Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning Frank W. Baker fbaker1346@aol.com Media Literacy Clearinghouse http://www.frankwbaker.com March 26, 2007 CLIS 220

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning With the advent and popularity of YouTube, Current TV, and similar venues, young people are anxious to have their productions seen and heard. DIY (do it yourself)

Generation M multi-tasking “digital natives”

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning “Our students are growing up in a world saturated with media messages…yet, they (and their teachers) receive little or no training in the skills of analyzing or re-evaluating these messages, many of which make use of language, moving images, music, sound effects.” R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning “While more young people have access to the Internet and other media than any generation in history, they do not necessarily possess the ethics, the intellectual skills, or the predisposition to critically analyze and evaluate … these technologies or the information they encounter. Good hand/eye co-ordination and the ability to multitask are not substitutes for critical thinking.” David Considine Media educator Appalachian State University

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning Students "spend lots of time chatting, looking at pop culture web sites, and downloading MP3s, but they don't deal with critical evaluation of information." Study Aims To Improve Internet Literacy Donald Leu University of Conn. Teaching With The Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning “Movies, advertisements, and all other visual media are tools teachers need to use and media we must master if we are to maintain our credibility in the coming years.” Jim Burke, from The English Teacher’s Companion

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning “From an early age, students are very sophisticated readers and producers of multi-modal work. They can be helped to understand how these works make meaning, how they are based on conventions, and how they are created for and respond to specific communities or audiences.” 2005 Declaration, NCTE Executive Committee

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking For 21st Century Learning “It would be a breach of our duties as teachers for us to ignore the rhetorical power of visual forms of media in combination with text and sound…the critical media literacy we need to teach must include evaluation of these media, lest our students fail to see, understand, and learn to harness the persuasive power of visual media.” NCTE Resolution on Visual/Media Literacy

Media literacy in SC Curriculum Teaching Standards ENGLISH SOCIAL STUDIES HEALTH Communication: VIEWING Demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques used in  non-print sources for a particular audience. Propaganda Mass media Economics the influence of advertising on consumer choices Food Selection Body Image Alcohol & tobacco advertising and marketing techniques

Endorsing media literacy American Association of School Librarians Annenberg Public Policy Center Carnegie Commission on Adolescent Development Center for Substance Abuse Prevention  College Board Standards for Student Success International Reading Association  National Board for Professional Teaching Standards National Council for Teachers of English  National Council for the Social Studies  National Middle School Association  National PTA North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NcREL) Partnership for 21st Century Skills White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

What is media literacy? Share your definition. Assignment What is media literacy? Share your definition. video

Defining media literacy Media literacy is concerned with helping students develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques. More specifically, it is education that aims to increase the students' understanding and enjoyment of how the media work, how they produce meaning, how they are organized, and how they construct reality. Media literacy also aims to provide students with the ability to create media products.  Media Literacy Resource Guide, Ministry of Education Ontario, 1997

Media literacy is: Set of skills, knowledge, & abilities Awareness of personal media habits Understanding of how media works Appreciation of media’s power/influence Ability to discern; critically question/view How meaning is created in media Healthy skepticism Access to media Ability to produce & create media

Media literacy: key concepts All media are constructed Media use unique languages Media convey values and points of view Audiences negotiate meaning Media: power and profit Source: Center for Media Literacy

Critical inquiry: asking questions Who produced/created the message? For what purpose was it produced? Who is the ‘target audience’? What techniques are used to attract attention; increase believability?

Critical inquiry: asking questions Who or what is left out; why? Who benefits from the message being communicated in this way? What lifestyle is promoted? How do you know what it means? Where can you go to verify the info?

Visual literacy Let’s take a look at some images

Teaching in the 21st century   "If video is how we are communicating and persuading in this new century, why aren't more students writing screenplays as part of their schoolwork?" Heidi Hayes Jacob April 2004

The languages of TV & Film Cameras a) Movement b) positioning c) use of lens Lights Audio (includes music, sound effects) Editing (post production; special effects) Set design Actors: wardrobes; expressions

Examples Advertising: Cell phone ad script Toys ad Film: Over The Hedge Because of Winn Dixie

Media Literacy Clearinghouse Frank Baker Fbaker1346@aol.com Media Literacy Clearinghouse http://www.frankwbaker.com