Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Frank Baker February 15, 2007

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “Today’s students need to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and effective communicators – and we need to equip their teachers with the 21st century training, professional development and assessment tools they need to lead this effort.”

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “Accomplished teachers understand that what students read is no longer limited to words on the page. Today’s students must be intelligent readers of texts in different media, including illustrations, photographs, television programs, advertisements, films and Web sites.”

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning With the advent and popularity of YouTube, Current TV, and similar venues, young people have become media producers. DIY (do it yourself)

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Sesame Street & PBS are creating content for cell phones, based on results of a study in which parents had their kids watch video clips teaching letters

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “The Internet and other forms of information and communication technology (ICT) are redefining the nature of literacy. To become fully literate in today’s world, of ICT. Therefore, literacy educators have a responsibility to integrate these technologies into their literacy curricula.” Integrating Literacy and Technology in the Curriculum, International Reading Association “The Internet and other forms of information and communication technology (ICT) are redefining the nature of literacy. To become fully literate in today’s world, students must become proficient in the new literacies of ICT. Therefore, literacy educators have a responsibility to integrate these technologies into their literacy curricula.” Integrating Literacy and Technology in the Curriculum, International Reading Association

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Multitasking “digital natives”

Reading The Media: Media Literacy 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.” Source: R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “Students will be able to use technology tools (e.g. multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.”

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Carnegie Commission on Adolescent Development College Board Standards for College Success International Reading Association (IRA) National Board for Professional Teaching Standards National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) National Council for the Social Studies National Middle School Association (NMSA) National PTA North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NcREL) Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Draft revised ELA standards Guiding Principle 8 An effective English language arts curriculum provides for literacy in all forms of media.

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Do your students know: - who/what is media? - what are the characteristics, similarities/differences in various media?

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Do you know what “media literacy” is? Take a few minutes to draft your own definition.

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “A media literate person…can - access “A media literate person…can - access - analyze - evaluate, and - produce both print and electronic media.” - analyze - evaluate, and - produce both print and electronic media.”

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning 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….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

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Traditional model: READ WRITE READ WRITE 21 st Century model: ANALYZE PRODUCE ANALYZE PRODUCE

Integrating media literacy into ELA Non-print texts (TV, film, music) Understanding bias & stereotypes Analyzing techniques of persuasion (for example– in advertising) The language of TV/film (camera work, lighting, music) Visual literacy (photography) Blogging; graphic novels

My approach Still images (visual literacy) Advertising which incorporates images (techniques of persuasion) Moving images (languages of TV, film)

Media literacy’s core concepts All media are constructed Media are languages with their own set of rules Media convey values and points of view Different people experience the same media messages differently Media are concerned with power/profit Source: Center for Media Literacy

Media literacy’s core concepts See handout for further explanations.

Critical inquiry- questions Who created the message? What is the purpose? Who is the target audience? What techniques do they use? Who or what might be omitted and why? How do I know what it means? How can I verify this message?

Photographic inquiry

Do you believe these two men were photographed standing next to each other?

Advertising: it’s everywhere!

Advertising critique handout In studying print ads (for example) we need for students to pay attention to: - The words - The images - The layout

Advertising Who created the ad? What is the location? What do expressions reveal? What lifestyle is implied? What publication/what audience?

Language of TV & Film Cameras Lights Sound (including music, sound effects) Editing ( a.k.a. post production) Set design Costumes; makeup; expressions

Examples Cell phone Ad ScriptAdScript VISA Ad see handoutAd

Reading The Media: Media Literacy 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

Reading The Media: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “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 Ed Consultant

Examples

Film making process Read the first two pages of the novel Using the storyboard form, visual re-create the scene, as if YOU were the director video

School/District Workshops Frank Baker Media ed consultant (803)