Tv, Cassette Class Uses Outlined

The media was the message at last night's Board of Education meeting when Rolland G. Billings, director of the Instructional Medida Center Inc., used a slide presentation and video cassette recorder to show effective utilization of instructional media. Billings proposed that the I board adopt a policy promoting the use of instructional media and technology to provide more opportunities for students. He said the policy should ' emphasize the effective utilization of color televisión through the use of available cable televisión systems. Billings earlier reported cable televisión hookups are being installed in all schools free. r j i ' ' oef s Billings demonstrated a new device on the market, a video cassette recorder which works like a televisión set. The teacher inserís a cassette and the program is on. It can also be used to record presentations and be played at a later date. The goal of the IMC is to have a video cassette recorder for each school building, according to Billings. When asked the cost of expanding the IMC, Billings replied it would cost about $10, 000 for the video cassette recorders plus $15,000 for wiring of all classrooms for color televisión. He said he assumes there would be a cost reduction if the school bought a number of video cassette recorders. Other cost questions were posed for Billings to answer before the board votes on his propos al. These include: the cost of service contracts and persons to opérate equipment and possible cost savings from expanded use of the IMC. The central office for the IMC is located at the administration building, 2555 S. State. Alita Mitchell, 922 Olivia, said she is concerned about depersonalization of education through expanded use of instructional media. Commenting on the d i strict's use of video taping in counselling sessions, M r s . Mitchell said students might not want to be counseled under such circumstances. The students are taped while they are being counseled and then shown the tape so they can ] better understand the problem. Concern was also expressed that instructional media could replace teachers. Larry Stewart, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), said, "This is a piece of hardware. It's not going to replace a teacher. It's only ás effective as the people who use it."