One of the most interesting sessions I attended during EARCOS was the Job-Alike lunch discussion session. Since middle school humanities was divided into either middle school English or middle school social studies and I couldn’t decide which part of humanities to attend, instead I opted for the Film/Media session.
It really wasn’t such a random choice, as part of the Grade 7 Connected World project, the students are making short 2 to 3 minute films about their issues and I wanted to know more about this process from the experts.
It was during the lively discussion of editing software, “ripping films”, and bashing core curriculum teachers who want their students to make 3 minute films but have no concept of how much time is involved that media literacy surfaced.
Many of the film/media teachers felt that media literacy should be a stand-alone required class. Many felt that in such a class students could acquire the skills and the content teachers could spend less time teaching skills and more time focused on applying technology to the curriculum. Interestingly, this same discussion occurred during one of our ISB technology classes.
Some quick internet research revealed that in the majority of countries, media literacy is embedded in English/language arts, social studies, health and other core or required classes, so as we frequently say in this technology class, “we are all media literacy specialists”. However, should media literacy skills or “new” media literacy be taught in a stand-alone class?
Here are some additional questions:
It really wasn’t such a random choice, as part of the Grade 7 Connected World project, the students are making short 2 to 3 minute films about their issues and I wanted to know more about this process from the experts.
It was during the lively discussion of editing software, “ripping films”, and bashing core curriculum teachers who want their students to make 3 minute films but have no concept of how much time is involved that media literacy surfaced.
Many of the film/media teachers felt that media literacy should be a stand-alone required class. Many felt that in such a class students could acquire the skills and the content teachers could spend less time teaching skills and more time focused on applying technology to the curriculum. Interestingly, this same discussion occurred during one of our ISB technology classes.
Some quick internet research revealed that in the majority of countries, media literacy is embedded in English/language arts, social studies, health and other core or required classes, so as we frequently say in this technology class, “we are all media literacy specialists”. However, should media literacy skills or “new” media literacy be taught in a stand-alone class?
Here are some additional questions:
- If media literacy skills are taught in a stand-alone class, then when (grade levels) and what (by grade level) should be taught?
- Will a high school media literacy skills class teach skills that will become obsolete by the time a student enters university? (For example, think about typing classes and keyboarding classes).
- Should media literacy be a required course at university?
- When media literacy is embedded in core classes, has adequate teacher training been provided? Are adequate technological resources available?
Some interesting web sites/articles:
Media Literacy: An Alternative to Censorship
The Association for Media Literacy
media literacy - state literacy report
So what do you think? New media literacy anyone?
It is very hard to broach the topic of adding an additional core class but I think it is important to recognize that the hardest part has been done. It is already a foregone conclusion that the skills are important and we must teach them, it is now a matter of efficiency and fairness.
ReplyDeleteIs it efficient to add these skills to English or Social Studies? Why not teach math during English?
Is it fair to ask teachers to be responsible for this new content? Is it fair to students that they must play what I call "New Media Roulette" as they get assigned an English teacher? Will they get the one who is on top of their professional development and can manage to remain an effective English teacher, while adding new media skills to their curriculum or do they get the teacher who just is not into it?
As for your question about typing and keyboarding classes I don't know what to say. When did keyboarding go out of style? If we are worried about keeping up with the development of media literacy that seems to me to be an argument to have a dedicated teacher tasked with staying on top of that.
I love it - "New Media Roulette"!
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