Media and Materials

4. Free and inexpensive materials

}  By definition, any material that you can borrow or acquire permanently for instructional purposes without a significant cost, usually less than a couple of dollars, can be referred to as free or inexpensive.

}  The types of free and inexpensive materials are almost endless. The more commonly available items include posters, games, pamplets, brochures, reports, charts, maps, books, audiotapes, videotapes, multimedia kits, and real objects

}  Another resource that has become very important for obtaining free and inexpensive materials is the Internet. By containing to websites around the world, teachers and students can acquire materials, photographs, and other educational resources. In addition, many teachers are placing their ideas for teaching an array of subjects, along with media and materials; on the web.

a. Advantages

}  Up to date. Free and inexpensive materials can provide up-to-date information that is not contained in textbooks or other commercially available media.

}  In-depth treatment. Such materials often provide in-defth treatment of a topic.

}  Variety of uses. These materials lend themselves to your own classroom presentations. Individual students who want to explore a subject of interest can use the audiovisual materials for self-study or for presentation to the class. Posters, charts, and maps can be combined to create topical displays

}  Student manipulation. Materials that are expendable have the extra advantage of allowing learners to get actively involved with them.

b. Limitations

}  Bias or advertising. Many free and inexpensive materials are described as sponsored materials because their production and distribution are sponsored by particular organizations.

}  Special interests. What may be even more trouble some is sponsored material that does not contain outright advertising but promotes some special interest in a less obvious way.

}  Limited quantities. With the increasing expense of producing both printed and mediated materials, your supplier may have to impose limits on the quantities of items available at one time.

c. Sources

}  There are local, state, national, and international sources of free and inexpensive materials, and may of these are now available as websites.

}  Nationally, one of the most prolific sources of free and inexpensive materials is the federal government. In the United States, two federal agencies offer special access to materials – the U .S . Government Printing Office and the National Audiovisual Center. Your key to the tremendous wealth of posters, charts, brochures, books, and other printed government documents available to the general public is Selected U .S. Government Publications. Their websites offer an array of free materials for classroom teachers.

d. Obtaining materials

}  When you have determined what you can use and where you can obtain it, write to the supplier; some agencies will not supply free and inexpensive materials unless you write on school or company letterhead

e. Appraising Materials

}  Use the appropriate “Appraisal Checklist” for the type of media ( printed material, videotape) you are appraising. All the “Appraisal Checklist” forms in this book have the rating criterion  “Free from objectionable bias or advertising.” Use it judiciously when reviewing free and inexpensive materials.

5. DISPLAY SURFACES

}  If you are going to use visuals such as photograps, drawings, charts, graphs, or posters, you need a way to display them.

}  How you display your visuals will depend on a number of factors, including :

-          the nature of your audience

-          the nature of your visuals

-          the instructional setting

-          the availability of the various display surfaces.

The kinds of display

1. Chalkboards

A blackboard (also known as a chalkboard) is a reusable writing surface on which text or drawings are made with sticks of calcium sulphate or calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as chalk. Blackboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slate stone.

2. Multipurpose boards 

As the name implies, you can use them for more than one purpose. The white surface is also suitable for projection of video, slides, and overhead transparencies

3. Copy Boards  

A high – tech variation of the multipurpose boards is the copy board, or electronic whiteboard. This device makes reduced – size paper copies of what is written on the board. It looks like a smaller multipurpose board but may contain multiple screens or frames that can be scrolled forward and backward.

You can prepare content beforehand on any or all of the screens. The copy board is especially valuable for brainstorming sessions and for summarizing group discussions. Because of the high cost of current models, the copy board is not commonly found in school settings.

4. Pegboards

It is particularly useful for displaying heavy objects, three – dimensional materials, and visuals

5. Buletin Boards

The term bulletin board implies a surface on which bulletins – brief news announcements of urgent interest – are posted for public notice. In practice, bulletin board displays tend to serve three board purposes: decorative, motivational, or instructional.

-          The decorative bulletin boards. Its function is to lend visual stimulation to the environment.

-          The motivational bulletin boards. It fosters pride in achievement, reinforcing students’ efforts to do a good job. 

-          The instructional bulletin boards, is complementing the educational  or training objectives of the formal curriculum.

6. Cloth Boards 

a stand alone game board that does not come with pieces, and can easily be paired with Tavern, Crazy Martin, or other Tak game piece styles for on-the-go fun.

7. Magnetic boards

Magnetic whiteboards have a steel foundation under the dry-wipe writing surface. This steel core allows users to attach magnetic objects on the board, making it easy to stick documents, notes, etc., by simply using a small magnet.

8. Flip Charts

a chart that consists of a series of large pieces of paper which are attached at the top and which are used to present information to an audience by turning over one piece of paper at a time.

9. Exhibits

is a collection of art or objects on display for the public to see. An example of exhibit is a collection of paintings hanging in an art gallery for a special art show.

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