{"id":30149,"date":"2021-07-11T15:49:43","date_gmt":"2021-07-11T19:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/?page_id=30149"},"modified":"2023-12-07T10:08:58","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T15:08:58","slug":"what-do-we-students-to-know-about-the-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/what-do-we-students-to-know-about-the-media\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do We Students To Know About The Media?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Do We Want Students To Know About The Media?<\/strong>
\nBy Frank W Baker\u00a0 (scheduled for publication at Middleweb.com in August 2021)<\/p>\n

I was recently invited by the South Carolina school librarian\u2019s organization to keynote its summer institute for professional development and I decided that my theme would be the title of this blogpost.<\/p>\n

So as I posed that question, virtually, and I received a number of good responses such as:
\n– check the source
\n– analyze for accuracy and bias
\n– know how to \u201cfact check\u201d what you see
\n– use multiple sources
\n– don\u2019t believe everything you see or read
\n– how to find out what is real and what is fake
\n– don\u2019t trust all you read<\/p>\n

While those answers were good, they were also expected: they emanate from librarians whose background and primary focus has been \u201cinformation literacy,\u201d and not \u201cmedia literacy.\u201d\u00a0 (There is a big difference and through my talk, I made sure to elaborate on what sets them apart. More about that shortly.)<\/p>\n

I offered three of my own:
\nFirst. I want students to know that media is pervasive.<\/u> It\u2019s powerful and almost inescapable. [Can your students name a place where no media exists?]\n

Second. I want students to know that the media are persuasive and influential<\/u>. It sets agendas by what it reports (and what it does not) and in many ways, tells us what to think, feel, eat, drink. [Can your students offer one or more examples of persuasion in the media they attend to?]\n

Third, I would want students to know that most media exist to<\/u> make money<\/u> and the decisions they make are often based on profit potential.
\n[I like to ask students: who benefits from your purchase of a magazine?]\n

Last, here is one I did not previously address. Our students can use the media to produce and distribute messages that address problems and challenges in our community and our world. \u00a0[See \u201cStudent Filmmakers Document Social Justice Issues In Their Own Voices\u201d]<\/a><\/p>\n

So after asking librarians \u201cwhat do we want students to know about the media\u201d, I challenged them (and now I challenge you): How will you insure your students are fully aware of \u201cthe media\u201d and all of its ramifications?<\/p>\n

Information Literacy- Media Literacy Explained<\/u><\/p>\n

Consider this definition of information literacy: \u201c”the ability to know when there is a need for\u00a0information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that\u00a0information\u00a0for the issue or problem at hand”. (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Now consider this definition of media literacy: \u201cIt provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms \u2014 from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy.\u201d (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

My experience tells me most librarians (and most educators) have not received any real media literacy training nor professional development, so many are just now beginning to understand what it is, how important it is and how to implement it into instruction. [Be sure to see my latest book, Close Reading The Media<\/a>, for ideas and resources.]\n

How To Address \u201cMedia Literacy\u201d in Instruction<\/u><\/strong>
\nIf you use video or images in instruction, then you should have a dose of media literacy which includes visual literacy.<\/p>\n

Helping develop students\u2019 critical viewing skills (CVS) is essential in a 21st<\/sup> century education.\u00a0 Most of our students view media passively\u2014they watch with the thinking parts of their brains (mostly) turned off. Media and visual literacy encourage us to view media actively.\u00a0 That means being engaged (turning \u201con\u201d those thinking parts). Consider this definition of active viewing:<\/p>\n

\u201cyou are paying your full attention to one task (such as watching Television) and\u00a0you are also\u00a0interacting,\u00a0you question\u00a0what happens on screen and\u00a0want\u00a0answers\u201d (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Examples of Engaging Students In Media Literacy Instruction<\/p>\n

Engaging students in critical thinking about media is not rocket science. But it does take some practice. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n

-An arts educator, displaying a famous painting to students, guides them to look beyond the superficial.
\n-A history teacher, projecting a photo from the Holocaust, encourages students to use inference as they look for clues in the image.
\n<\/strong>-An English literature teacher, showing students a Shakespeare play on film, calls attention to the \u201clanguages of film\u201d– how costume and set design imply meaning.
\n-An elementary educator explores the use and meaning of color in signs.
\n-A science teacher has students explore what special-effects techniques a filmmaker used to make a scene appear authentic.
\n-A math teacher challenges students to consider \u201cwho benefits\u201d when advertisers spend $6 million for an ad during the annual Super Bowl game.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this media literacy blog post for the first time, you might like to know that in the past four years, I have explored media literacy\u2019s connections to pop culture and current events and what that means to teaching. (Go here<\/a> to explore all of my previous posts.)<\/p>\n

Simply using media in instruction today is not enough: we must take time to help students better understand media messages. That\u2019s where \u201cmedia literacy\u201d education comes in. It encourages us to take students through a \u201cdeep dive\u201d into media\u2019s purposes and meanings.<\/p>\n

Every teacher I know uses \u201cthe media\u201d in instruction, but not every teacher teaches ABOUT the media.\u00a0 There are opportunities. And those opportunities exist in our teaching standards.<\/p>\n

Media & Media Literacy in the Standards
\n<\/u><\/strong>
\nIn a 1999 op-ed<\/a> I co-authored in \u201cEducation Week\u201d \u00a0Professor Robert Kubey and I elaborated on my analysis of every state\u2019s teaching standards. At that time, elements of media literacy were found to exist in most state\u2019s standards for ELA, Social Studies and Health.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the introduction of Common Core standards, wiped out many of those gains. As my colleague wrote in another Ed Week commentary:
\n\u201cother than a mention of the need to \u2018evaluate information from multiple oral, visual, or multimodal sources,\u2019 there is no specific reference in the common standards to critical analysis and production of film, television, advertising, radio, news, music, popular culture, video games, media remixes, and so on. Nor is there explicit attention on fostering critical analysis of media messages and representations.\u201d (source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If media literacy is to gain traction, new and revised standards must contain specific language that includes contemporary media and contemporary media literacy.
\n
\nGains in Media Literacy Education
\n<\/strong><\/u>
\nDespite Common Core, many groups now recognize and recommend engaging students in critical thinking about media.<\/p>\n

Recently, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) provided guidance to its members through various actions.\u00a0 Consider:<\/p>\n

– The Definition of Literacy in A Digital Age
\nhttps:\/\/ncte.org\/statement\/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age\/<\/a><\/p>\n

– Report on the Task Force on Critical Media Literacy (2021)
\nhttps:\/\/www.canva.com\/design\/DAERz0BpJyk\/I4sPUxfrZlHLVys3QIVilQ\/view?utm_content=DAERz0BpJyk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=homepage_design_menu<\/a><\/p>\n

The National Council for The Social Studies (NCSS) provided members with a position statement on media literacy<\/a>. As well the newly developed C3 (College, Career, and Civic Life) Framework<\/a> contains strong media literacy elements\u2014such as \u201cinquiry is at the heart of social studies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Science Teaching Association (NTSA) \u201cstrongly supports students\u2019 scientific literacy by including personal and societal issues.\u201d (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Other groups recognizing the value of media literacy include the Partnership for 21st<\/sup> Century Skills; the Horizon K12 Report; Future Workskills 2020; and the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong>
\n<\/u>Do you feel as if teaching \u201cmedia literacy\u201d should be a priority?\u00a0 I do.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because recent surveys and studies have made it clear: many of our students don\u2019t think critically about the media they come in contact with, including social media. [ See: Most Students Don\u2019t Know When News if Fake.<\/a>]\n

Many of them don\u2019t consider \u201cthe source\u201d of something they read or watched on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or elsewhere.\u00a0 Others don\u2019t consider the ramifications of spreading fake news or conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n

There is no time like the present. What will you do? I invite your comments and reaction to this post.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

——————————————————————————
\nFrank Baker maintains the nationally recognized Media Literacy Clearinghouse website<\/a> for educators. In 2019 he was recognized with UNESCO\u2019s Global Alliance Partnership in Media & Information Literacy award. He authored \u201cClose Reading The Media\u201d<\/em> \u2013a book of monthly ideas and lessons–in a collaboration with Middleweb and Routledge. He invites inquiries about his media literacy trainings. Contact him: fbaker1346@gmail.com<\/a> or via Twitter @fbaker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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