The role of media (and media literacy) in instruction

The role of media The role of media (and media literacy)(and media literacy)

in instructionin instructionFrank W Baker Frank W Baker media educatormedia educator

fbaker1346@aol.comfbaker1346@aol.com

MS Bailey Elementary SchoolFebruary 27, 2007

The role of media The role of media (and media literacy)(and media literacy)

in instructionin instruction

Young people and the mediaYoung people and the media

YoungYoungpeople are people are exposed to exposed to 40,000 ads40,000 ads

a year.a year.

Source:Source:American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Pediatrics

(Dec. 2006 AP News Story)(Dec. 2006 AP News Story)

Incorporating the mediaIncorporating the media “ “Movies, advertisements, Movies, advertisements,

and all other visual media and all other visual media are tools teachers need to are tools teachers need to use and media we must use and media we must master if we are to master if we are to maintain our credibility in maintain our credibility in the coming years.”the coming years.”

Jim Burke, fromJim Burke, fromThe English Teacher’s CompanionThe English Teacher’s Companion

Young people and the mediaYoung people and the media

Generation M= multi-taskersGeneration M= multi-taskersaka “Digital Natives”aka “Digital Natives”

"Today's students need to be "Today's students need to be critical critical thinkers, problem solvers and thinkers, problem solvers and effective communicatorseffective communicators who are who are proficient in both core subjects and proficient in both core subjects and new 21st century skills.”new 21st century skills.”

SC Teaching StandardsSC Teaching Standards Revised ELA StandardsRevised ELA Standards

Guiding Principle 8 Guiding Principle 8

An effective English language An effective English language arts curriculum provides for arts curriculum provides for

literacy in literacy in all forms of media.all forms of media.

Media literacyMedia literacy

Take the next few minutes to draft a definitionTake the next few minutes to draft a definition

What is media literacy?What is media literacy?

Media literacyMedia literacyShort definitionShort definition

The ability to: The ability to: AccessAccess

AnalyzeAnalyze Interpret & Interpret &

ProduceProduce communication in a variety of formscommunication in a variety of forms

Media literacyMedia literacy Media literacy is concerned with helping students Media literacy is concerned with helping students

develop an develop an informed and critical understanding informed and critical understanding of the nature of mass media, the techniques used of the nature of mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniquesby them, and the impact of these techniques. . More specifically, it is education that aims to More specifically, it is education that aims to increase the students' understanding and increase the students' understanding and enjoyment of enjoyment of how the media work, how they how the media work, how they produce meaning, how they are organized, and produce meaning, how they are organized, and how they construct reality.how they construct reality. Media literacy also  Media literacy also aims to provide students with the ability to create aims to provide students with the ability to create media products.media products.  

Media Literacy Resource Guide, Ministry of Education OntarioMedia Literacy Resource Guide, Ministry of Education Ontario

Media literacy in actionMedia literacy in action

Assignment Media LiteracyAssignment Media Literacyvideovideo

5 Key Concepts5 Key Concepts All media are constructionsAll media are constructions Each medium is a language with its own Each medium is a language with its own

set of rulesset of rules Media convey values and points-of-viewMedia convey values and points-of-view Audiences negotiate meaningAudiences negotiate meaning Media concerned with power and profitMedia concerned with power and profit

Source: Center for Media Literacy

Key concepts

Critical thinking/viewing questionsCritical thinking/viewing questions

Who created the message?Who created the message? For what purpose?For what purpose? For whose eyeballs?For whose eyeballs? What What techniquestechniques are used? are used? Who or what might be omitted?Who or what might be omitted? How do I know what it means?How do I know what it means? What lifestyles are conveyed?What lifestyles are conveyed? Who benefits?Who benefits?

Suggested approachSuggested approach

Still images (visual literacy)Still images (visual literacy)

Media which incorporate imagesMedia which incorporate images(e.g. ad techniques of persuasion)(e.g. ad techniques of persuasion)

Moving images Moving images (languages of TV, film)(languages of TV, film)

Visual literacyVisual literacy

Let’s apply the critical thinking/viewing Let’s apply the critical thinking/viewing questions to some questions to some imagesimages

Incorporating the mediaIncorporating the media

Heidi Hayes JacobEd Consultant

““If video is how we If video is how we are communicating are communicating and persuading in and persuading in this new century, why this new century, why aren't more students aren't more students writing screenplays writing screenplays as part of their as part of their schoolwork?"schoolwork?"

Languages of TV/FilmLanguages of TV/Film CamerasCameras LightsLights Sound (including music)Sound (including music) Editing (aka post production)Editing (aka post production) Set designSet design Costumes; actor accentsCostumes; actor accents

Camera anglesCamera angles

Where is the camera?Where is the camera? Why is it positioned there?Why is it positioned there? How does it make you feel?How does it make you feel?

Deconstructing an adDeconstructing an ad

Cell phone Cell phone commercialcommercial scriptscript

Toy Toy commercial commercial

CinderellaCinderella

Language of filmLanguage of film Look at the example of a screenplayLook at the example of a screenplay

(from “To Kill A Mockingbird”)(from “To Kill A Mockingbird”)

Read the first two pages of the novelRead the first two pages of the novel“Because of Winn Dixie”“Because of Winn Dixie”

Prepare a storyboard from your POVPrepare a storyboard from your POV

POV clip