Connecting literacy skills from a student’s social environment to the school environment 1

Literacy Future content to prepare for life in 21st century Legacy content of the old curriculum 2

New technology challenges our understanding The concept of text has changed from traditional printed materials to a variety of media including the Internet, film and television Adults typically criticize the academic achievement and work ethic of their own children. (known as the Socrates Legacy) Today’s students bring to school a rich and different set of literacy practices and background that is often unacknowledged or underused by educators 3

 Media Literacy involves a purposeful message and a target audience whereby the creators and consumers are accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and effectively communicating in a variety of forms including print and non-print texts/mediums to construct reality.  Media are the most powerful cultural forces on the planet. (Media Literacy.com) 4

 To integrate media literacy across the curriculum, emphasizing its importance in developing informed and responsible citizens.  To prepare today’s students to succeed in the 21 st century by addressing the complex, high-tech media environments that are part of everyday life.  Simply said… Assist students in constructing meaning through comprehension and creation. 5

Q: Who are they? A: Children who have grown up since the emergence of the World Wide Web and the assortment of related digital technologies (e.g., cell phones, text messaging, video games and instant messaging) ( Howe and Stauss, 2000) 6

have access to more information than any other generation in history. have an increasingly complex environment to navigate. have a false sense of competency. They are hands on but not heads on. have a limited ability to recognize persuasive construction strategies. 7

are fluent in the language and culture of ICT and adjust easily to changes within it in creative and innovative ways. have boundless interest and curiosity about emerging technologies. are now actively engaged as Internet content creators as well as consumers. are the first generation to be immersed in Information Communication Technology (ICT). 8

are open to manipulation and misinformation lack in academic literacy skills that are the foundation of success in school and adult life. enter formal educational environments that are ill prepared to take advantage of the literacy skills and ICT that they bring. are self-taught, but not well taught in regards to media and technology. 9

 There are heavy restrictions on the use of the Internet  Many social networking sites are blocked in our libraries and computer labs.  These sites have instructional value: MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube  Result of such restrictions: a failure to bridge the gap between the technological world Millennials live in and the classrooms we expect them to learn in. ( Considine, Horton & Moorman, 2009) 10

 &feature=related &feature=related  feature=related feature=related 11

1. All media are construction The media do not present simple reflections of external reality. Rather, they present carefully crafted constructions that reflect many decisions and result from many determining factors. Media Literacy works towards deconstructing these constructions, taking them apart to show how they are made. 2. The media construct reality The media are responsible for the majority of the observations and experiences from which we build up our personal understandings of the world and how it works. Much of our view of reality is based on media messages that have been pre-constructed and have attitudes, interpretations and conclusions already built in. The media, to a great extent, give us our sense of reality. 12

13 3. Audiences negotiate meaning in the media The media provide us with much of the material upon which we build our picture of reality, and we all "negotiate" meaning according to individual factors: personal needs and anxieties, the pleasures or troubles of the day, racial and sexual attitudes, family and cultural background, and so forth. 4. Media have commercial implications Media Literacy aims to encourage an awareness of how the media are influenced by commercial considerations, and how these affect content, technique and distribution. Most media production is a business, and must therefore make a profit. Questions of ownership and control are central: a relatively small number of individuals control what we watch, read and hear in the media.

14 5. Media contain ideological and value messages All media products are advertising, in some sense, in that they proclaim values and ways of life. Explicitly or implicitly, the mainstream media convey ideological messages about such issues as the nature of the good life, the virtue of consumerism and the role of women etc. 6. Media have social and political implication The media have great influence on politics and on forming social change. Television can greatly influence the election of a national leader on the basis of image. The media involve us in concerns such as civil rights issues war and environmental disasters. They give us an intimate sense of national issues and global concerns, so that we become citizens of the "Global Village."

15 7. Form and content are closely related in the media Each medium has its own grammar and codifies reality in its own particular way. Different media will report the same event, but create different impressions and messages. 8. Each medium has a unique aesthetic form Just as we notice the pleasing rhythms of certain pieces of poetry or prose, so we ought to be able to enjoy the pleasing forms and effects of the different media. Source: John Pungente, S.J. From Barry Duncan et al. Media Literacy Resource Guide, Ontario Ministry of Education, Toronto, ON. Canada, 1989.

Accept Acknowledge Ameliorate Students are bombarded with media messages as technology and media are intricately interwoven into their lives Students are producers of media messages through social networking Students are ill-equipped with academic literacy skills to interpret purpose of messages TLs are in a unique position to help students construct meaning from messages Teach students supportive comprehension strategies to help them compare, contrast, critique and analyze texts, contexts and impact. Investigate and understand the benefits and pitfalls of as many web 2.0 and social networking media to become an informed educator. 16

Text What is the medium of this text? What genre is this text? What codes and conventions are evident? What are these characters like? Production Who created this text? (individuals, industries or institutions) What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message? What techniques were used to attract my attention? How is this text marketed and distributed? What laws and rules govern production and consumption of this text? Why was this message sent? Audience Who is the target audience for this text? How and why does it appeal to its target audience? What evidence is provided to identify who is or is not addressed in this message? How might different people understand this message differently from me? 17

18

 1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;  2. identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;  3. create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;  4. reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts. 19

20