Media literacy for reading master's students.

Abstract

Twenty-first century teachers of reading should be knowledgeable of critical media literacy. This paper describes efforts to include a mandatory course on critical media literacy within a reading master's program. Using course reflective data, we describe students' reactions, ranging from complete unawareness to frustration over its relationship to reading instruction to discomfort with ideological claims. Finally, we preliminarily discuss the course's impact.

Introduction

Literacy has moved off the page and beyond the keyboard to encompass the media around us (Turbill, 2002). "The term multiliteracies acknowledges the multiplicity of meaning-making modes (visual, textual, audio, etc.) as well as the wider social contexts of these modes" (Callow, 2003, p. 2). Today's students often spend more time with media texts than with print texts. What does this mean for teachers, especially teachers of reading? Recognizing that teachers studying reading need to be knowledgeable about theories and practices related to multiple literacies, we added a required course in Media Literacy to our reading masters program. Initially, the course was met with resistance from students who questioned its relevance. This study examines student reactions, efforts to adapt the course, and its emerging impact.

Theoretical framework

Media literacy education is an emerging field in the United States with deeper roots abroad. It is formally defined here as "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and communicate media in a variety of ways" (Aufderheide, 1997). With the ability to access, students become acquainted with a variety of sources and ideally realize that one media source is too limited for making any particular conclusion (Semali, 2001). Analysis and evaluation together call for readers of media to look beneath the surface of visual multimedia, to become visually literate, and then to make determinations based on complex understandings. Finally, to be fully media literate, it is suggested that students should have a grasp of communicating with media (Pailliotet, et al, 2000). In other words, students should have opportunities to create media, for this will strengthen their reading skills much like writing can improve reading.

Media literacy education is thus a natural direction for expanding understandings of literacy. It is in line with notions of critical literacy for its consideration of the four reader roles which include code-breaker, text-participant, text-user, and text-analyst (Freebody and Luke, 1990; Department of Education, Tasmania, n.d.). Specifically, students learn first to acknowledge and decode the complex and multiple layers of media (code-breaker). Next, as text participants students comprehend mediated texts and produce them using typical media conventions. Text-users gain understandings in discourse to detect nuances of mediated points of view. Thus, students studying media literacy understand that the purpose of media changes given the target audience. Finally, being a text-analyst of mediated texts means that students can acknowledge the various ways in which media communicate to pass on ideas and potentially influence audiences. Freebody and Luke point out that the roles are simultaneous and recursive not sequential.

Further, critical media literacy recognizes ideologies and values (Pailliotet, et al, 2000), which corresponds with Tyner's (1998) conclusion: "it is fair to say that--at least in theory--all of the technology-related multiliteracies (of which media literacy is one) strive for some version of critical literacy" (p. 65). Literacy for the 21st century must take students beyond decoding and basic comprehension given the multitude of mediated texts that provide us with information (Goodson & Norton-Meier, 2003). Pailliotet, et al (2000) call for "learning and thinking that result in increased literacy, as well as socially just, democratic, humane, and ethical actions in and out of the classroom" (p. 208).

Alvermann and Hagood (2000) specifically urged "'incorporating critical media literacy in school curricula" (p. 203), while Torres and Mercado (2006) call for not only including media literacy in K-12 classrooms but also in teacher education programs. Further, it is included in 48 out of 50 official state curricula for K to 12 students (Kubey & Baker, 1999). Alvermann, Moon & Hagood (1999) explain that media literacy assists young people in questioning "how their identities are constructed by the various forms of popular culture that they elect to take up" (p. 4) and media literacy recognizes and affirms the knowledge diverse learners possess (Lacina, 2005/2006). Given these strong motivations, however, it is still rare to find media literacy within schools of education (Author, 2002) and K-12 classrooms. Therefore, a need exists for more scholarly work within teacher education and media literacy, and this study helps to fulfill that need.

Methods and data sources

Three years ago our reading masters program underwent a major reorganization to achieve International Reading Association (IRA)/National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation and to reflect current understandings related to the learning and teaching of reading and the role of the reading specialist. From a philosophical perspective the change represented a shift from a competency-based approach to a constructivist-based model that acknowledged expanding notions of literacy. The changes included major course revisions and as some courses were phased out, new courses such as Media Literacy were initiated. Consequently, many of the students in the initial semesters had completed most of their program under the old requirements and were extremely resistant to the Media Literacy course content.

Recognizing that the course would need to be evaluated and modified, we collected multiple types of data from the participants and used qualitative methods to analyze, code, and identify themes found in the data. Data included mid-semester evaluations, final evaluations, reading reflection assignments, course projects, and instructor reflections from the first three semesters the course was offered. Participants included approximately 55 reading master's students. All participants were certified teachers and most were teaching in suburban districts. Approximately 2/3 of the participants were elementary teachers and 1/3 secondary teachers. We are continuing to modify the course and to firmly situate it as a meaningful, practical component of the preparation of reading teachers and reading specialists.

Results

Four major themes emerged from the data. First, students expressed surprise over the content matter of a course called Media Literacy. Next, they expressed trepidation to accept media literacy in their roles as future reading teachers or reading specialists; however, despite this, students became more knowledgeable about media literacy personally. Third, the need to review other courses to embrace critical media literacy concepts throughout the program arose. And finally, students found the political nature of literacies at times troubling and difficult to incorporate into their instruction in light of the emphasis on mandated curricula and high stakes testing.

Students indicated that they came into the media literacy course expecting to learn how to use various media, such as software programs or assistive technologies. This sentiment is echoed in the following student comment from a final course evaluation: "This class would meet my needs by teaching us how to use Webquests or some other kind of technology." This misconception is reasonable given this new field. Until media literacy becomes more commonplace in our school systems instructors of the media literacy course must begin by explaining not only what media literacy is, but also, what it is not.

While students deepened their own media literacy abilities, they continued to be reluctant to accept media literacy in their roles as reading specialists/teachers. This was evident in individual course reflections and midway through the semester when students completed a group TV show analysis paper and demonstrated awareness of the importance of media aesthetics to the overall story's aims. For example, one pair analyzed the television show Desperate Housewives and in their analysis of the opening credits, we see depth in terms of "reading" the media:

   The show's opening sets the stage for what is to come. Marc Cherry
   created an opening that uses iconic imagery to 'convey the concept
   and capture the spirit of the show' (Videography, 2004).
   Two-dimensional artwork is turned into three-dimensional pop-ups
   that explode with humor at the beginning of the show. Images are
   drawn from famous works of art to show how women have struggled in
   the marital arts through history.

To successfully teach any subject, however, teachers must move beyond mere subject matter expertise and towards conceptual pedagogical understanding (Shulman, 1986). This transition was challenging for many of the students in the media literacy class. The following quote illustrates the disconnect between the course content, what students expected from the course, and how the participants saw their role as a reading teacher: "I guess that I want to walk out of class with ideas of how I can reach struggling readers and become a better reading teacher!" We saw this type of comment echoed repeatedly within final course evaluations. Many students simply could not understand the importance of media literacy for reading teachers and thus, the importance of expanding notions of literacy. At the same time however, in course reflections a few students described early attempts at media literacy in their classrooms.

   During this past week, I have been teaching my students about the
   concept of voice in their writing. I was able to find an opportunity
   to introduce some of these concepts about the media in my classroom.
   I discussed with the students the idea that a song, and the way that
   it is sung, can influence the way that a person feels. I gave my
   students a few examples of sad songs, and then sang them in a very
   upbeat manner. Likewise, I demonstrated how a happy kind of song can
   be sung in a very melancholy way. I believe that this lesson
   correlates with the ideas on the critical literacy website. The media
   has a particular way that it wants its audience to feel, so it will
   do whatever it can to influence that feeling. I feel that my
   students have begun to recognize that idea, and I hope to continue
   to reinforce it throughout the year.

And at the end of the semester the students shared integrated units (media literacy interspersed within general curricula) and a few were of a sophisticated nature. One particular first grade social studies unit entitled "In and Around the Land" included a lesson on the topic milk. The overall objective included examining the steps of the milk production process. To enhance the lesson with critical media literacy, the teacher had the children visit two websites with contrasting perspectives (www.moomilk.com and www.peta.org/feat/meatrix/). After each website tour, she asked the students who the website was directed at, as well as how the people who created the website felt about the milk production process. After both website visits, she asked students which website they liked best and why, as well as what techniques were used to keep them interested. While this particular unit excelled in its use of critical media literacy, most simply offered a superficial inclusion of media with a brief focus on media literacy. Our data suggest that our students felt that they developed an improved ability to apply the knowledge personally, or became more media literate themselves, though they did not pay credence to its relevance in their teaching. This can be explained in part by increased pressure on teachers for fulfilling mandates in our current accountability movement (Allington & Nowak, 2004), and so teachers easily and rightly balk when asked to add yet another new practice, stating they have no time or curricular space. While personal growth in media literacy was certainly an aim, it was not explicitly stated initially. Consequently, teachers left the course yearning for reading tips and tools to apply in their classrooms the next day. Thus they also felt unfulfilled and critical of the course as impractical. Through this expressed exasperation, we came to see that our approach to this "new" content and pedagogy needed improvement, for as stated in the course description on the syllabus, media literacy is like multiculturalism in that both are perspectives which consider different points of view, as opposed to being a completely new content. Consequently, we have attempted to more clearly convey the importance of gaining better personal abilities in critical media analysis and understanding that media literacy is not necessarily yet another new content, but more a broader way to view the world.

Further work that we as a reading faculty conducted to integrate media literacy into the program included exploring ways to build links between the Media Literacy course and other required courses, as well as to stress the leadership aspects of the reading specialist role. We recognized that to be effective, we needed to begin to build schema for the concepts of critical media literacy especially in the Block I courses, Foundations of Reading and Language Development and Emergent Literacy. We found natural connections in Block II and III courses such as Children's and Adolescent Literature, Content Area Reading, and Current Issues, which we are working to highlight. For example, in the Children's and Adolescent Literature course our students look for stereotypes and bias related to gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and special needs and after reading and viewing a children's novel, discuss how the messages can change from text to media. In Current Issues, media literacy is relevant to seminar discussions of emergent literacy, adolescent literacy, English Language Learners, and technology in the classroom.

Finally, critical media literacy education directly deals with concepts such as ideology, power, and subjectivity. For some teachers, it seems that this is their first foray into formal educational discussions on matters such as these. The public school teachers expressed concern, given the dictates over what can and cannot be discussed in their classrooms as per administrative directive. Further, a critical focus brought about discomfort and frustration. Comments frequently emerged such as the following:

   I feel like we are in a world where everything can cause some type
   of problem. First it was cell phones causing cancer and now it's
   Disney movies promoting women as unequal? Give me a break!
   Where would phonemic awareness and code breaking strategies fit
   in if all that was focused on was gender bias and saving the whales?

Creatively, however, within the course assignments our data showed that other teachers appropriated selected aspects of the material in order to bring their students along with regard to asking critical questions about the media around us. The following final course reflection by a student demonstrates growth with regard to critical media literacy:

   Undoubtedly, this has been an eye-opening experience for me. I feel
   that this awareness has led me to question the traditional methods of
   instruction that I previously used. I find myself infusing the
   critical questions into my instruction, complementing my students
   on their clothing, and yes, watching more children's TV.

Conclusion

Reading scholars now define literacy as encompassing reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing or multiliteracies (Turbill, 2002) yet, as educators, we are often unprepared to support student learning in multiliteracies. Since media are ubiquitous, teachers must be more media literate themselves and learn how to teach media literacy in their classrooms to ensure that a 21st century literate person is as we co-define the term in our course:

   This person has the ability to decode and recode multiple texts in
   society to include alpha-numeric, visual, and multimedia to analyze,
   communicate, and appreciate multiple points of view.

To achieve this goal, pre-service and in-service teacher development programs must begin to include media literacy in their course and workshop offerings. As our experience has shown, teachers may be willing to develop an understanding of media literacy concepts but they are often reluctant to apply them in the classroom. Consequently, it will take time for media literacy to become a part of K-12 education.

References

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Stephanie Flores-Koulish, Loyola College in Maryland

Debby Deal, Loyola College in Maryland

Flores-Koulish, Ph.D., designed the course, Media Literacy Education in Fall 2004 and currently teaches it. Deal, Ph.D. is Director of Reading Programs and proposed Media Literacy Education as a required master's course.