On Fridays, we often watch an online show called Behind The News (BTN) http://www.abc.net.au/btn/. It is a news program presented often by children for children. It is a fun way for students to learn about current issues and events in Australia and in some cases around the world.
This program links in well with the IB program and encourages children to use those skills we talk about so often at school.
In addition, the vast majority of children (25 out of 27 students in our class) report being exposed to the news in some context at home. By discussing current events they may see on the news at home and exploring them in a safe environment, students are able to gain a greater understanding of what they are hearing and seeing.
Over the last few weeks BTN has covered topics such as recycling, solar and wave powered electricity, Manus Island, Indigenous Australians, astronomy, people with disabilities, Bali 9, history of handwriting, the Australian anthem and much more.
As with all news, some themes may be confrontational for some children and while BTN presents these in a simple and youth friendly way, I understand these could on occasion be difficult for your children. If content like this should occur, I make sure we discuss this and allow the students to ask questions and have their say. I would also encourage you as parents to have open discussions at home about this content if your children bring up anything they have seen. One example of this might be that today on BTN we watched a video made by a student in Queensland about the drought in which a calf died.
If you have any concerns about your child watching BTN or any of the content, please come and talk to me. I am more than happy to have a conversation with you about this.
