Media Literacy
Photo retrieved from Policy Recommendations on Media Literacy by EAVI
Media education
is what encompasses media literacy. When children are encouraged to question
what they are being shown through the media (visual, print, audio and internet) media literacy is being achieved.
Being media literate is when one is able to take a critical lens looking
at the media, further examining the truths behind the messages. Media literacy is briefly summarized by a student herself in the following video project.
Tzu-Bin, Jen-Yi,
Feng and Ling (2013) argue media literacy takes the ‘classic’
definition of literate as being able to read and write to one who is able to
understand and critically question different forms of media. Children need to
understand that media is constructed by someone, for someone, with a purpose and based upon certain beliefs and assumptions. The audience of the media needs to also be considered through how individuals would perceive the information
differently. The reasoning behind the media such as for money or attention
(commercial implications) should be discussed, so children can understand the real
meaning behind the message and how that influenced how it was conveyed to them. Another aspect behind the media are the social and political
implications, who is being shown, in what way and who is being ignored needs to be looked at to dig deeper into the meaning/reasoning. Lastly and perhaps the most obvious thing to discuss in media literacy are the techniques used to enhance the effectiveness of the media
source, such as lighting or camera angles to make it more attractive to viewers.
These main concepts of media literacy can be seen in the following concept map.
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| Photo retrieved from The Fundamentals of Media Literacy |
Without asking these critical questions and having the proper knowledge behind media children easily continue to be the passive consumers the media
wants them to be. Tzu-Bin,
Jen-Yi, Feng and Ling (2013) point out that society today has a certain level
of expectation that individuals are somewhat media literate. This is due to the
amount of technology and media one deals with on an increasing basis, so we are
expected to be able to somewhat filter what we see and hear. Regarding my own
experience with media education I can only recall learning critically about the
media in high school, which I think is later than it should be first introduced because of the
high impact media can have on younger children in areas such as body image. Media literacy fundamentals (n.d.) stated that media literacy is not a requirement in curriculums across all grades or even across Canada. This is something I think needs to be changed because of the increasing prevalence of media in children’s lives. However, teachers need more support and resources to be able to incorporate such teachings into everyday lessons and teachable moments at these younger grades. Media Smarts has a really good list of suggestions of resources and lessons available online that teachers can incorporate into their lessons.
Some people question why media education should have time allotted for it in school when there are
more pressing issues and important subjects to be learning about, however it is more than just learning about the media. The significance
of media education is not just so children don’t fall into the traps the media
is setting up for them through techniques such as false advertising, but it
also teaches children to be more critical of other things they experience in life. This education will take children from being passive consumers accepting
what they are shown and given, to critical thinkers who are able to distinguish
between why and what they are being told and decide whether or not to accept it
for themselves. Parents can even help make their children critical thinkers and media literate, through finding
opportunities within the home involving media to help their child become media
literate. The following video has ideas and emphasizes the importance of parents
implementing media education within the home.
References
Find Lessons & Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22,
2015, from http://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/find-lesson
Media
Literacy Fundamentals. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2015, from
http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/media-literacy-fundamentals
Tzu-Bin,
L., Jen-Yi, L., Feng, D., & Ling, L. (2013). Understanding New Media
Literacy: An Explorative Theoretical Framework. Journal Of Educational
Technology & Society, 16(4), 160-170.
Videos:
Allison, J, G.
(2007, May, 4). Media Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqz2R8TXSfc
Carmelinafilms. (2008, August, 27).
Teaching Media Literacy: Asking Questions. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZzRomtKj88
Photos:
Media Literacy [Photo]. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.eavi.eu/joomla/contact-us/47-media-literacy
Great blog, Miranda! Thank you for bringing a really important issue to my attention! I think this is something that should be talked about more, especially as the media and internet are being used more and more. The media is sometimes portrayed as a solely negative influence on young people’s minds, but I’m glad you pointed out the importance in becoming media literate and critical thinkers instead of completely erasing the media’s influence. Becoming a critical thinker will help young people to make informed choices about what they are told and what they see. In your experience have you found the media to be positive or negative? I would love to hear more from your personal experience!
ReplyDeleteMiranda, the topic that you chose to write about was well-written and informative. The idea of teaching children how to become critical thinkers in the 21st century is an important skill to acquire. I loved your video and thought it was great in demonstrating the concept of media literacy and the importance of becoming literate in various mediums. As your video stated, television is one of the most influential tools in society and we need to discern what is real and what should be taken with a grain of salt. This reminded me of when I was in grade 10 history and learning about propaganda. I remember how propaganda was used to influence people’s attitudes about joining WWII by presenting facts selectively to evoke an emotional, rather than a rationale response. This can be dangerous as people are not being fully informed and are conceptualizing a false belief behind the idea presented.
ReplyDeleteTo expand upon your personal experience of learning media education in high school, if it was introduced earlier in elementary school don’t you think it would create a healthier and safer society? If children learned that body images in the media were unrealistic and a product of cultural construct, they would be more accepting of whom they are as an individual and would not have to go to extremes to fulfill an impossible image. Overall, your blog nicely fulfilled the blog criteria and I would have loved to hear more about your personal stories and opinions with media education!
Miranda,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that media literacy is increasingly important in today’s young people’s lives. Younger and younger, children are active consumers of media. I remember a time when I was babysitting a three year old, he was watching me cut up an apple for his snack. He drew the conclusion that he was eating what was on the back of Daddy’s ipad. This just proves that even before we enter school, we are unconsciously aware of media, making it completely appropriate to start media literacy as early as grade 1.
You mentioned that because media literacy is not mandated across Canada, it’s up to the teachers to some extent to be interested enough to implement it. I personally feel that as teacher turn over (hopefully) happens, and younger teachers, who are experiencing similar teacher education as we are, will help make this shift. I believe it will be second nature for teachers in the future to incorporate media literacy into their curriculum starting in the primary grades