The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Frank W. Baker media educator

Fbaker1346@aol.com

Media Literacy Clearinghouse

www.frankwbaker.com

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

The Persuaders Dec. 19 ETV 10-11pm Copyright: ONE YEAR

explores how the cultures of marketing and advertising have come to influence not only what Americans buy, but also how they view themselves and the world around them.

www.pbs.org/frontline

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

With the advent and popularity of YouTube, With the advent and popularity of YouTube, Current TV, and similar venues, young people Current TV, and similar venues, young people are anxious to have their productions seen are anxious to have their productions seen and heard.and heard. DIY (do it yourself) DIY (do it yourself)

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Generation M: Multi-tasking“digital natives”

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

“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

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

“Adolescents need to learn how to integrateknowledge from multiple sources, includingmusic, video, online databases and othermedia. They need to think critically aboutinformation….they need to participate in thekinds of collaboration that newcommunication and information technologiesenable, but increasingly demand.”

Bruce Bertram, “Diversity and Critical Social Engagement: How Changing Technologies Enable New Modes of Literacy in Changing Circumstances”

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Literacy is more than words on a page.

Text is not always printed.

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Media literacy refers to composing, comprehending, interpreting, analyzing, and appreciating the language and texts of...both print and nonprint. The use of media presupposes an expanded definition of 'text'...print media texts include books, magazines, and newspapers. Nonprint media include photography, recordings, radio, film, television, videotape, video games, computers, the performing arts, and virtual reality…constantly interact...(and) all (are) to be experienced, appreciated, and analyzed and created by students.“ (Source: )

Groups recognizing/recommending media literacy

American Academy of PediatricsAmerican Association of School LibrariansAnnenberg Public Policy CenterCable In The ClassroomCarnegie Commission on Adolescent DevelopmentCenter for Substance Abuse Prevention College Board: Standards for College SuccessInternational Reading Association National Board for Professional Teaching StandardsNational Council for Teachers of English National Council for the Social Studies National Middle School Association National PTANorth Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NcREL)Office of National Drug Control PolicyPartnership for 21st Century Skills

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Revised SC ELA Standards (2007)

Guiding Principle 8

An effective English language arts curriculum provides for literacy in all forms of media.

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

“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, fromThe English Teacher’s Companion

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Take a moment to write your own definition of media literacy.

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Media literacy is the ability to:

ACCESSANALYZE INTERPRET and PRODUCE communication in a variety of forms.

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

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. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Education)

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

5 Core Concepts in Media Literacy

•All media are constructions

•Media utilize unique languages with their own set of rules

•Media convey values and points of view

•Audiences negotiate meaning

•Media are designed for power and profit

All media are constructions

media construct reality

Media use their own languages

The Language of IM

BRBBe Right Back

PIRParents In Room

LOLLaughing out Loud

The Language of Film

CamerasLightsAudio (sound, music)EditingSet DesignCostumeActors’ expressionsMakeup

Cell phones

ROAMING? (is this about deer and antelopes?)

SMART PHONES? ( do dumb phones exist?)

DROPPED CALLS ( dropping the phone?)

Media: values and points-of-view

Audience negotiate meaning

Media= Power + Profit

The Big (6) Media in the U.S.

FOX (News Corp) FOX (News Corp)

NBC (GE/NBC/Universal)NBC (GE/NBC/Universal)

CBSCBS

ABC (Disney)ABC (Disney)

CNN (AOL/Time Warner)CNN (AOL/Time Warner)

VIACOMVIACOM

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Who created/paid for the message? What is the purpose? Who is the intended audience? What techniques are used? Who or what might be omitted and why? What lifestyles are promoted? Who benefits from the message?

Learning to ask questions:

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

Photography (visual literacy) News & editorial cartoons (journalism) Advertising (techniques of persuasion) Film (the language of film) Video & media production

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

The language of TV & Film

CAMERAS

1. Movement 2. Position 3. Lens LIGHTS SOUND (includes music) EDITING (post production) SET DESIGN ACTORS (voice, expression, wardrobe)

The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills--Helping Students Become Media Literate

and Critical Thinkers

VISA Commercial

Questions to consider (handout)

Scriptwriting In The Classroom

"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 Jacobs

The language of TV & Film

Moving images: Television

Cell Phone Ad

Script

Dove’sCampaign for Beauty campaignstreaming video

Bush

Kerry

Moving Images: Film

The Mighty(Freak The Mighty)

Music Symbolism:

Opening TitlesPocket WatchSound in the Night

POV

To Kill A Mockingbird

Resources

Most school libraries are sorely lacking in

resources about media.

Recommended books, magazines, videos,

curricula and more can be found at

www.frankwbaker.com/resources.htm

Invite Frank to your school!

Planning Staff Development?

Media Literacy: One of the 21st Century Literacy Skills

Frank Baker fbaker1346@aol.com