First Assignment - Due January 29th, 2006
Questions
• From the media literacy approaches readings, what approach or combination of approaches do you most value? Why?
• Which do you find problematic and why?
After reading “The Seven Great Debates in the Media Literacy Movement,” I’m left with mixed feelings about the use of media literacy in teaching. It is somewhat hard for me to relate this to teaching on the K-12 level, since I am more focused on teaching at a college level and haven’t taken any other teaching courses, but I will do my best to make my comments as relevant as possible.
While I believe it is an absolute necessity and VERY useful to take advantage of advancing technologies such as blogs, digital streaming video, websites, etc… to enhance the learning process, I can also see where one might take advantage of technology and pop culture, actually causing it to hinder a child’s education. To translate that into English, lazy teachers might use “blogs,” TV Shows, mock newscasts, etc… as excuses to get away from the traditional subjects and teaching methods.
I may come from an old school of thought, (being only 23yrs old, old school wasn’t too long ago…) but I have a hard time justifying using an episode of the “Simpsons” as a learning tool. (Don’t get me wrong…I love the “Simpsons”…but in SCHOOL??)
Maybe I’m being naïve, but I just assume that since I had a traditional “books, tests, and chalk board” education and turned out alright, I don’t see the need to fix what isn’t broken. Of course, there is plenty of room in the world for television, entertainment, and pop culture…I for one love it all…I just think that it should not be mixed too heavily with education, or education will lose its credibility. My generation (myself included) already knows very little about politics and world issue. Why reinforce the next generations need to be entertained at all times any more than it already is. I think there is too much emphasis on keeping children entertained as opposed to teaching them things that may seem boring, but ultimately will be more useful in the future.
As a perspective college instructor, as opposed to a K-12 educator, I would argue that the most important approach addressed in the “Seven Great Debates” text is that Media Organizations should help support media literacy in schools. I look at this from the more specific standpoint of teaching communications and journalism, but since it is the media organizations that will ultimately benefit from the graduates of these programs, they should want to help, both financially and in the form of educating, to ensure these students are ready to jump right into the workforce. As an undergraduate in Broadcast Journalism, many of my “hands-on” courses were taught by media professionals, who knew exactly what it takes to succeed in the news world.
What approach(es) do (es) the films that you viewed at http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/mtm05/ take?
The first video I viewed had to do with Minnesota being a “battleground” state in the 2004 elections. This video mixed Pop Culture with politics in the hopes to encourage young people to get involved in politics. While I would praise the video from the standpoint of production and editing (these kids really knew what they wanted to do and how to get it done), I would question how much they actually learned from the project. This goes along with my earlier statements about letting pop culture overtake the subject. While they had countless opportunities to interact with these politicians and ask them questions that concerned young people, they ultimately just ended up with a (very very cool) music video. However, if this project was also incorporated with some sort of research project or paper, where the students explained what they were doing, and what they learned while doing it…I have no problem with it.
One of the topics in the “Seven Debates” text spoke on the importance of having competent educators. I believe this is a very important aspect of media literacy. As I mentioned above, a lazy or undereducated teacher could take advantage of new technology and not teach his or her students anything. As long as the students are kept stimulated, and know that they have to work for their grades, technology and media literacy can become a major asset to the field of education.
• From the media literacy approaches readings, what approach or combination of approaches do you most value? Why?
• Which do you find problematic and why?
After reading “The Seven Great Debates in the Media Literacy Movement,” I’m left with mixed feelings about the use of media literacy in teaching. It is somewhat hard for me to relate this to teaching on the K-12 level, since I am more focused on teaching at a college level and haven’t taken any other teaching courses, but I will do my best to make my comments as relevant as possible.
While I believe it is an absolute necessity and VERY useful to take advantage of advancing technologies such as blogs, digital streaming video, websites, etc… to enhance the learning process, I can also see where one might take advantage of technology and pop culture, actually causing it to hinder a child’s education. To translate that into English, lazy teachers might use “blogs,” TV Shows, mock newscasts, etc… as excuses to get away from the traditional subjects and teaching methods.
I may come from an old school of thought, (being only 23yrs old, old school wasn’t too long ago…) but I have a hard time justifying using an episode of the “Simpsons” as a learning tool. (Don’t get me wrong…I love the “Simpsons”…but in SCHOOL??)
Maybe I’m being naïve, but I just assume that since I had a traditional “books, tests, and chalk board” education and turned out alright, I don’t see the need to fix what isn’t broken. Of course, there is plenty of room in the world for television, entertainment, and pop culture…I for one love it all…I just think that it should not be mixed too heavily with education, or education will lose its credibility. My generation (myself included) already knows very little about politics and world issue. Why reinforce the next generations need to be entertained at all times any more than it already is. I think there is too much emphasis on keeping children entertained as opposed to teaching them things that may seem boring, but ultimately will be more useful in the future.
As a perspective college instructor, as opposed to a K-12 educator, I would argue that the most important approach addressed in the “Seven Great Debates” text is that Media Organizations should help support media literacy in schools. I look at this from the more specific standpoint of teaching communications and journalism, but since it is the media organizations that will ultimately benefit from the graduates of these programs, they should want to help, both financially and in the form of educating, to ensure these students are ready to jump right into the workforce. As an undergraduate in Broadcast Journalism, many of my “hands-on” courses were taught by media professionals, who knew exactly what it takes to succeed in the news world.
What approach(es) do (es) the films that you viewed at http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/mtm05/ take?
The first video I viewed had to do with Minnesota being a “battleground” state in the 2004 elections. This video mixed Pop Culture with politics in the hopes to encourage young people to get involved in politics. While I would praise the video from the standpoint of production and editing (these kids really knew what they wanted to do and how to get it done), I would question how much they actually learned from the project. This goes along with my earlier statements about letting pop culture overtake the subject. While they had countless opportunities to interact with these politicians and ask them questions that concerned young people, they ultimately just ended up with a (very very cool) music video. However, if this project was also incorporated with some sort of research project or paper, where the students explained what they were doing, and what they learned while doing it…I have no problem with it.
One of the topics in the “Seven Debates” text spoke on the importance of having competent educators. I believe this is a very important aspect of media literacy. As I mentioned above, a lazy or undereducated teacher could take advantage of new technology and not teach his or her students anything. As long as the students are kept stimulated, and know that they have to work for their grades, technology and media literacy can become a major asset to the field of education.
posted by MLD at
8:56 PM
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