Media literacy and learning.Sometimes I think the kids know more about all the bells and whistles A slang English term for exceptional features in some product. In the computer field, it typically refers to functions in software that may be greatly appreciated by some users, even though they may not be necessary most of the time. of the newest technology than the teachers. Kids today seem like naturals. Technology is changing at such a fast pace it% hard to keep up. --Marilyn, Early Childhood Teacher, Arizona Technology affects education at all levels. As Marilyn mentions, children are naturals at using technology. They use technology in all aspects of their lives; for that reason, it is imperative that teachers not only keep up with the latest technology, but also find ways to integrate technology, including the media, into classroom instruction. Media literacy Media literacy is the process of accessing, analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres and forms. It uses an inquiry-based instructional model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, see and read. is a multiple literacy that includes informational literacy, computer literacy Understanding computers and related systems. It includes a working vocabulary of computer and information system components, the fundamental principles of computer processing and a perspective for how non-technical people interact with technical people. , film and video literacy, and cultural literacy Cultural literacy is the ability to converse fluently in the idioms, allusions and informal content which creates and constitutes a dominant culture. From being familiar with street signs to knowing historical reference to understanding the most recent slang, literacy demands (Scheibe, 2004; Valmont, 2003). In the past, teachers used books as their primary (sometimes, only) communication medium; today, however, many teachers are taking note of diverse forms of literacy in order to connect classroom instruction to students' lives outside the classroom. This column addresses the benefits of media literacy and strategies teachers can use to connect students' background knowledge to school literacy instruction. When I began teaching in a racially and linguistically diverse urban school, I often heard teachers complain that their students came to school knowing little about reading and writing. This negative assumption about students' literacy backgrounds was troubling to me since my students seemed to know so much from outside of the textbook. As Haas Dyson (2003) explains, "The assumption that 'diverse' children come to school without literacy ignores the resources they bring from popular media texts" (p. 100). Our world is saturated with images from television, billboards, and computer pop-up ads
For pop-up headlamps, see . Pop-up ads or popups that advertise a range of products and services. As a result, children are bombarded with a vast variety of images to interpret and make meaning of in their lives. Teachers must think of new ways to help students interpret these mass media messages, while connecting their media literacy backgrounds to classroom instruction. As early as 1975, the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE NCTE National Council of Teachers of English NCTE National Centre for Technology in Education NCTE National Center for Transgender Equality NCTE National Council for Teacher Education (India) NCTE Network Channel Terminating Equipment ) published a position statement in support of media literacy and the need for teacher educators and teachers to prepare students to interpret information in various multimedia formats (NCTE, www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/media/107519. htm). Many states hold future teachers accountable for media literacy standards on their state teacher's test. In Texas, for example, future teachers are expected to teach "basic principles of media literacy and provide students with opportunities to apply these principles in interactions with the media" (State Board for Educator Certification, 2003). As in many states, the Texas teacher's test is scenario-based. Preservice teachers must decide how to best integrate and address media literacy in the classroom to master the state standard. Preparing preservice teachers for this test is not the only reason why educators should address media literacy in the curriculum, however. Integrating media literacy into the curriculum meets an immediate need for students, as they strive to make sense of the constant messages being transmitted through multimedia. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. various researchers (Allington, 2006; Forbes, 2004; Quinlisk, 2004; Scheibe, 2004; Valmont, 2003), media literacy is a form of learning to read, since students learn to read both visually and textually. Because of the range of messages and images in the mass media, students learn to interpret multiple forms of communication. Popular media also communicate linguistic information, illustrating various grammatical gram·mat·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to grammar. 2. Conforming to the rules of grammar: a grammatical sentence. structures (Fluitt-Dupuy, 2001; Quinlisk, 2004; Washburn, 2001) while, at the same time, communicating subtle messages about society and rules of participation. Students translate dialogue and describe plot lines when viewing popular televisions shows. Students also may recognize how television shows use humor humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was to poke fun at to make a butt of; to ridicule. See also: Poke political figures and social issues (Hobbs, 1998). However, these same students may have difficulty interpreting plot lines from classic pieces of literature, since they may not possess the prior background to make such connections to the story. Innovative teachers make literature real for students by integrating media into classroom instruction. By connecting what students already know to literature in the classroom, teachers can find ways to interest students in the classics. One example of a way to connect media to a classic piece of literature came to mind when I observed a 7th-grade class. While observing literature circle groups discussing Tom Sawyer, I noticed little interest in the story, since the students had difficulty making personal connections to the characters. After the lesson, the teacher and I debriefed and discussed the lesson. Noting the students' difficulty interpreting the dialogue and plot, the teacher reflected on the choice of literature. Instead of giving up on using a classic story for a literature circle discussion, we discussed ways students could make personal connections to Tom Sawyer by comparing issues addressed in the book to similar ones found in the popular media in their lives. Hobbs (1997) recommended using popular television shows, such as The Simpsons and The Wonder Years, to make comparisons between political and/or social events, thereby helping teachers to more easily address similar political or social events addressed in classic pieces of literature. Teachers may consider several strategies as they integrate media literacy into their classroom. First, with students of all ages, Internet security ''This article or section is being rewritten at Internet security is the process of protecting data and privacy of devices connected to internet from information robbery, hacking, malware infection and unwanted software. is a priority. Teachers can create safe access to instructional Web sites by bookmarking In genetics and epigenetics, bookmarking is a biological phenomenon believed to function as an epigenetic mechanism for transmitting cellular memory of the pattern of gene expression in a cell, throughout mitosis, to its daughter cells. sites that relate to the content they are teaching (Forbes, 2004). Reading instruction can be supported by Internet instruction, even in the early childhood classroom, since children can interpret meanings from pictures, just as they interpret picture storybooks in the traditional reading classroom (Scott, 2003). Web-based bookmarking allows teachers to give visual cues to students who may not possess the skills necessary to complete an Internet search. Second, media literacy leads to deeper critical thinking and communication skills in technology. With the vast amount of information available on the Internet and television, students need to develop higher order literacy demands to sort, categorize cat·e·go·rize tr.v. cat·e·go·rized, cat·e·go·riz·ing, cat·e·go·riz·es To put into a category or categories; classify. cat , synthesize To create a whole or complete unit from parts or components. See synthesis. , and analyze information (Allington, 2006; Scheibe, 2004). Allington explains that only major publishers could disseminate dis·sem·i·nate v. dis·sem·i·nat·ed, dis·sem·i·nat·ing, dis·sem·i·nates v.tr. 1. To scatter widely, as in sowing seed. 2. information in the past; today, however, a plethora plethora /pleth·o·ra/ (pleth´ah-rah) 1. an excess of blood. 2. by extension, a red florid complexion.pletho´ric pleth·o·ra n. 1. of media information is available 24 hours a day. Because of this increased flow and availability of information, schools must teach students how to evaluate what they find through multiple media sources. A number of different writers have suggested basic questions to teach students as they analyze media messages (Hobbs, 1997, 1998; Scheibe, 2004; Thoman, 1999). 1. Who created this message, and what is their purpose? 2. Who is the target audience? 3. What techniques are used to attract your attention? 4. What is being communicated about culture, people? 5. How current is this information? 6. What might we need to know that is not addressed? By leading discussions comparing the different ways information is presented by the media, teachers encourage students to better understand biases and why certain information is not included. Integrating a critical discussion also serves as a way to evaluate the credibility of the media message. The Center for Media Literacy (www.medialit.org/reading_ room/article338.html) reminds teachers to emphasize the positive when integrating media into the classroom. The Center advises teachers to focus on those values that are most relevant to their own cultural context, in order to avoid imposing elitist e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism n. 1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources. values. For example, teachers should avoid describing one show, such as a History Channel program, as being better than another program on television. Maintaining an encouraging and enthusiastic attitude about media literacy sustains a positive climate in the classroom, and such an attitude helps develop student excitement about the subject matter. In summary, K-12 students today are tech savvy, spending countless hours surfing the 'Net, watching MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. , and playing video games See video game console. . As a result, they bring a backpack of skills to the classroom, such as being able to multi-task among several Web sites as they search for information and being able to interpret unique text messages. They also expect to receive information quickly and efficiently. By incorporating students' media literacy background into classroom instruction, teachers are making instruction relevant to their students' lives. Center for Media Literacy www.medialit.org/focus/tea_home.html The Center for Media Literacy (CML 1. CML - A query language. ["Towards a Knowledge Description Language", A. Borgida et al, in On Knowledge Base Management Systems, J. Mylopoulos et al eds, Springer 1986]. 2. CML - Concurrent ML. ) is a nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. educational organization that provides resources for educators learning more about media literacy. This site offers several definitions of media literacy and several links where one can explore the concept further. Search tools allow one to explore various age groups, content areas, and ideas on how to integrate media literacy into a classroom. An online archive is accessible for research on the development of media literacy over the years. Further assistance is provided for what's needed to prepare teachers for media literacy, and the site also offers suggestions and resources for getting started. Canada's Web Awareness Site w ww.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/web_awareness/index.cfm. Web Awareness Canada is a program developed by the Media Awareness Network to highlight the many challenges and questions that arise as children and young people go on the Internet. The site offers parents, teachers, and librarians practical information and hands-on activities to help give kids the "cyber (1) From "cybernetics," it is a prefix attached to everyday words to add a computer, electronic or online connotation. The term is similar to "virtual," but the latter is used more frequently. See virtual. smarts" they need to make safe and responsible online decisions. 21st Century Literacies www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/21stcent/media.html This Web site explores the definition of media literacy and offers several lessons for introducing certain media aspects into the curriculum. Links to further resources add to an already expanding definition. An Introduction to Media Literacy www.ci.appstate.edu/programs/edmedia/medialit/article.html This site explores the definition of media literacy, its importance, and who benefits. It also offers several suggestions on how to incorporate media literacy into the classroom to provide meaningful experiences for students. References Allington, R. L. (2006). What really matters for struggling readers: Designing research-based programs. Boston: Pearson. Fluitt-Dupuy, J. (2001). Teaching argumentative Controversial; subject to argument. Pleading in which a point relied upon is not set out, but merely implied, is often labeled argumentative. Pleading that contains arguments that should be saved for trial, in addition to allegations establishing a Cause of Action or writing through film. TESOL TESOL abbr. 1. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages 2. teaching English to speakers of other languages Journal, 10(4), 10-15. Forbes, L. (2004). Using web-based bookmarks in K-8 settings: Linking the internet to instruction. The Reading Teacher, 58, 148-153. Haas Dyson, A. (2003). Popular literacies and the "All" children: Rethinking literacy development for contemporary childhoods. Language Arts language arts pl.n. The subjects, including reading, spelling, and composition, aimed at developing reading and writing skills, usually taught in elementary and secondary school. , 81(2), 100-109. Hobbs, R. (1997). Expanding the concept of literacy. In R. Kubey (Ed.), Media literacy in the information age (pp. 163-183). New Brunswick New Brunswick, province, Canada New Brunswick, province (2001 pop. 729,498), 28,345 sq mi (73,433 sq km), including 519 sq mi (1,345 sq km) of water surface, E Canada. , NJ: Transaction. Hobbs, R. (1998). The Simpsons meet Mark Twain: Analyzing popular media texts in the classroom. English Journal, 87(1), 49-51. Quinlisk, C. (2004). Media literacy in the ESL/EFL classroom: Reading images and cultural stories. TESOL Journal, 12, 35-39. Scheibe, C. (2004). A deeper sense of literacy: Curriculum-driven approaches to media literacy in the K-12 classroom. American Behavioral Scientist, 48, 60-68. Scott, J. (2003). Don't forget the little people: A vision for an online kindergarten kindergarten [Ger.,=garden of children], system of preschool education. Friedrich Froebel designed (1837) the kindergarten to provide an educational situation less formal than that of the elementary school but one in which children's creative play instincts would be learning community. T.H.E. Journal, 30(7), 40-43. State Board for Educator Certification. (2002, March 12). New educator standards and new test frameworks. Retrieved March 13, 2002, from www. sbec.state.tx.us/stand_framewrk/ stand_framewrk.htm Thoman, E. (1999). Skills and strategies for media education. Educational Leadership, 46, 50-54. Valmont, W. J. (2003). Technology for literacy teaching and learning. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational publisher in the United States. The company's headquarters is located in Boston's Back Bay. It publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers . Washburn, G. N. (2001). Using situation comedies for pragmatic language teaching and learning. TESOL Journal, 10(4), 21-26. Jan Lacina is Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University Texas Christian University, at Fort Worth; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); coeducational; opened 1873 at Thorp Spring, chartered 1874 as Add Ran Male and Female College. It assumed its present name in 1902 and moved to Fort Worth in 1910. , Fort Worth. |
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