Critical Thinking About Media: Media Literacy Skills All Students Need

Critical Thinking About Media: Critical Thinking About Media: Media Literacy Skills All Media Literacy Skills All

Students NeedStudents NeedFrank W.BakerFrank W.Baker

media educatormedia [email protected]@aol.com

Media Literacy ClearinghouseMedia Literacy Clearinghousehttp://www.frankwbaker.comhttp://www.frankwbaker.com

Media literacy 101Media literacy 101

What do we want What do we want students to know about students to know about

the media?the media?

Media literacy 101Media literacy 101 “ “It would be a breach of our duties as It would be a breach of our duties as

teachers for us to ignore the rhetorical teachers for us to ignore the rhetorical power of visual forms of media in power of visual forms of media in combination with text and sound…combination with text and sound…the the critical media literacy we need to teach critical media literacy we need to teach must include evaluation of these must include evaluation of these mediamedia, lest our students fail to see, , lest our students fail to see, understand, and learn to harness understand, and learn to harness the persuasive power of visual media.”the persuasive power of visual media.”

NCTE Resolution on Visual/Media LiteracyNCTE Resolution on Visual/Media Literacy

IRA/NCTE Standards for the IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language ArtsEnglish Language Arts

6. Students apply knowledge of language 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, structure, language conventions, media media techniquestechniques, figurative language, and genre , figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.nonprint texts.

8. Students use a variety of technological and 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, databases, computer networks, videovideo) to ) to gather and synthesize information and to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.create and communicate knowledge.

Media literacy 101Media literacy 101Conventional:Conventional:

Read --------------- Write Read --------------- Write

Contemporary:Contemporary: Analyze-------------Produce Analyze-------------Produce

Media literacy 101Media literacy 101 87% of U.S. teens between 12 and 17 years 87% of U.S. teens between 12 and 17 years

of age use the Internet; just 66% of adults do of age use the Internet; just 66% of adults do so; so;

81% of teen Internet users play games 81% of teen Internet users play games online;online;

76% get news online76% get news online;; 51% of teen Internet users say they go online 51% of teen Internet users say they go online

on a daily basis; on a daily basis; 43% have made purchases online; and 43% have made purchases online; and 31% use the Internet to get health info31% use the Internet to get health infoSource: “Teens and Technology: Youth Are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired and Source: “Teens and Technology: Youth Are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired and Mobile Nation” (2005) & "Life Online: Teens and Technology and the World to Come," (2006)Mobile Nation” (2005) & "Life Online: Teens and Technology and the World to Come," (2006)

Media literacy 101Media literacy 101 “ “Our students are growing up in a Our students are growing up in a

world saturated with media world saturated with media messages…yet, they messages…yet, they (and their (and their teachers)teachers) receive little or no training receive little or no training in the skills of analyzing or re-in the skills of analyzing or re-evaluating these messages, many of evaluating these messages, many of which make use of language, moving which make use of language, moving images, music, sound effects.”images, music, sound effects.” Source: R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004Source: R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004

Media literacy 101Media literacy 101 American Association of School LibrariesAmerican Association of School Libraries International Reading AssociationInternational Reading Association Natl. Board of Prof. Teaching StandardsNatl. Board of Prof. Teaching Standards National Council for Teachers of EnglishNational Council for Teachers of English National Middle School AssociationNational Middle School Association Partnership for 21Partnership for 21stst Century Skills Century Skills White House Office of National Drug Control White House Office of National Drug Control

PolicyPolicy


What is media literacy?What is media literacy?

OROR

Why should your students become Why should your students become media literate?media literate?

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

What media literacy is:What media literacy is: Set of skills, knowledge, & abilitiesSet of skills, knowledge, & abilities Awareness of personal media habitsAwareness of personal media habits Understanding of how media worksUnderstanding of how media works Appreciation of media’s power/influenceAppreciation of media’s power/influence Ability to discern; critically question/viewAbility to discern; critically question/view How meaning is created in mediaHow meaning is created in media Healthy skepticismHealthy skepticism Access to mediaAccess to media Ability to produce & create mediaAbility to produce & create media

video

Media literacy in SC ELAMedia literacy in SC ELAElementaryElementary MiddleMiddle High SchoolHigh School

Recognize Recognize details, setting, details, setting, characters and characters and cause and effect cause and effect in material from in material from nonprint sourcesnonprint sources

Demonstrate Demonstrate the ability to the ability to distinguish distinguish between fact between fact and opinion, to and opinion, to compare and compare and contrast info contrast info and ideas, and and ideas, and make inferences make inferences in regard to in regard to what is viewedwhat is viewed

Analyze Analyze nonprint sources nonprint sources for accuracy, for accuracy, bias, intent and bias, intent and purposepurpose

Media literacy in SC ELAMedia literacy in SC ELADraft of Revised ELA Standards Draft of Revised ELA Standards

(2006-2007)(2006-2007)

Standard 1Standard 1The student will read and The student will read and

comprehend print and nonprint texts.comprehend print and nonprint texts.

Standard 7Standard 7The student will access and use The student will access and use

information for a variety of purposesinformation for a variety of purposes


““If video is how we are If video is how we are communicating and persuading communicating and persuading in this new century, why aren't in this new century, why aren't more students writing more students writing screenplays as part of their screenplays as part of their schoolwork?“schoolwork?“ Heidi Hayes JacobHeidi Hayes Jacob Ed Consultant Ed Consultant


“ “Movies, advertisements, Movies, advertisements, and all other visual media and all other visual media are tools teachers need to are tools teachers need to use and media we must use and media we must master if we are to master if we are to maintain our credibility in maintain our credibility in the coming years.”the coming years.”

Jim Burke, fromJim Burke, fromThe English Teacher’s CompanionThe English Teacher’s Companion

Core ConceptsCore Concepts All media are constructedAll media are constructed Media are constructed using unique Media are constructed using unique

languages with their own set of ruleslanguages with their own set of rules Media convey values and points of viewMedia convey values and points of view Audiences negotiate meaningAudiences negotiate meaning Media = Power + ProfitMedia = Power + Profit

Source: Center for Media Literacy www.medialit.orgSource: Center for Media Literacy www.medialit.org

All media are All media are constructedconstructed

What is this?What is this?

No, this is a PHOTOGRAPH of a horse.No, this is a PHOTOGRAPH of a horse.

Media are constructed Media are constructed using unique languages using unique languages

with their own set of ruleswith their own set of rulesLanguage of filmLanguage of film

Camera Camera Lights LightsSound/MusicSound/Music Sets Sets Editing Editing

Media convey values and Media convey values and points-of-viewpoints-of-view

Audiences negotiate Audiences negotiate meaningmeaning

Media = Power + ProfitMedia = Power + Profit Big 6 MediaBig 6 Media

FOX (News Corp) FOX (News Corp) NBC (GE) NBC (GE) CBS CBS ABC (Disney)ABC (Disney)CNN (AOL/Time Warner)CNN (AOL/Time Warner)VIACOMVIACOM

What are the implications/ramifications if only 6 What are the implications/ramifications if only 6 companies control magazines, newspapers, TV, companies control magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, newspapers, Internet, film, etc.?radio, newspapers, Internet, film, etc.?

Advertiser~AudienceAdvertiser~AudienceThis programThis programis brought tois brought toyou by theyou by thesponsor.sponsor.

You areYou arebrought tobrought tothe sponsorthe sponsorby the by the program.program.

Critical thinking questionsCritical thinking questions Who produces/pays for media?Who produces/pays for media? For what purpose(s) was it made?For what purpose(s) was it made? For which ‘target audience(s)’?For which ‘target audience(s)’? What What techniquestechniques attract attention; attract attention;

increase believability?increase believability? Who or what is omitted and why?Who or what is omitted and why? How do we know what it means?How do we know what it means? Does it contain bias or stereotypes?Does it contain bias or stereotypes?

TechniquesTechniques


well known case well known case of of the digital the digital creation of creation of a a magazine cover magazine cover featuring a featuring a woman who woman who does does not exist not exist


The box of Oreos was not in the original NBC “Friends:”The box of Oreos was not in the original NBC “Friends:”it was placed there virtually for DVD/syndication exposureit was placed there virtually for DVD/syndication exposure

Critical Thinking QuestionsCritical Thinking Questions Who produces/pays for media?Who produces/pays for media? For what purpose(s) was it made?For what purpose(s) was it made? For which ‘target audience(s)’?For which ‘target audience(s)’? What What techniquestechniques attract attention; attract attention;

increase believability?increase believability? Who or what is omitted and why?Who or what is omitted and why? How do we know what it means?How do we know what it means? Does it contain bias or stereotypes?Does it contain bias or stereotypes?

Applying critical thinking Applying critical thinking questions to examplesquestions to examples

Visual LiteracyVisual Literacy

Languages of TV-FilmLanguages of TV-Film CameraCamera LightsLights Audio (including music)Audio (including music) Post production (editing, SFX)Post production (editing, SFX) Set designSet design Actors: wardrobe; expressionActors: wardrobe; expression

Deconstructing Deconstructing CommercialsCommercials

Half of the room watchesHalf of the room watches the other half closes their eyesthe other half closes their eyes Make a list of what you heard/sawMake a list of what you heard/saw

Cell phone Cell phone commercialcommercial ScriptScript

The Language of filmThe Language of film

To Kill A MockingbirdTo Kill A MockingbirdOpening creditsOpening credits (symbolism) (symbolism)The Pocket WatchThe Pocket WatchA Sound In The Night A Sound In The Night (fear)(fear)

Tuck EverlastingTuck Everlastingwoods scene woods scene (music)(music)

Tobacco advertisingTobacco advertising

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Frank BakerFrank Bakermedia educatormedia educator

[email protected]@aol.com

Media Literacy ClearinghouseMedia Literacy Clearinghouse http://www.frankwbaker.comhttp://www.frankwbaker.com

Critical Thinking About Media: Critical Thinking About Media: Media Literacy Skills All Media Literacy Skills All

Students NeedStudents Need

Critical Thinking About Media: Media Literacy Skills All Students Need

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