesn't bother the people watching. I will turn on the ceiling fans in there bedrooms... to drown out the noise of the tv show.

[alpidarkomama]

We call them "protein movies" and we only watch them while I'm making dinner. They get to watch a "treat movie" on Saturday night. :)

[MicheleinMN]

We watch videos each morning to start our school day. The children watch a dvd or stream something from Netflix. This is when my older two boys half nap, and I have my coffee and check email. Then we do Bible, poetry, and a read-aloud together before we separate to do individual work.

 

HTH

[SorrelZG]

Whenever I feel like it. :)

 

As much as I'd like to be super-structured around here...we're not.

 

:cheers2: I'm glad I'm not alone. I was almost starting to feel bad. :lol:

[ndseward]

I normally make them wait until after school time because I can be a little ocd about checking off my boxes. I think I need to look into this Liberty Kids series. It sounds great!

[rocketgirl]

I checked 'after hours' and 'in the car', altho its never "only" in the car. We seem to often be going somewhere & I get "educational" dvds for those times almost always. I don't consider brainpop the same tho, we use it and my kids have a designated time on the computer that they use brainpop or something else, or I show a quick video during an American Revolution lesson for example, so I just consider that as enhancing education, those videos are pretty good. We have a daily schedule and dvds aren't a part of it, when I find something cool I save it for the car or later in the day. P.S. My kids watched the entire Liberty Kids series on a road trip to California last year!

Edited December 15, 2011 by rocketgirl

[lailasmum]

Depends what it is. We watch some documentaries/brain pop type things that are relevent to what we are learning just when the need comes up. I don't worry about the time of day. We will also sometimes watch things like wildlife programmes and general educational stuff at lunch or in the afternoon.

[3peasinapod]

We do it in our spare time and only if I remember! I mostly will watch small snippets of things on YouTube unless there is a movie or documentary that is fabulous and not to be missed.

[MissKNG]

I don't use videos as part of our lessons nor do I count them as "school". They watch them in their spare time.

[Carrie12345]

Other.

 

During lessons, in between lessons, after "school", instead of "school", on their own time by choice, whenever.

 

That makes it sound like their always watching videos, lol. They don't. We just don't pigeon hole. ;)

[cschnee]

Lunch time.

[luvnlattes]

I chose two different options. If I feel the video really strengthens the lesson, then we'll watch it during lesson time. If I feel that it's more supplemental, then we'll watch it during spare hours.

 

For example, when we were studying European countries in geography, I would order Rick Steves videos from the library. We would watch these during our spare hours to get a better look at the countries we were studying. On the other hand, when we studied early American history, I had a video on Plimouth that showed how the area was set up, what the houses would have looked like, etc. We watched that video during regular lesson hours.

[cjgrubbs]

I am other - we generally utilize lunchtime for these - my kids think it's a treat to set up a picnic lunch in the living room so they can watch!

[boscopup]

I try not to do videos during the school day because once my son is distracted by a screen, there is no getting him back to regular school stuff. :glare: So I usually save ALL screens for after school work is done, which may be before lunch if we stay on task. ;)

 

Now some days, I'm feeling lazy, and we'll make popcorn and watch Mythbusters. Hey, it's science! But I don't expect much school output after that if I do it.

 

Using videos as a reward/motivator works very well here: "Once we're done with our school, we can watch xyz!"

[justLisa]

I try not to do videos during the school day because once my son is distracted by a screen, there is no getting him back to regular school stuff. :glare: So I usually save ALL screens for after school work is done, which may be before lunch if we stay on task. ;)

 

Now some days, I'm feeling lazy, and we'll make popcorn and watch Mythbusters. Hey, it's science! But I don't expect much school output after that if I do it.

 

Using videos as a reward/motivator works very well here: "Once we're done with our school, we can watch xyz!"

 

 

LOL we love Mythbusters, and our TV time is the same as above. Sometimes we will watch something short or play Wii on break, and also they have lots of different semi educational things on their computers.