Although this is not applicable in all schools there may be an opportunity for a teacher to use the Animated Kids Bible in the Classroom or as part of a Bible Study Group. The easiest mode of presentation is to have a DVD player and a screen right in the classroom. In fact the minute most kids, whether they are six years old or sixteen tend to be mesmerized by any type of television or movie screen.
The Animated Kids Bible Lessons
The minute they see audio visual equipment students tend to become quiet and they will be very attentive once they realize that you are loading a DVD with computerized digital animation on it. The animated kids Bible is more likely to make the children learn and retain the values that they are told about as they associate computerized digital animations with fun activities such as video gaming or playing in a virtual reality site such as “Second Life.”
The use of sophisticated animation as in The Animated Kids Bibe is already being used to teach prospective doctors biology and human anatomy but of course it also has other applications when it comes to helping simplify concepts and also repeating those concepts through the use of a playback function on the DVD player if they are not understood the first time.
Some animators and teachers are now referring to learning materials that bridge the gap between entertainment and education as “edutainment.” The new Animated Kid’s Bible series definitely falls into this new and unique category of digital media. This is because children (and adults too!) are so enraptured with the novelty of 3D CGI (three dimensional computer generated images), which looks so real. This type of animation is so detailed and so perceptually perfect that many people watching the Animated Kids Bible will find themselves transported to an alternate reality where they can watch the creation of women from Adam’s Rib, Moses come down the mountain and smash the tablets and the seven plagues of Egypt.
Some educators are reluctant to use animations as teaching tools but it is because they have yet to realize the medium’s full potential to help children retain what they are watching and learning. The idea is to reinforce the idea to the students that watching this video is not just an escape route from reality but rather a story that they will be quizzed on after the presentation.
When presenting the Animated Kid’s Bible to their classes some teachers also make use of the integral ability of the DVD to be paused, replayed or played forward. This allows the teacher to create on the spot quizzes about what might happen next. The pause functions also allow students to take notes while they are watching the stories being told in the Animated Kid’s Bible. The secret is to let your student’s know that even though they are watching an incredible piece of 3D animation that they are still supposed to be learning and retaining everything that are being taught.
Best of all watching the Animated Kid’s Bible gives the kids “a break” from the teacher and the routine of learning in more tedious, rote ways. Before you know it viewing these religious DVD episodes will become something that your students will look forward to watching in your Sunday school or educational environment.