Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Frank Baker media educator fbaker1346@aol.com Media Literacy Clearinghouse www.frankwbaker.com February 16, 2007

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning

Multitasking “digital natives”

Predicted Media Use: 2007 (hours per person) 2007 2000 Watching TV 1,555 1,467 Listening radio 974 942 Using Internet 195 104 Reading newspapers 175 201 Reading magazines 122 135 Reading books 106 105 Playing videogames 86 64 "Media Usage and Consumer Spending: 2000 to 2009." US Census Bureau

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Recommendation: Becoming smarter about new sources of information. “In an age of overflowing information and proliferating media, kids need to rapidly process what's coming at them and distinguish between what‘s reliable and what isn't.” Dec. 10, 2006 December 10, 2006

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning "In school, we spend 13 years on reading and writing. That's great, but how many years do we spend on media literacy? It's virtually zero. It seems like a missed opportunity." Dr. David Thornburg, Senior fellow of the Congressional Institute for the Future

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: 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

“It would be a breach of our duties as Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning “It would be a breach of our duties as teachers for us to ignore the rhetorical power of visual forms of media in combination with text and sound..the critical media literacy we need to teach must include evaluation of these media, lest our students fail to see, understand, and learn to harness the persuasive power of visual media.” NTCE Resolution on Visual Literacy

Principles of Adolescent Literacy Reform Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Principles of Adolescent Literacy Reform “Research shows, for example, that a media-literacy curriculum can lead students to read with higher comprehension scores, write longer paragraphs, and identify more features of purpose and audience in reading selections.” (Hobbs & Frost, 2003)

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning   “Media education seeks to develop awareness of the ways in which meaning is made in media texts, and developing skills of textual analysis.” (Source: Media Education: An Introduction Alvardo & Barrett, 1992)

Six Key Areas of Media literacy education 1. Who made this text and why? (Agency) 2. What sort of text is this? (Category) 3. How was this text produced? (Technology) 4. How do I make sense of this text? (Language) 5. Who is the intended audience of this text? (Audience) 6. What does this text say about its subject? (Representation)

Revised ELA Standards Guiding Principle 8 Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Revised ELA Standards Guiding Principle 8 An effective English language arts curriculum provides for literacy in all forms of media.

Critical Thinking About Media Messages: Media Literacy for 21st Century Learning Current ELA: Communication: Viewing Grades 6-8 analyze print & nonprint sources for accuracy, bias, intent or purpose evaluate the ways that the use of language, the medium, and the presentation contribute to the meaning/impact evaluate how different nonprint sources influence and inform evaluate the use of details, character, setting, sequence, cause and effect, imagery and sound in nonprint sources

Media literacy ideas for 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

Media literacy-critical inquiry Who created produced the message? What was the producer’s purpose? For whose eyeballs is this intended? What techniques are used both to: a) attract attention b) increase believability Who or what might be omitted and why? Where can I go to verify the message?

Editorial cartoons

Print advertisements Who created it? For what purpose? For which audience? Using what techniques? What lifestyle is promoted? Where (what publication) might you find this; why? How does it make you feel? How might I change the message?

Print advertisements

Moving images: TV & Film The languages of TV & film include: CAMERA LIGHTS SOUND EDITING SET DESIGN

Moving images: TV TV Commercial: Cell Phones (audio and video) Everyone listens (with their eyes closed) At the conclusion, open your eyes and write down everything you HEARD Script

Moving images: TV Critical analysis & deconstruction VISA commercial Critical analysis & deconstruction Setting; Time of day Role of music Facial expressions as customer meets cashier Implied message intended by VISA

Moving images: film Docu-drama Novel Adaptation Opening techniques Opening

Process of film making Would your students know the process of film making? Script or screenplay Storyboard Production Post production

Heidi Hayes Jacob Ed Consultant "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

Martin Scorsese Film director “Movies are a door to knowledge — knowledge of society, knowledge of history, knowledge of art…..movies (taught to) students (makes them) think critically about film and it provides them with a deeper understanding of this uniquely influential art form.” Martin Scorsese Film director

Activity POV Scene

Student media production Animaction: Anti tobacco PSA messages One camera video production: Vermont

Workshops Invite Frank Baker to be a part of your next professional development opportunity. fbaker1346@aol.com (803) 254-8987 Media Literacy Clearinghouse www.frankwbaker.com