Families of Korea

Childhood Education, 2002 by Maldonado, Nancy S, Winick, Mariann Pezzella

Television and computers have given life to a world of virtual experiences. This has had an enormous effect on the psychosocial development of children. Splish-splashing in puddles is a very different experience from watching others engage in the same action on television. While both can be learning experiences, the difference in value is at the level of interaction with oneself and with others. Both direct and virtual experiences require that adults become more aware of the effect such experiences have on children. Past experiences offer myriad possibilities for learning. Often a more knowledgeable and capable person intervenes, clarifying and adding to children's understanding. In this way, interaction becomes a medium for enhanced psychosocial development.

Children come to school with a vast reservoir of experiences; even 3-year-olds have had rich experiences with family life, holidays, pets, music, as well as, possibly, encounters with sadder experiences, such as an illness in the family. How we build on these experiences can strengthen their value and add to a child's maturation. We hope that the following reviews will help viewers have meaningful learning experiences when watching these videos.

Real People/Real Experiences

That's a Family! This timely video presents diverse family types through a documentary style, with children being the focus at all times. A child of gay parents has an athome class birthday party, a bi-racial family attends a Chinese New Year parade; we also meet the guardian grandmother of three grandchildren. Each of these configurations, it is clear, is a family in its own right. This timely and heartwarming video would help spark valuable classroom discussions of what constitutes a family.

Extensions: An excellent social studies resource for 3rd grade and up. All teacher education programs could benefit from this video, as well, since parent / child / school relationships depend on an understanding of children's homes. The film is also recommended as a platform for discussion for use with parent groups and parents undergoing changes in their own families.

Produced by Women's Educational Media. 2000. 35 minutes. 2180 Brant Street, Suite 203, San Francisco, CA 94110. www.wemfilms@womedia.org Families of Korea. This cinematic visit to Korea focuses on two families; one that lives on a farm, the other in a city. Viewers watch the families in their everyday lives: getting ready for the day, interacting with each other, eating meals, going to school, enjoying afterschool activities, marketing, studying, entertaining, and going to bed. Differences between city and country living can be seenin the children's school and home activities. This video, and others in the series (Families of the World), can be very useful in strengthening and deepening social studies learning for middle graders.

Extensions: This video can inspire research related to relationships, foods, sports, school day, homes, and map work, as well as comparisons between lifestyles, city and rural, United States and Korea. The class could prepare a Korean meal, plan a Korean Day, learn a Korean song, or interview Korean Americans. The content lends itself to group and project work.

Produced byMaster Communication, Inc. 2001. 30 minutes. 800-765-5885. www.familiesoftheworld.com

Emily's Story. These next two videos focus on cancer. Emily's Story is an excellent video for use with schoolchildren from 9 years old up. This quietly effective film focuses on Emily, a 3rd-grader and cancer patient. She candidly discusses her illness, its treatment, and effects such as hair loss and fatigue. Her interactions with classmates, her at-home teacher, her classroom teacher, and her cancer advocate are skillfully handled and will lead to worthwhile classroom discussions. Emily is a soft-spoken child with a developing sense of self that reflects the challenges she has had to face. Viewers will also learn of Emily's classmates-their fears and questions-and watch as they develop their ability to empathize. The reviewers recommend Emily's Story as a very positive and realistic film. This would be an excellent addition to the curriculum since so many people are touched by this disease. Back to School. A companion video to Emily's Story, directed to a teen audience, is Back to School. The film's subjects are several cancer patient students returning to school. As they face the fears and misconceptions of their peers, one notes that "having cancer is like living a nightmare." The video directly addresses questions and expectations related to treatment, the nature of the disease, and the prognosis for these four individuals. The importance of having a supportive network of friends is highlighted as well. As the cancer patients interact with classmates, friends, family, and teachers, viewers will see a range of responses to illness. The teachers in particular have an interesting role to play with the returning students. This is an upbeat film; not one minute is wasted in the production. This video is highly recommended for the targeted audience.