Media Literacy

This week, we listened to a lecture about how media influences societal values and how it affects our perceptions of what is true. Calling to mind the media's portrayal of men as hyper-masculine and women as ultra-feminine, we heard about the importance of teaching student how to process and analyze the information they receive from the media in order to think critically about what they see on television or the Internet.

In my own life, I feel that some of my ideas are altered by the media. I will occasionally read online news stories or look for information on upcoming elections, and in those cases, I may be swayed for or against a certain person or political party because of what I read. But do I base my idea of what is beautiful based on commercials for Olay products? Not so much. With a few small exceptions, I do not base my idea of my own beauty or worth on what I see on T.V. or on the Internet. Any issues that I have with myself are based on my own ideas of what beauty is, not on what I'm shown in commercials.  I do feel, on a different note, that because of my exposure to media, I am a more informed person. For example, watching documentaries or reading about an event that happened across the world gives me a greater insight into different cultures and many other concepts to which I would not have otherwise been exposed.

I feel that in order for students to create and analyze multimedia projects, they must first be able to read and write. Obviously critical thinking skills are things that every student needs to have, and I feel that they should be able to use these skills for more than just reading and writing. I feel that a nice medium should be reached between teaching the skills that students need to function (reading, writing, spelling, math) and the more creative endeavors (music, art, technology). Students really do need both in this new, technologically infused world that we live in, and I feel that both areas should be available for students to study in schools.

Bridging the Gap

Swain and Edyburn's article, Social Justice: Choice or Necessity, discusses the social justice implications of using technology in the classroom. They offer information about the division that is created between those who know how to use technology and those who don't.

I did not grow up without computers or Internet access. When I was a kid, my dad fell in love with computers and went to college to learn more about them (he had not previously held a degree). I don't actually remember a time when we didn't have a computer, so I clearly did not want for technology during my school. Similarly, because I lived in an affluent neighborhood, I did not know anyone who didn't have a computer by high school. I'm sure that there were some students in my area who had to go to the public library if they wanted to use the Internet, but I couldn't actually point out anyone in that situation.

Having the Internet at home definitely made a difference in my schooling. Almost all of my classes required some sort of paper or work outside of the classroom involving research, so having the Internet as a research tool was vital. I additionally used Sparknotes for many of my English classes, which helped me to see things in readings that I may not have otherwise. We also had to do PowerPoint and video projects in a lot of my classes, so not having a computer would have made assignments like those a challenge.

As a teacher, I do feel responsible to bridge the gap, but that's a lot easier said than done. It's not as though I can buy all of the computer-less families their own laptops, but it would be unfair to expect students who don't have computers to complete research work in the same way or timeline as those with computers. To attempt to bridge this gap, I would probably take a survey of my students at the beginning of the year, asking which of them do and do not have computers. Then, if I decide to assign projects that would require a computer, I could make an effort to pair up students who don't have computers or the Internet with those who do. I will also let the students work on research in school at the library or computer labs. Hopefully this will help to even the gap a little bit in terms of the grades that those without computers could get in relation to those who have computers. I would also make sure not to place students into categories - those who can use computers for education and those who will need to use computers in a vocational setting.

Thoughts on Sir Ken Robinson

I agree with a lot of what Ken Robinson says about the need to put more emphasis on nurturing children's innate creativity. The part that struck me particularly was when he spoke of the choreographer from Cats, which has always been one of my favorite musicals. It is interesting to think that had she been a little girl today, she would have been put on Ritalin and told to sit still, just as Robinson said. Her story reminds me a lot of a student I have in one of my 6th grade classes named Dakota. He is always moving around, has a really hard time focusing on what he's supposed to be doing, and disregards the idea that there is a time and a place for everything. I'm fairly sure that if he was taken to a doctor, he would be diagnosed with ADHD. I have often wondered if medication would help him calm down a little, but I worry that there is a better way to deal with his behavior that would still keep him hyped up about life. It's very conflicting, especially after listening to Robinson's talk. This boy, who has so much trouble concentrating that he's doing poorly in school, needs some outlet for his energy, but I don't know how to find one.

In Robinson's lecture, he talked about how kids are being over stimulated by all of the things coming at them: music, television, video games, commercials, and even the Internet and computer games. Then he later talks about how students feel that the traditional way of teaching traditional things is boring students, so it's no wonder they don't pay attention. I agree with both of these points separately, but when placed side by side, I feel conflicted by them. If students are being over stimulated by computers and technology, should we use them in the classroom? At the same time, though, if we want to keep kids interested in class, we have to use new ways to teach them. But will the use of technology cure their boredom or make their supposed ADHD worse?

In my classroom, I plan on using technology such as PowerPoint to help make my lessons more effective and will have my student do technology-based projects such as videos, wikis, and podcasts. These will be a helpful departure from the typical book report.