CI 3850, Literacy Technology and Instruction
Media Literacy Activity

Assignment

Just as literacy as it is traditionally defined, is a competency which is required for all curricular areas, media literacy – the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media messages – can also be seen as a competency.

Thus it can, [and should] be integrated into a variety of subject areas, rather than treated as an isolated subject area in itself. The goals of this project is to get you to develop an activity for students that stimulates the development of a media literacy competency in the context of your own curricular area and the age level you will be teaching.

Irrespective of what subject you teach and what age level you teach, all of your students will be affected by the time they spend with media and the content of those media messages. According to the 2005, Generation M report from the Kaiser Foundation, today’s “young people live media-saturated lives, spending an average of nearly 6.5 hours a day with media…they are increasingly becoming media multitaskers, instant messaging while doing homework and watching TV.”

The report concluded that, “anything that takes up this much space in young people’s lives deserves our full attention.” This assignment asks you to focus on the potential role of media [both positive and negative] in the lives of the children you teach.

The mass media materials to be used in this assignment will be collected in an appropriate media format [e.g. web page, Powerpoint presentation, edited video clips, advertising portfolio, etc.] and the activity will be detailed in a written rationale that explains what you are doing and why.

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This project should satisfy a number of advanced technology competencies. You may work in groups of up to 3 or you may work alone.

• Part of this activity will be presented in class. You will be expected to model the activity and to explain how it relates to the following:
• State or national standards or strands in the selected subject area
• The nature and needs of your learners (learning styles, multiple intelligences, developmental dimensions, etc.)
• Best practices of media literacy
  • Teach, don't preach
  • Let students tell you what they like and why
  • Help students construct meaning themselves
  • Include media production
• Key concepts of media literacy (TAP model)

• Your written materials should include:
  • Topic and Subject Area (e.g. Advertising and Adolescents. Year 7 ELA)
  • Scope and Context of Lesson (e.g. 1-50 minute lesson. 1-50 minute lesson in a 4-day unit.)
  • Materials Needed to Teach Lesson (e.g. portfolio of laminated magazine advertisements, Powerpoint program of magazine advertisements, VHS tape with 3 TV commercials) Be specific. You will need to have these with you.
  • Rationale for the Lesson – Why have you selected this lesson for these students? What are your beliefs about the topic and its relevance to this age group? (Your response here includes references to:
    • State and national standards and strands
    • The nature and needs of the learner
    • Best practices in media literacy
    • Key concepts of media literacy (TAP model)
      (You can itemize these elements and elaborate upon them in the next section.)
  • Instructional Strategy and Lesson Outline
    The purpose of this part of your assignment is to have you reflect upon what you and your students are doing, in what sequence and why. This must include a full description of the strategies behind your lesson. Do not for example, write that you will show a video clip. You need to explain how you prepare students for the screening, what they are doing during the screening and what happens after the clip. This should be clear enough for a substitute to follow. It also must include both media analysis and media production tasks.
  • Assessment/Evaluation
    Make sure you have included a rubric or some other means of evaluating student progress in your class. Remember that media literacy means analyzing and evaluating information. It fosters critical thinking skills rather than rote learning or drill and practice. How does your lesson encourage this form of thinking? One useful way for planning this type of lesson is addressed in NMSA’s, Turning Points 2000. Box 4.1 (The 6 Facets of Understanding) and 4.2 (Questions for the Teacher).

Not all elements have to be present in every lesson, but being aware of these facets and questions will encourage you to plan more challenging and engaging lessons. Please remember that teaching with or thru media does not mean you are developing media literacy. To develop media literacy you must teach about media, which means helping students to ask critical questions about the content, form, origin and context of media messages. Finally, remember that being media literate involves both being able to interpret and create media messages. Your activity should involve both of these aspects of media literacy. Your students will be more engaged and you will address more learning styles and differences if you include opportunities for students to create media, whether making a poster, designing a Powerpoint, taking photographs, shooting their own video, recording a news broadcast or developing their own commercial.

Standards


Core Standard 2: Teachers know how to teach students.

Indicator 2: Teachers use a variety of methods to teach students.
The media literacy assignment requires that the candidates plan a lesson for children whereby they use higher order thinking skills and a variety of teaching strategies while engaging children in the evaluation of media messages. Mass media materials to be used are web pages, PowerPoint presentations, video clips, etc…).

Indicator 3: Teachers are expert communicators.
The media literacy assignment requires that the candidates communicate interpretations of the mass media to their peers. Furthermore, the candidates are to communicate lesson ideas and activities to a body of students.

Indicator 8: Teachers teach communication, thinking, and problem solving skills.
Candidates engaged in the media literacy assignment are required to pose higher order thinking skills while engaging in the evaluation of mass media messages. They are to demonstrate an understanding of how this involves teaching children by creating an activity that engages children in critical thinking and problem-solving.

Diversity Standard 1: Teachers understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach and can create classroom environments and learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter accessible, meaningful and culturally relevant for diverse learners.

Indicator 1: Teachers select, evaluate, and incorporate unbiased instructional materials.
Candidates involved in the media literacy assignment select teaching materials that are suitable for all learners and that engage all children in the investigation of mass media materials. Candidates are reflective of how children of diverse backgrounds may interpret media messages in different ways.

Diversity Standard 2: Teachers understand how students’ cognitive, physical, socio-cultural, linguistic, emotional, and moral development influences learning and address these factors when making instructional decisions.
Candidates involved in the media literacy assignment are engaged in planning for students’ evaluation and reflection of mass media and how it impacts our socio-cultural constructions. Candidates are required to not only evaluate current mass media, but also plan an activity that engages children in the investigation of these socio-cultural influences.

Indicator 1: Teachers seek and apply good matches among instructional goals, methods, and materials, and students’ skills and abilities.

Diversity Standard 4: Teachers acknowledge and understand that diversity exists in society and utilize this diversity to strengthen the classroom environment to meet the needs of individual learners.

Indicator 4: Teachers provide K-12 students with the skills necessary for evaluating their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors to enable them to understand how their attitudes affect their behaviors.
Candidates involved in the media literacy assignment are required to plan for the engagement of school-aged children to both interpret and create media messages. The assignment requires that children explain, interpret, evaluate, and expand on media messages. Candidates are expected to provide leading questions that will actively engage K-12 students in discussions reflective of their own attitudes and behaviors. The questions that candidates pose will require students to consider their own beliefs and socio-cultural constructions when interpreting mass media messages.

Technology Standard 2: Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.

Indicator 3: Teachers identify and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.
Candidates involved in the media literacy assignment are required to identify mass media messages from a variety of sources: videos, billboards, TV, movies, magazines, books, etc… They are to evaluate these sources and determine their influence on school-aged children. Furthermore, they are to create an activity for K-12 students whereby they engage in the evaluation of mass media and socio-cultural constructions.

Technology Standard 3: Teachers implement curriculum plans, that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning.

Indicator 4: Teachers manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment.
Candidates engaged in the media literacy assignment are directly involved in technology-enhanced activities such as the exploration of web-pages, videos, etc… They are also required to plan the student activity using technology enhanced materials such as webpages, PowerPoint, videos, etc…

Technology Standard 4: Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies.

Indicator 2: Teachers use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning.
The media literacy assignment requires that candidates analyze media messages from a variety of sources – including technology. Candidates are also encouraged to report their findings via technology related sources.

Technology Standard 5: Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice.

Indicator 1: Teachers use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
The media literacy assignment provides an experience that candidates can transfer to their future professional settings. Engagement in the technology-related piece of this assignment will have a direct benefit to their teaching careers.

Indicator 2: Teachers continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.
Candidates are required to engage in post-lesson assessments and class discussions regarding the media literacy assignment. Candidates reflect upon their use of technology and their anticipated application of it to the professional setting.

Indicator 3: Teachers apply technology to increase productivity.
Candidates are applying and utilizing our available technology due to its influence on the educational setting and because it provides the most up-to-date, productive means for communicating their findings.

Technology Standard 6: Teachers understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice.

Indicator 1: Teachers model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use.
Candidates are required to sign a form at the start of the semester whereby they are informed of laws regarding the use of technology in public school settings.

Grading Rubric: see checklist for written format, and deconstruction instructions for presentation guidelines.