A Vehicle for Learning Helps Drive Instruction
C-SPAN bus makes stops at four DC locations to give students cyber-savvy insights to cable network’s programming - September 22, 2010
The C-SPAN Digital Bus made four stops in DC this week, including Spingarn High School, where students got a chance to check out the interactive multimedia experience. [Photo by Fred Lewis]
The C-SPAN Digital Bus made four stops in DC this week, including Spingarn High School, where students got a chance to check out the interactive multimedia experience. [Photo by Fred Lewis]
The C-SPAN Digital Bus, a multimillion-dollar coach loaded with technology intended to engage viewers, is equipped with laptops featuring social media, flat-screen high-definition television monitors, touch-screen televisions and other interactive devices. [Photo by Fred Lewis]
While some students might not be able to get into the news, they can certainly get into the bus – the C-SPAN Digital Bus, that is, where students can connect with current events in an interactive, electronic format that makes learning fun.
Like a Greyhound touring coach equipped with touch-screen televisions, laptops and high-definition TV monitors, the C-SPAN Digital Bus made four stops in the District this week to give students a look inside and an idea of the variety of programming available through C-SPAN.
“I’m not a news person, but I like the way [the bus is] organized,” said Spingarn High School senior Ashley Brown. “I’d rather be on the bus than watching the news.”
For a generation of students who might find broadcast or print news a bit dry, perhaps even boring, the Digital Bus has all the high-tech gizmos and gadgets to get them interested. Once students get plugged in, teachers can turn them on to the educational benefits of C-SPAN.
“This bus shows kids all about C-SPAN and how they go about researching national news,” said Dionna Mitchell, who teaches World History 2, U.S. History and Advanced Placement U.S. History at Spingarn. “It engages them. … It’s a ‘wow factor’ and they know how to use [the technology] better than we do.”
Created by America’s cable companies in 1979, C-SPAN (which stands for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) offers three public affairs television networks and C-SPAN Radio that feature unfiltered broadcasts of congressional hearings, press conferences, White House briefings and interviews.
The Digital Bus, launched in June 2010, tours the country to engage visitors of all ages through its interactive multimedia features such as the C-SPAN Video Library, social media, HDTV, the Internet and radio. In DC, the bus stopped this week at Ballou High School, the Latin American Youth Center, Spingarn High School and Eliot-Hine Middle School.
“C-SPAN, as a network and in having this multimillion-dollar bus, can capture students’ attention,” said Doug Hemmig, a spokesman for C-SPAN and the Digital Bus. “Once we do that, we can talk about the resources we offer. For example, almost 30,000 teachers use C-SPAN in the Classroom as an educational resource.”
Joe Holman, a special education teacher at Spingarn who works with students in Mitchell’s class, said presenting news, current events and history through multimedia makes sense to a generation of cyber-savvy students who prefer to receive information through digital formats.
“For the younger generation, they need information provided in a different way,” Holman said. “This is a wonderful opportunity.”
While the news might not capture Diamond Patrick’s interest, the Spingarn senior said technology does.
“I thought it was pretty cool. I don’t usually get to see this kind of thing,” Patrick said. “I think it’s a good experience. … The news is boring, but the bus wasn’t.”
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