16th Nov 2008
2 more weeks to go…are you media literate?
As your blogs wind down, consider how you will use media literacy as a teacher. Will you encourage blogs, build websites, deconstruct TV and film? What are your thoughts about the position of media in our society? in our schools?
Remember on Tuesday you have a guest speaker on student blogging, I am interested to hear what you think and how you will employ blogging in your classrooms.
Shirley
As only two weeks remain to my/our first semester, with the better of understanding of media literacy and how naive or vulnerable we were to such small things like music videos, we really need to understand the hidden messages and intent. As a prospective secondary english teacher, i feel as though the subject of media literacy interrelates well with the subject of english language arts.
In english class we were always taught to analyze hidden messages/intent through symbolism, metaphors, irony and mood of a story/poem. This concept relates well with media literacy because in music videos, commercials and televised shows there are many hidden messages and intents that as then youth, we do not comprehend or see. This is why, I personally would use media literacy with the use of examples from music videos, television/magazine advertisements and other life relevant materials in order to show my students that not everything is as it seems. Media in our society, is focusing more and more on younger audiences and are slowly exposing/influencing them to things that they are not ready for. For example, when i was young, i would be watching YTV literally all day. The level of exposure correlated with the time it was on at. Blue Clue’s was on at 8am….Ninja Turtles at 12pm…Pokemon at 4pm…Power Rangers at 5pm…Goosebumps at 8pm….AreYouAfraidOfTheDark? at 9pm…Buffy the Vampire Slayer at 10pm and Scariest Places on Earth at 11pm. As you can see within just one day…a child can be exposed to concepts from sharing at 8am to destroying at 11pm. Therefore by teaching or using media literacy we can analyze the very shows, movies and music videos that students love and deconstruct to show what the actual intent really is. Since media is a society based thing, by introducing it in school and as a form of education, students/children can learn to better intepret and understand the media in today’s society!
I really enjoy the idea of blogging. I think it certainly is a nice way to incorporate every students voice on a subject. At times and depending on the subjects it is hard to get the honest and unbiased opinion of students. Especially at the high school level, a lot of students are very self conscience and refrain from participating in class discussions. However blogging can be a tool to discover the truthful and anonymous opinions of students on any relevant topic. As a Teacher this can be very useful. It can help in understanding your students and their views on life in general.
I believe that blogging among students can really work and make a difference in the classroom. Young students today are all about technology. It is what they know and how they socialize. The use of computers and social networking can thus be utilized in the classroom as a learning tool. I feel that students today are so far ahead in technology when it comes to school work and learning that the ways we used to learn in the classroom are no longer pertinent. To keep students interested and motivated to learn we need to incorporate ideas and concepts which they agree with and understand. Blogging can also be a way to get students interested and excited about their learning. What I find very helpful in my education career are the discussion boards where students can ask one another questions and share in cooperative learning.
Personally, I think blogging for students can be a fresh way to express themselves. Rather then having students write personal journal entries or reflections, I think blogging can be a new way to get students expressing their ideas and feelings while communicating with others.
Before attending this class I never realised how big of an influence the media has in our society. I realised that media has a major influence on young kids and teenagers. I think that as a teacher it is good to make one’s students aware of what they are being exposed too and to let them see the hidden messages that lurk inside these media messages.
I really enjoyed the idea of blogging and found it interesting. It was a fun and easy way to participate in class and a good way to start class discussion. Many of our classroom discussions were a continuation of what we had previously blogged about. Another thing that is great about blogging and why I will incorporate it when I teach is the fact that it helps students discover a new way to express their opinions and also helps incorporate technology in the classroom.
I do believe that I am a lot more media literate thanks to this class. I became more aware of the ads on TV and the hidden messages that they are trying to transmit to their audience. I started to analyse the commercials on TV and I would pick up on some hidden messages. I would pick up on stuff that I never would have even thought existed more I attendant this class. I believe that this class did make me a lot more media literate.
I feel that media literacy should start young. It’s only the last few years that I’ve really began to take note of the many different ways media affects my life, and this class definitely helped. I feel that a lot of times, we tend to look at younger generations as been “the lost cause” and I know that my grandparents said it about my parents generation, and they say it about mine, however I think that we do not give enough credit to today’s youth. I think that a class like this one would do great in a high school setting - change a few things to accommodate the level of the students and you have something that can be eye opener at that age. Something that I’d like to do with my students would be blogging - which can count as participation. Looking back at my career as a student, I can safely say that few teachers (especially in cegep) would know who I am; I prefer to sit back and absorb the class. Having things like blogging would be great to reach the students who choose to do as I do/did, and also to those who are shy; whereas those who like expressing themselves, have yet another forum to do so. I used to hate over analyzing in my classes, but maybe focusing on media and other things that relevant in the everyday context can get students motivated to see the bigger picture. Deconstructing tv and film can also be a project for students to work on - and instead of assigning them one, they can choose something they feel connected to and explore both the positive and negative messages being sent. At least this way, they’re guaranteed to take something away from the course, and hopefully that something brings about further awareness about the world we live in
I think that as a teacher I will be incorporating blogging to my lessons just because it’s a great place to discuss feelings, ideas and create a good atmosphere for my students to be open with one another. Students are not always comfortable with participating in class and blogging is a good way for a teacher to hear all students. Media literacy is UBER important. With so much information coming at us from all different directions, we need to educate our students on how to analyze that information and think critically. Before this class, I had an English teacher in High School who had us watch The Simpsons and Family Guy in class. We sat there and discussed all the hidden messages for a number of classes. Those kinds of discussions are the ones I want for my classroom one day. Maybe I’ll get my students to watch one television program no matter what kind be it, news, cartoon, reality TV etc. and at the beginning of every class have them write something critically analyzing it in a journal. I want my students to be prepared and I think getting media involved in the lessons will make them more interested in the class and more aware of what the media is saying, be it right or wrong. What I enjoyed about this course is that it has given me more ideas as to how I will use media as a teacher. I think it should be in the schools because keeping education up to date is important and therefore, including media in education is important. Ignoring the fact that students learn just as much outside the classroom than in the classroom is counter-productive to our students.
What I think I like most about blogging is that we can blog on whatever we want. So my blog has nothing to do with the thread. Just a cool thing that happened to me, which made me feel good on the inside. (Seriously has nothing to do with blogging)
I returned to Montreal from Ottawa Sunday. I went up the previous night to -study- with Adam Penney, Tim Carr, Matt Doolittle, friends from high school. Anyways we went out to brunch Sunday at a small pub on Elgin st. It was perfect, eggs and beer are you kidding? We sat randomly beside these guys, whom I guessed they were in the entertainment business, and I overheard them talking about stage lighting. Sure enough, two guys who were light techs. very cool. Worked for a company in Ottawa, Axial. I guess they have the contract for the Grand Theatre in Kingston, so in December hopefully I will work some jobs in Kingston, where I live.
We also talked about the Empire Theatre in Belleville (he liked), the Grand Theatre Kingston (not so much), and the Regent Theatre, Picton. It was awesome, he was impressed with what I knew about lighting but also about the job (and that I actually had lit shows at the Regent).
Also This weekend some random Ottawa University girl student said she recognized me from a picture on Facebook she had seen the previous week… wtf Facebook?
I think i m looking forward to what the guest speaker has to say about blogging. If we consider the number of people who blog everyday, be it on facebook, live journal, myspace etc Its a surprise if anyone actually reads them at all. And if people do read all these millions of new blogs that are created daily, then what the hell are they doing other than sit at a computer all day long?! We have to stay reasonable about blogging, there comes a point where enough is enough, especially if lives are being destroyed over it.
As it so happens, this weekend i went camping with my Scouts. For some, it was their first time. If you only could hear what they had to say about camping:
“can we go in and watch a movie now?”
“can i bring my psp?”
“i dont want to be here anymore, i miss my computer”
ironically, not one of them was homesick about their families.
and most of the conversations had to do with computer games, tv shows etc.
I find it incredible how technology has changed the lives of all these kids. They know nothing of the outdoors, their parents packed their stuff for this trip. 2 of them didnt have rainjackets, one didnt bring gloves, ad most of them did not have a change of boots, shoes, hats, gloves, pants and sweaters.
I know their young, but c mon! their 11 and 12. AND most of them had gone camping before (that being the worst part). also their tent got wet because one of them didnt close the tent flap.
i dont think kids know what its like to be outside in the rain anynmore. On weekends, during raindays, its the perfect excuse to stay in and play counter-Strike or something instead of going outside in the rain.
They need to get up and get out everyonce in awhile.
As the semester comes to an end, I do believe that it is important as teachers to include media into the classroom. It is important to show our students not to be vulnerable to certain things like music videos or billboards. They must understand that there is a hidden agenda to everything. Even their favorite ads which they may thing are nothing bad, contain explicit and disturbing messages. We have grown up in a world where media is such a big part of our lives becuase it is constantly in our face. Everywhere we look we are surrounded by media. This will only get worst as the years go by. It is crucial to help students open their eyes and not be ignorant as to what the media is trying to get across to them. They must understand that not everything they see is true. Most of the time, they will have to think critically about the images they see on TV, for example, and be smart about it. They must ask themsleves questions like : “what are they trying to say here?” and “why?”. “Could this really be the only reason this happened?”. We teachers must teach our students to think properly and question everything they see before just accepting it as the truth. Asking students to go out an explore on their own to find their own answers should definelty be part of an assignment. This will encourage the child to see for himslef and create his own ideas, opinions on a particular subject.
So far I feel like I still have yet to learn anything useful in my education courses. I feel like coming into the classrooms have been wastes of my time (no offence). In my philosophical foundations class all we did was read texts and respond to them, then write a final paper about a philosophy of teaching statement. It feels like I could have learned all of that by just asking another teacher about it. And all the ideals held up by the philosophies, I am sorry but are you fucking kidding me? Where do we live, fucking fantasy land? Because seriously can you just say that we are the facilitators, and students do their own learning and we should not interfere, simply guide them. You think that can work in every school? Are we still in the 1800’s where every philosopher is on crack or something?
As for media literacy, this course didn’t really teach me anything about media literacy. All it said was look at it critically. Okay, I do that already, now what? It doesn’t give us the tools to examine media critically; did we really examine the science behind advertisements, whether they were supportive or subversive of common culture? What should we look at when we look at something critically? Are we just to question everything and become some sort of paranoid delusional extremists who believe that everything should be scrutinized? If you want to, fine be my guest but how many people really want to end up like that? There has to be a limit to our criticism and our questioning or else you will be overly cynical, like me. Or you could be the complete opposite and be a pollyanna, like the education philosopher’s and see rainbows and unicorns dancing in the sunlight because everything has a bright and good side to it. Up to you, but maybe the course should try and find a balance. Open the eyes of ignorant people who refuse to believe that the media can hurt us, but show people who are already aware that it is not all bad.
ps on another note did anybody who got facebook ever read the terms of agreement? I can’t believe you people agreed to that!
Before taking this course media literacy never really caught my attention. It did not take very long for me to realize that teaching students to be media literate and to think critically about the media is more than necessary. I have learned that teachers must teach students to be media literate and keep up with current technologies because we are making advancements at such a rapid pace. Students we teach might still be working in the year 2065 and it is impossible for us to know how the many forms of possible media will develop. Students need to keep up to date with the latest technologies in order to think critically and survive in the world. The media is something that must not be taboo in schools. The media should be an open topic that is discussed in classrooms so that it can be properly analyzed and explained to students whose lives are greatly affected by it. A good way for students to become familiar with the media is following and contributing to blogs that relate to the topic. The discussions on this blog site for example have kept me up to date on many current events. Another way to improve media literacy in students is to encourage them to watch TV shows and movies and talk about them in class. With the guidance of teachers who are media literate, students can come to their own conclusions about the messages the media is sending them.
I definitely agree with the fact that media literacy is important, especially in today’s technologically advanced society, and that it should be implemented in classrooms. However, at this point I am not exactly sure how I would use and teach the concepts behind media literacy because I myself am not completely clear on these concepts and ideas. This is the second media class I take at McGill and I find that even now I do not feel comfortable when it comes to working with technology. Doing things like making a websites I actually make me nervous! One important aspect that I did take away from this class is that in order to be media literate one must acquire the tools that are needed to analyze media critically. Deconstructing TV and film is something I see myself doing in my own classroom, but then again how far should I deconstruct and analyze and what does all of this lead up to? Media is definitely more complex than I had ever imagined or envisioned it to be, and I think that before introducing it into classrooms teachers must have a pretty solid grasp of the role of media in our society and what media literacy is, or else we will have teachers going in circles with the topic (which I am sure is something that many of us have experience throughout our schooling), which will lead students to feel like what they are learning is useless, when in fact it is not. I think that it would have been nice to have more media classes built into this program that go deeper into the subject matter. Although it is clear to me that media is complex and must be analyzed, considering it is such a dominant force in our society, what are ways in which can we gain an effective understanding of its effects on our lives and what are some specific tools we can use to be smart consumers of media?
As this semester comes to an end, I must say that this media class has probably been the most useful in the context of preparing us to teach. I feel as though a lot of the labs that taught us new ways to hand in assignments can be useful and innovative in teaching a class. I think blogging is a good idea, OCCASIONALLY, because I’m the type that would much rather participate in class than online. I understand the appeal though and would probably have my class do a couple of blogs or so. The only thing is, I don’t agree when people say they like blogging because some people are shy ansd dont feel comfortable participating in class. I think it’s more important that they get over their shyness instead of teachers accomodating and accepting this reason, especially when studying to become a teacher, where being shy isn’t really a possibilty. I think blogging is a really good alternative to class discussions when discussing touchy subjects, so that one can get a chance to read over what they wrote instead of announcing their opinion in front of the class, possibly saying it wrong and ruffling some feathers. In regards to media literacy, I think a class like this, with some age appropriate adjustments, would be amazing for a highschool setting, so that students can become more media literate and more critical of the tv shows/ads they see.
So, every week thus far I have blogged on the readings, but I think today I will just do like everyone else and respond to the posts. How am I going to use media in the classroom? Let’s see. Labs have pretty much been hell for me. I feel totally incompetent when asked to do most things requiring technology, so I’m not sure if I’m really the girl to lead this media revolution in schools. I am however proud of myself, as I do feel quite comfortable now with powerpoint and bubbleshare and imovie. So maybe I’m not as impotent as I think. I will say this though, in every assignment in this class I have spent longer trying to figure out some bizarro tech problem (such as burning a presentation on to a disk) than I have spent doing the actual thinking/learning part. The fact that half my teachers spend the first 20 minutes of class trying to make media equipment work kind of proves what a massive time waster technology can be. Kids are busy. I want them to spend time thinking- not fiddling with some specific aspect of some specific application. Also, I have always considered English to be a very old-school subject. I really enjoyed powerpoint presentations in my science classes, but English to me means chalk boards and old wooden rooms and dusty books that smell like history or something profound like that. I like a teacher to speak spontaneously and theatrically on literature- not consult bullet points on a screen. I really do think technology is useful for some classes, but for others I feel very turned off when I see a bright screen. Here’s what I think: I most definitely want to use a website to post homework as I myself rely on the internet to get the little details I need- but as for lessons and creative projects, I A) don’t think English is the type of subject that should be presented on a powerpoint- English is about discussion and analysis and unplanned creative revelations, and B) I don’t really want to complicate kids’ lives by making them form deep analyses and then make them figure out how to put this on the web. Furthermore, it cannot be denied that kids who have computers at home have HUGE advantages over those who don’t when it comes to techish sorts of projects. Not every kid has a computer.
Now, this is not to say that I don’t want to discuss media literacy. I think it is SO important to be a conscious consumer. I will definitely promote critical consumption. This is REALLY important to me. But as for formatting typical school activities so that they can be done using technology- this is less important to me.
I can’t believe we only have two weeks left of classes… another semester has flown by. As a student I have always enjoyed classes more when the teacher used media, whether it was power point presentations, videos or asking us to watch tv. I believe that we should take advantage of all the opportunities we have with such advanced technologies. We can make our classrooms much more interactive. I’m not saying that we should ignore the traditional classroom setting because i believe that mixing the two would be ideal. Students are all individuals and will react differently to all settings and assignments. By using multiple methods and receiving feedback from our students we can learn about what works best and use it. I have always enjoyed journal writing and as a future English teacher i will be sure to have my students writing. Lately i have been debating whether or not i want them to have in class journal books or if i will create an online websites where they can email their entries to me.
Just thinking about my years as a cegep student and university student i have depended so much on media and especially the use of internet. We have so much knowledge at our fingertips and using it in our classrooms i believe is a very positive opportunity that we have.
What i really enjoyed about this class was that it did not teach us from the beginning that the media was bad, It taught us how to be media literate, and understand the media. I took a similar class in cegep but it really just showed us the negative side of the media which really bothered me because it is there for a reason. I feel that inorder to come to negative conclusions you must also compare and contrast the positive side and come with your own opinion rather than becoming bombarded with one side. I think media literacy is really important thing to teach students because the media issues are of interest to students and they should not learn that something the like is bad they should learn how to think critically. They should learn that all media is sending a message and what that message means and why it is being sent. I would like incorporate blogging into my teaching because i think it creates an enviornment where students can talk openly, because not all people like to participate in class. I feel incorporating technology in the classroom is very important because in our society it so important to be able to use different technologies. This class taught me so much, before i admit i was not the most savy person with computers.
i really like the idea of blogging, as a student. and i think i will definetly be using this with my students. i like how a blog allows everyone to freely express how they feel about a certain issue without fear of being attacked by the other students (verbally). it also makes it easier to interact with the discusions, it allows students who do not usually participate in class discussion to participate and if we give the blogs a mark then it kinda gives them no choice but to participate, which is a good thing. it also gives the students a chance to practice their writing skills without them even realizing it. i think that blogging is a good thing and i think that finishing in two weeks is an even better thing ;P
I like to think that, as far as media literacy goes, I’m fairly strong. I’ve known since second grade that I wanted to be a teacher and as I have gone throughout the school system myself, I’ve been trying to take note of what I’ve liked and disliked about my classes. Movies in class were always great in that we didn’t have to listen to a teacher drone on and on again, but as Shirley points out, clips would probably have gotten the job done if there was actually a point to showing us a movie. The problem in many classes however, is that I don’t think there really has been a point to the movie sometime. As a teacher and a movie buff, I hope I’ll be able to incorporate movies in a fun, but also educational way.
As for the internet and websites, I learned HTML by grade seven and made websites on whatever I felt like for many years. Now drag-and-drop web builders can be found all over the place, and making websites is easier than ever (and presumably will only get easier). This allows students a great outlet for creativity and sharing opinion, but also a great learning tool for media literacy- what information can you trust since everyone can make a website? In whose interest was this website created? I think with tools like Wikipedia at their disposal, and news coming in short, pre-packaged bursts, media literacy is extremely important.
I hope to use the acts of creating and deconstructing media in my classroom, especially since I’ll be teaching higher grades (9-12) where they are being increasingly bombarded with messages (although this is frighteningly happening at an earlier age). I think getting information from both sides is a good idea- seeing ads as works of art but maybe also skimming through some Adbusters will be helpful, too.
As most of you have mentioned this class is coming to an end and personally I feel like I’ve learned a lot about using technology. Moreover, I learned how important it is to incorporate technology into the classroom. The reason for that is that students these are definitely into modern technology. As such, I think making the students doing assignment via the computer is important. Students enjoy classroom they can relate to, as we have learned, but more importantly, they must be relatively interested. What better way to make curriculum more interesting then to relate it to what they use daily: the internet.
However, there are certain drawbacks that must be taken into consideration. We cannot depend on technology!! As Britney mentioned, technology has been a big problem. Moreover, during my stage my ct often wasted time figuring out why the powerpoint wasn’t working. Therefore, my conclusion: use technology moderately and when necessary.
On to the blogs, the blogs are something I want to incorporate in my classrooms. I think the blogs to be a very good way to express oneself. I really have trouble just talking in class and expressing y thoughts. I find it much easier to write them down. As such, blogs (as well as reflective journals) are effective classroom activities. The blogs can moreover enable students to feel like they have a certain amount of control over the class. These blogs can enable students to talk about not only their thoughts that might have come to mind after class but what they don’t or do like about the class. I do however, disagree with Ashley when she says ‘‘I don’t agree when people say they like blogging because some people are shy and don’t feel comfortable participating in class’’. The reason for this is because some students have personal things to say that they don’t feel comfortable saying class. Moreover, there will always be students that will always refuse to talk; therefore, the best alternative is blogs. Everyone should have the opportunity to participate in class and blogs are the way to go.
Lastly, the one thing this class has taught to me is the importance of incorporating media literacy in the curriculum. Students are consistently bombarded with advertisements, propaganda, and altered information. A class that discusses media literacy will allow students to become more critical thinkers. And as most of us have been told in our psychology classes, not all students are able to think critically. Therefore, introducing media literacy can enable students to think critically. Our students should have the opportunity to gain as much knowledge as they possibly can and gain useful techniques. We, as teachers, have the opportunity to provide this to our students.
I think this media class was very interesting. We had the chance to talk about a lot of things like election, violence, TV shows etc…through the semester. Media are important in the society because they are a way to access all the information from everywhere on the planet. I consider it is useful to be able to use technology. So, as a future teacher I will probably use technology in my classes. PowerPoint, video, films, etc… are good way to teach concepts or different topics because you can learn by watching or listenning. Furthermore, I believe that blogs are a good way to epxress feelings and thoughts if you have difficulties to talk about it in front of a whole class. With blogs , you can discuss of whatever you like, but I tend to prefer the participation in class than online. Using technology in my classes will be an opportunity to explain that media have an impact in our life, and can influence it as well. It can be also easier to keep student’s attention on the topic. So I think it could facilitate the learning, and the teaching to because students could be more interested to learn that way instead of always oral speeches in front of the class. Teaching media literacy to students will help to develop their critical thinking about what they see and what happen in the society.
As many of us, I really enjoyed the blogging experience. The main reason why I liked it is because we were allowed to blog on about anything we wanted to talk about. Of course, the main objective was to discuss about our readings (at least, that’s how I saw this whole activity), but sharing our own experiences, writing about things we live and see was a good way to communicate on what we learn on a daily basis. I’ve been blogging for a while now since many of the classes I had in CEGEP wanted to students to blog as well, and I’ve always enjoyed it. Later, as a teacher, I’ll look forward to get my students to blog on the subjects I’ll be teaching for sure.
What I didn’t like though is the fact that we are so many in this class (around 80 I believe): sometimes, it made it hard to keep ourselves updated with what the others were blogging. 80 posts a week is a lot of reading! Also, sometimes I felt a little lost on the website, since I didn’t really know where to post my blog. But after all, I think this was a great experience and I hope we’ll have the chance to blog again in other classes.
In another point of view, I really think this class was useful and helpful (especially the labs) to the people who have difficulties with this whole media thing, like me! Because media is everywhere in our society, a teacher who teaches without any media support shouldn’t be teaching!
This blogging for a class is a first for me although I know it won’t be my last. I think that this is an incredible way for teachers to hear the opinions of every student. As for my thought about media in schools I would have to say that I think media in school is important, what is critical about media in schools and especially in classrooms is how the teacher helps present it. I have received a DEC for Media Arts and I have taken a number of classes on the importance of deconstructing films and television, because of this I have become a critic with every television show and every movie I watch, not to say that I don’t enjoy some pretty pointless and misleading shows and movies but I am aware of their message and why they are pointless and misleading. When I say misleading I mean they help reinforce and construct social stereotypes. Having received this kind of education has helped me a great deal not only in deconstructing media but helping me be aware of its origins and I think as a future teacher I want to help my students not only think critically but be aware of the media and the role it plays not only in our society but in their lives. As for building websites and encouraging blogging and as stated previously it I think it is such a creative way for students to express their opinions and reflect upon their ideas with those brought to their attention, that being said I also think it is important to teach students how to properly express their feelings, for example, not expressing anger or hate towards anyone for purposely hurting a group of people or an individual’s feelings because I’m tired of such an increasing new king of bullying inside of schools which is that of cyber bullying and which I think is becoming one the scariest new forms of bullying.
I think that it is so important to have media literate students. I have come to realize more and more how important media is just in my few short months at McGill. Just today I was amazed with what I was able to do using media.
I wanted to find a book that was referenced in one of my textbooks. I looked it up on the McGill catalogue online and actually found the book. The only problem was I couldn’t find the section in the library. Even though I could have used technolgy to find the section, I needed to install a “plug-in” on my laptop and didn’t know how, so basically I wasn’t able to use technology for that and actually had to ask the librarian where the section was. She informed me it was actually across the street in McIntyre (The Medicine Library). A little fearful, I left my comfort zone of the Education library and ventured across Peel and took the elevator up to the third floor. Not only did I not feel like I belonged there, I didn’t even know where to begin looking for this book. So I asked! And the librarian there told me that I needed to go upstairs and I would find the book. And after searching for a couple of minutes in what seemed to be endless amounts of books, I found several books on the topic I was researching! All because of the media and technology I was able to use to find this book, I was able to find so many more books.
I feel that in this society, it is so important that the students I will be teaching will be able to use media and use it properly. It will only better them in the future. If it is possible to guide them and “hold their hands” when it is acceptable to do so, this opportunity should be grabbed. The reason for this is in the future there might not be someone there to help them and guide them. We should guide these students to any and all relevant media sources and use the technology they are unfamiliar with and improve the skills they have already acquired!
These students are our future. They are going to the writers and doctors, scientists and presidents and prime ministers of tomorrow. They should be getting not only a good basis for knowledge in technology, but we should be doing our best to provide them with the best knowledge! It is essential!
For me, this blogging experience has been really fun and is definitely something I hope to use in my future classes. It has allowed me to reflect on the course and obviously on media in the best way possible, using media!
I definitely would like to promote media literacy in my classroom, but at the same time I don’t want to make my students too cynical or suspicious of the media. My cooperating teacher during stage, who taught a media course, explained that he wanted his students to appreciate the media, but to also be critical of the things they see and hear. I often get the feeling while reading our textbook that the authors seem to think that the entire mass media and everyone in it are all part of some vast right-wing conspiracy. And that Hollywood writers and producers aren’t just artists expressing themselves, but covert emissaries of the ‘evil’ corporations hell bent on brainwashing the masses…this is what I mean by too cynical or suspicious. I hate to criticize the textbook, but I honestly disagree with a lot of it. That being said, I think it would be useful to encourage students to engage critically with films and t.v shows they watch. In this way we can use material that already interests them, and point them toward a more critical analysis of it. Anytime that I’ve asked a younger relative about the meanings behind the images and ideas presented to them in t.v. or film they often insist that there is no meaning, and it’s just entertainment. Their completely unaware of how the media shapes the way they think and see the world. This is why media literacy is so important in the classroom. I don’t personally believe that most Hollywood writers are intentionally trying to push any political or ideological belief on viewers, but I do believe that certain messages are carried through anyway. Whether it’s intentional or not, dominant ideas/norms get interwoven into the material and this is what I’d like my students to see. I don’t want them to hate or denounce the media altogether, but to question what messages are being sent, and how it affects their own beliefs
Somedays I wish I was planning to teach another subject other than the sciences. I look back and think that they are a little more boring than this in comparison. BUT NO! MUST TEACH SCIENCE!!! Ha… I think there is a lot that was unsaid in class and therefore a lot to be discovered. I was definately unaware of most of the images around me (I mean come on I love disney, just not so much now!) and as the years go by I will see new forms of media (probably) and see it being exploited and watch as our youth get taken advantage of. One thing is for sure, I will try to keep my kids in check when it comes to media. It seems like a tall order though when you think about it. It must be very hard to un train our eyes to look past the glitter that sparkles on the media we see today. Some of the messages our media has is nothing but an “ism” with some glitter and we as a society tend to laugh at the joke made and think nothing more. It will be very hard to undo that! But hey, what is life without a challenge? Anyways as for me, I look at everything with a foot already taking a step back. I have come to realise that media in most forms cannot be trusted and that I should maybe look past the fact that walmart keeps lowering their prices!
Can’t believe how fast time passes, can’t believe this is already my tenth blog!! In the future, I think I will engage my students in blogging for sure. I think that it is a great way to get students involved, it is a place where every student can express, participate and just communicate with each other, don’t like sharing their thoughts in class. For sure, some students(even myself ><) might find blogging a waste of time, or that its complicated, but once we get use to it, we’ll actually enjoy blogging. It doesn’t take long, and we can simply express ideas that we’ll never discuss and share in class. For me, I really enjoyed blogging, I like to be able to read what others’ have written and be able to respond to their ideas. Blogging also teaches me new things, such as realizing how ridiculous FOX Tv is, learning about the election (since I don’t do any kind of follow up in political things), etc.
I also find it really important to teach students media literacy because there are just sooo much behind the big screens that we need to learn and know about. Letting students realize what we see on TV are real and what’s not makes them less naïve. They won’t be as easily influenced by the media, or even less likely to become anorexic because they want to look like a super model. I won’t teach my students to hate our media and not watch TV or movies, but just to think critically, and learn to identify what are believable and what are not. We can still enjoy watching TV, knowing that what we’re seeing is not exactly real, right?! Media literacy let us realize little things with hidden meanings behind it in TV shows, cartoons, news, Walt Disney movies, etc. that I never noticed before. It’s fascinating to find out meanings that our media is trying to invisibly influence us t believe. If it wasn’t for this class, I’ll be stuck being naïve and not notice how I’m greatly influenced I am by the media. =S
3 months ago I can honestly say that I was a media illiterate! I never really thought about the way that media affects our daily lives. Now from looking for these types of advertising I can’t help myself. I see it everywhere and how it’s affecting our youth.
Blogging these past 10 weeks has really changed my views of the internet. I am a really shy person, I hate talking to people I don’t know. Blogging has really let me have a voice and state my opinions on such controversial and critical issues.
When I become a teacher I would like to do some type of a blogging concept. As a future history teacher what I think I might do is create a website with many articles, or my personal blogs / comments. They will have to write a weekly blog on the articles or the current topic. I think this will be a good idea to make sure the students are up to date or reading etc…However I know that not all children have access to the internet, so the student will either have to hand in a log or a blog.
I think this concept will be beneficial for student like me who are shy and nervous to talk in from of a class. It will let them have a say and voice their opinions.
I’m already thinking of how I will incorporate media into my class and have decided that I will definitely have the students create a website. I never thought I had the ability to make a website, and now I have created two successful ones.
I would love to show short clips from YouTube on historical events in class. I have numerous films relating to history; however they are each about 2 to 3 hours in length. By showing small clips here and there will allow much more class time for other activities such as discussions and assignments.
I would love to have a class or two to show my students the intense affects of media on our society.
I think that media has positive and negative effects on society. For example the way how media portrays women in the Disney movies is a classic example of negativity. Whereas the recent Dove commercials tell and show young girls to be confident and happy with whom they are.
I honestly think it depends on how one interprets the effect of society. It someone has a good sense on themselves and independence they will most likely not be sucked into the whole media frenzy.
This semester did indeed pass by like a blink of an eye. So much happened and so much was discussed. This course, like my other media courses, was another reality check of the effects that the media has on our society. The messages that we receive every day from different sources have a very powerful influence on our subconscious mind, sometimes in a very subtle way. In regard to blogging, it acts as a gateway to dialogue between students, teachers, and other peers when talking about the media we are consuming. Blogs are a way to reinforce the communication that students and teachers can have with each other, beyond the limited discussion time that they have in the classroom. They are more personal and students can write about whatever interests them. That way, students can see what others have blogged about and consequently respond with strong arguments with one another. Especially while dealing with a media course like this, it is important to look at what others think about the world we live in today, specifically to what the media world has to offer to us and to different generations that have to deal with it.
Personally, even though I have missed 5 of these blogs (because of my stupid job consuming all my time), this blog has sure enlightened my vision about what other people in the classroom perceive of the different images that the media throws out at us, either through commercials, Disney movies, biased news, etc. I am sure everyone else also was affected by this and had a change of perception in one way or another. It was enlightening.
Ah well, this is the world we live in, and time just keeps passing by. And with activist teachers (like all of you will become, I’m sure), we will help open our students’ minds to the influences that the media has on them throughout their days.
Wishing everyone the best of luck!!!
When I begin my teaching career, I will without a doubt implement blogging into my teaching regime. Other than this particular class, I have never had the opportunity to do mandatory blogging and I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity thus far. I enjoyed the fact that Shirley provides a basis of discussion and it leaves room for other students and me to open up and give our thoughts on the particular issues or topics she puts forth. It also gives us room to get a little off-topic and provide our own basis of discussion to a certain extent for other students to read and reply to if they wish. It is an excellent learning tool because there is such a wide range of topics that we blog about weekly and gives myself more of an incentive to research and/or become more involved in certain areas I may not know about.
There are so many crucial issues going on in our world today that revolves around media that many students may not have had the opportunity to learn about and I feel is necessary to explore. In particular, the recent US presidential debates, following the elections that caused quite a stir for many. Even though this may not affect Canadians directly, most of us have shown much interest in the topic and realized just how important it is that we are not ignorant of it, because it really in fact has a drastic affect on us as Canadians in many ways that we should be aware of, and maybe were reluctant to face beforehand.
Therefore I feel it is vital to implement blogging into my teaching schedule. Students should all realize the impact media has on us today, and use that as a tool to express themselves on particular issues/topics and hopefully it will broaden their minds for the better, as I feel it did for me.
As we are getting closer and closer to the final class, it is becoming quite evident that we are learning about much more technical skills and tasks that require us to incorporate everything that we have learnt throughout the semester. I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed this class because it allowed me to experiment with programs and really delve into the issues and benefits that the media posses on society.
Of course teachers can teach without technology, however, because technology is such a large part of our world and one’s day-to-day life, it would be more beneficial if the learner did use technology. In today’s world, technology is most defiantly a large part of peoples lives and this is precisely why incorporating it into the classroom is not only quite practical but also a fun and easy way to teach ones students new concepts and ideas. Using technology can allow the learner to be more productive and help maximize his/her potential to succeed in the real world. Furthermore, some students grasp concepts with more ease when using visual aids which is precisely why technology, in any case, would be quite beneficial. Programs including PowerPoint and MovieMaker allow for interactive collaboration and allow the learner and the teacher to work together to create a more productive and proficient classroom environment. Moreover, many of the programs have step-by-step tutorials in order to help the user become more familiar with the program. One of the most beneficial advantages to these types of programs is that both the learner and teacher are able to see his or her advances, allows them to reflect on the work done, and easily make changes if necessary (programs including Mindmap). Learners can also acquire a greater knowledge about specific topics by sharing their information with their peers because they will have ability to help one another and learn how to do a better job by working together.
To sum up, before taking this course I didn’t even realize how unaware I was of all the technology that is available today. I truly believed that all of these tasks, including creating movies, editing them and even creating websites were a lot easier than I imaged them to be, I really appreciate this course and all that it has taught me. Thanks!
In all honesty, I don’t really know to what extent I’m going to use media/technology in my classroom. I think it all depends on what resources you are given and what subject you are teaching. During my stage one of my CTs used powerpoints every class to teach history. He also showed short 15 minute videos every few classes. I found it made the subject much more interesting for the students, so I do plan on adopting a similar style of teaching history.
I don’t think I’ll be the type of teacher to use programs like flickr, bubbleshare etc, just because I am almost media challenged. Although I have learned a great deal through this class, putting together powerpoints and videos still frustrates me when your computer does something out of whack that you don’t know how to fix. However, I’m sure students in the future will continue to know more and more about technology and computers that they won’t suffer the same dilemmas I have in the past. That being said, it is very important that I continue to develop media/technology skills so that I can keep up with my future students.
As for media literacy, before taking this course I had never really taken the time to think about how much everyone’s lives are affected by the media. Also, I had never taken the time to realize how topics like Islamaphobia are so present in our everyday lives. I think it is extremely important for students to learn at a younger age the extent at which the media affects people’s lives.
As one of the few students who are not pursuing a BEd in the class, I have had a slightly different experience in the class thus far. I’m a pysch major minoring in education, probably going to start a masters/PhD in school psych soon, and in the last few years I’ve had quite a few opportunities to work in schools, conducting research. In fact 2 weeks ago i had the opportunity to travel to a Native reserve, Kitigan Zibi, to research some of the factors that help students achieve success, especially in underserved populations.
We were all surprised by the technological advances we experienced in this particular school. There was a marked contrast between the school in Kitigan Zibi and other schools I have visited on Native Reserves. At this school every classroom was equipped with a SmartBoard, and teachers made use of them at every opportunity. Though this particular population chooses not to vote in elections, the students were all well aware of the American election, and teachers used the American election as a jumping off point to discuss issues of race and equality - two issues that the population really struggles with. In fact the grade 6 teacher gave us a quick run down of how the SmartBoards work showing us a little presentation she had prepared about Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr.
The principal explained to us that the school received the smartboards through a federal gov’t initiative aimed at improving technology and media in the classroom. What was interesting about the school was that although it was in Quebec, it chose not to receive provincial funding (because it would then have to follow the provincial curriculum, including teaching French). By taking federal funding instead, the school could teach its own Algonquin/English curriculum, and was eligible for these media and technology grants. I’m [pretty sure however that this was a special case, and most schools would not be eligible for federal funding.
Regardless, it was really great to see how teachers were utilizing technology to help their students.
Unlike the first poster, this is my last semester at McGill. After having almost completed the class i feel that it’s a shame that I waited so long to take it. It seems as though every student should have to take this class/or a variant of it, in order to develop the skills to critically reflect what we are bombarded with on a daily basis. Media is so important to our education, and it is important to know how it can help us, and when it can be detrimental to our growth.
I am Minoring in education so the prospect of applying media literacy to the classroom is not immediate for me. However, I am thinking of applying to teachers college next year to become an elementary teacher. Also, I am thinking of applying to a masters in child study. I’d like to focus on deconstructing stereotypes in the media and promoting social justice awareness in the elementary classroom. Using programs like flickr, bubble share and iMovie is probably not a realistic independent activity for the elementary age group, but I’m sure we could do group activities with these programs.
If I get into the masters program, I’d also love to study the effect of different characters in the media on children’s self-perception and social cognition. For example, what is the effect of idealizing Pipi Longstockings vs. Snow White? Along these lines, I think it is important for kids to identify who they idealize in the media so that they may analyze the reasons for this. Perhaps if kids start to really pay attention to the underlying reasons behind their choice of role models, they can begin to discriminate between healthy and non-healthy role models…who knows.
Okay so I’m sitting in class now, with the sub, and blogging about Media. The is so techno of me. Anyways from this course I think that the one thing that I have taken away from this the beneifts of having a class or unit based website. In creating a class website it will enable the students to have access to things twenty four seven. This is helpful for students that lose things, and helps the enviroment by not having to run off a million copies on paper. Another benefit of a website is that students will know exactly how their grades are being calculated and where everything is going in the class. I hated in high school when you would do nights and nights of work and then find out that it was worth two percent, adnd the one page test is worth 15 percent. I plan on always having a website for my students to use and keep it regularly updated since I am an internet junkie.
And no matter what you say or show me I am still not going to think ill of Disney movies.
A week and a half left in this semester. Personally I would not have the students write weekly blogs or such, honestly I don’t really see the point of it. But this doesn’t mean i wouldn’t use blogs at all, i would use it to have the students evaluate themselves upon the subjects that we talk about in class. For example if we talk about Canadian elections and I want them to take a good look at what’s going on politically, i would have them blog about it on my website. I would also teach the students to think critically about the messages and the pictures that the media is shooting out there. I find it’s important to teach the students not to believe whatever the media is showing them, they do not hold the absolute truth. The media uses A LOT of stereotypes that are not necessarily true. Building websites would also be a good way for them to express whatever they have on their mind, and it gives everyone an equal opportunity for expression, if they did not have a chance to speak in class for example, or if they feel that they express themselves better through writing than speaking. As for desconstructing films and TV, that would depend. As i said, i would teach them to think critical. Some media DO depict truths accurately. In the end, it’s all a point of view. Without a doubt they influence each and every single one of us, some are more affected, others are a bit less, but nobody can claim to be totally immune to it.
My roommate is a bit obsessed with D Listed and other celeb blogs/forums. She tilted her computer and asked my if I thought the picture of the girl she was looking at was fat. FAT? Are you kidding? The girl was skinny. In fact, it turns out she was looking at Victoria Secret model Karolina Kurkova. Karolina is a 24 year old model who has built her career off looking “hot” and being skinny. However, at a recent fashion show, she walked down the runway wearing only a bathingsuit (or bra/underwear..not really sure to be honest!). Her stomach was -according to media sources- not toned and she had back fat and cellulite on her bottom. I was SO shocked to see this criticism even after a semester of critically looking at the media! She is fucking skinny-how can they criticise her for this?! I just think the whole thing is rediculous. My roommate asked “Well do you think it is fair for people to judge her since her job is to primarily be slim?” My response was: THATS NOT THE POINT! Our society needs to move beyond the rationale that being super skinny is pretty. What sort of message are we sending out? Media is infused with photos of super skinny girls and comparing them to who is the thinnest. The truth is that we need move away from these images and start displaying thinds in the media that actually matter.
Jordan, I’m sad to say that displaying things that matter might not be enough… because those things matter to an important enough segment of the population to be marketable. And living under the current model of a “free economy” (where most banks, finance companies and insurance brokers have a controlling interest held by the federal government) turning a dollar is the only thing that matters.
To be totally honest, I don’t feel that this semester’s class was an eye-opener for me. It was fun, and I liked the hands-on part of the lab, But I didn’t learn much in and of itself. Maybe it’s because I’m older, and love philosophy. It was my plan all along to be subersive once I was a teacher. I did learn the existence of the Paolo & Nita Freire centre, but was a bit disappointed to be told that if we want to get in on the action, it’s a graduates and above club. We lowly undergrads are “not cool enough yet” or something.
All are not saints that go to church
Well, I learned a few things. I learned that I was never media-literate, but was very media-handy. I have few problems learning new modes of media expression or with forming clear ideas of what I would like to express, but as a teacher I’m charged with the responsibility of helping young humans awaken. I need to look at how they are affected by media and understand what it might be like to grow up in a time where kids toys, like that V-Tech piece of junk, is advertised as ‘educational’ and ‘teaches skills that are important for your child’s development’. That’s not my experience, but there’s going to be a whole generation of kids that might be suckled on stuff like that and I can’t imagine what they are going to get into media-wise. I need to learn their language. My life has been devoted to music and I believed that if I made great music, it would somehow help heal hurt and strife. I think I was right and I’ve learned that many of us have a similar desire to create something meaningful that will heal or benefit someone somehow – not just ourselves. The difference is we want to teach - we want to help young folk find a way to do it themselves. We have to “bring the mountain to Moses” when it comes to communication and that means accepting responsibility for carrying the damned mountain to wherever the kids are huddled and planting it in front of them. We have oodles of wonderfully beneficial knowledge and ideas like most aspiring teachers before us but I think becoming media-literate and coaxing our kids to be critical of media is a relatively new set of requirements that teachers must fulfill no matter what subject they teach. I’m glad I got my juices flowing thanks to this class and the readings and I think that I’ve learned that owning media is the way to avoid being owned by it.
Mathieu you bring up a good point that “displaying things that matter might not be enough… because those things matter to an important enough segment of the population to be marketable”. I just have a bit of an issue with this because displaying things in the media just because they are relevant to the ‘marketable’ does not make it true or justify the real issue. The issue here is that media has taken over our lives. Not to sound so ridiculously pessimistic here, but I think we need to open our eyes to what is being displayed in front of us each day. As a female, I just find it extremely degrading, humiliating and sad to be portrayed a certain way. Is she skinny? Is she pretty? What was she wearing? Has she gained weight?
Hello people! We need to move on from this. We sit here and complain about how the media is controlling our lives, shifting the way we think and consistently displaying different groups of people in a negative way, but what are we doing about it? Maybe you are OK with the fact that media simply shows these images because it sells. However, I think it is a poor excuse for a reason why we don’t fight and try to support TRUE media-based knowledge. It is easy to follow suite, but it becomes challenging and dissicult-something out of the norm-to fight against the lies portrayed in main-stream media.
After taking this class I think it has definitely peaked my interest in using media in my classroom. I feel that most of what we covered in class concerning is and will be prevalent to learning for many years to come. I believe we are at the tip of an iceberg and as our society becomes more and more media driven changes will begin to arrive in the classroom as they are already greatly pass due. Last class people did not seem too eager to use blogs in their classroom. People talked about taking a book and sitting under a tree would be better??? Are you kidding me? You guys are the same people that sit on your laptops and screw around on facebook every class at Mcgill. Wow! I’m 33 and never in my life sat under a tree to read a book. What’s wrong with adding this type of media to your curriculum? It doesn’t have to replace anything as was explained in class 500 times and fell on deaf ears. When you finally have your job as a teacher don’t you think that giving voice to those who may not have one in class could be beneficial? I mean come on most of you have a whole hell of a lot to say here on these blogs but a lot less in class. Think about that.
During this semester in media class I really learned a lot of things about the media that I did not know before. I really enjoyed this class it opened my eyes to new eyes that I will incorporate into my future classroom. What I loved most about this class was the assignments, I thought they were so fun. I mean normally its tests and papers but the power point projects, the unit plan and the video production were so fulfilling. I learned how to use equipment I did not know how to use prior to this class and I find that keeping with technology in order to use it in my class is a great idea. As for blogging I am not really a fan I would prefer to incorporate media in different ways. Maybe through television, magazines etc…
After doing most of my unit plan, I loved creating the website and I think it would be a great tool for children if I was to use it. In my future class I will build a website like the one I did. I find that it would help children stay on task and organized, and at the same time it is fun. The one thing I must say this class encouraged me to do was pay more attention to politics whether it be Canadian or American because it is extremely important to know what is going on with the people running your country. In all I guess you can say this class changed my ideas on media and I will be incorporating a lot more of it than I would have prior to taking this class. Thanks,
I think that by the time I’m ready to teach my own class, I might develop so many new concepts, and maybe even change some beliefs. But for now, I think I will incorporate some media into my classroom. I might not encourage blogging since it’s something they already use and know about through facebook and other websites, and I would rather teach them something new that they don’t already use..
Building personal websites is becoming increasingly important nowadays. Employers often take a look at the websites, which also allow people to become well known around the world.. I’m a visual learner who really benefits from watching videos or short movies, so I think I’ll add that into my classroom. Then again, I believe in the old fashioned chalk and blackboard, and getting my hands dirty with powder, especially when all the other teachers are using technology, and showing power point presentations and videos, because a good old teachin’ with a stick and chalks would grab students’ attention.
I like the idea of blogging. It encourages participation for those students who are less inclined to speak up within the classroom. However, I am not entirely sure that as educators, we should focus heavily on technology. What I mean by that is, children already spend hours of their day on the internet, watching t.v, shouldn’t we use classroom time to bring them back to more basic things such as good old fashioned debates, discussions, reading? I listened to the guest speaker and he had a lot of great things to say about blogging, a lot of which I agree with, however, how much should we incorporate it?
As an educator, I would like to strive to find a balance between the old and the new. I want to use the internet, use technology but only as a side point. My main focus would be to promote more interaction inside of the classroom, to have kids read books and talk about them. I would want them to debate with each other and communicate face to face.
I was thrown out of NYU. On my metaphysics final, they caught me cheating. I looked within the soul of the boy sitting next to me. (Woody Allen)
Okay so I’m gonna blog again since….well it’s fun and I have nothing else to do with my time at the moment. The only problem that I can see with what Amreen is saying is about the books. I am a firm believe in reading books but I know that there is no way that I can make and make sure my students actually read the books. With the media nowadays paper books have become somewhat obsolete. Since popular books are made into movies, and of course the ever so popular websites like sparnotes.com it’s hard to actually get students to crack open a form of media that is becoming somewhat outdated in our and their techno world.
Also something that came up after my last post was the idea that blogs causing Cyber bullying. I think that he made a point in saying that clear rules have to be set for the students to follow, so that can bring down the likely hood of it happening. But there is also a benefit to that happening. It’s hard to catch bullies and then prove that they were actually doing bad things to someone, so if they cyber bully we as the teachers will have something concrete and undebateable to present to the parents of the bully. This of course is if the blog is setup properly to record who is posting what. I know for my class I would like them to blog, and I hope that I will be able to do it. Also I understand some of my classmates points about not all children having computers so I guess you have to adjust things to fit the type of school that you are teaching in.
so with two weeks ive really been thinking on what have i gained from my first semester, i have gotten great things , and not so great things, when it comes to media literacy i do not know where i am at. I honestly can say am i really there yet did i learn much i dont know i really found we did nto really critically analyse anything, im kinda lost in all my classes i think why am i taking this, whats the point. I took 3 humanities courses based on multiculturalism and media, i took 2 philo course and a ton of pyscology, all the classes ive been taking are things i know. The computer stuff is stuff ive done my wholel life so to be honest im sort of just really wondered if i just wasted half a year of my life or learned something, on the contrary my first stage was great and i got a job working for my school so really at teh time i think that this really is moving me foward.
I cannot believe that school is almost over already! I personally feel like I have learned a lot from this course. I know the importance of critical thinking and being media literate, but I still feel like I still have a lot to learn. I am a little bit naive when it comes to certain things. I think what I took away from this course is to really deconstruct our entertainment. Ever since I can remember, I have been questioning the things I see on television. Even when I was really young, I would ask my parents why certain people are depicted the way they are. For this reason, I can picture myself as a teacher, deconstructing the TV shows, movies, video games, etc. that are popular with my students. I know teachers should work with their strengths, so that’s what I’ll do. On the other hand, I still feel inexperienced when it comes to more serious things, like the news. Of course I still question whatever is presented, but I still feel gullible, especially if an issue is presented of which I know nothing about. But I think it is important that at least I realise that I need to question media. Although I admit that I am naive sometimes, I still recognise the need to explore further into the issue, and examine multiple perspectives. In order to be more media literate, I should spend a little more time looking into those things which I do not understand. Once I become completely media literate, I will do all I can to pass it on to my future students.
I went to the Quebec Provincial Teacher’s Convention this past Thursday and Friday. It was SUCH an amazing experience I don’t even know where to start. One thing I noticed was the difference between the presentations of the speakers who did and didn’t use media. I noticed that my attention level was much higher during the presentations which incorporated a flashy power point presentation. There was one presentation in particular that really stuck with me. The speaker started out with a slide show of pictures and music. It caught the audience’s attention right away and created a very positive suspense about what the speaker was going to talk about. A powerpoint presentation was also used throughout the session and I found it to be very effective and complimentary to the speaker’s presentation.
I also attended a session about teachers without borders. The speaker talked about how they go to schools in Africa and train teachers there. One of the things that is really needed over there is computers. The Canadian teachers are very often asked if they can teach computer skills because it is something that the African people so desperately want and need. The speaker talked about how they try to bring and send as many laptops over there and teach the African people computer skills. The way the speaker was presenting the issue made it really sound as though they were desperate in these African schools to learn how to use technology. This made me really appreciate even more the technology skills and resources I have. Technology is obviously becoming a very important part of a well rounded education and we must keep this in mind as we move forward as educators.
I do think that technology is an important part of education, i also hate that it creates an education gap between rich and poor, between the developing world and the developed world. as i am working on the lesson plans project i have to say i enjoy incorporating alot of technology. i think it is very important to expose our students to the powerful tool that technology can be both positive and negative. i also think that we as a society have to find a way of evening out this huge gap that exists not only for access to technology but also for access to health care, food and clean water. technology is just following the path of all the other resources in terms of who has access. we just have to keep this in mind when we become teachers and try to expose students particularly who don’t have computers in their homes, we need to get them using them at school so that they will understand how this virtual world works in order to become empowered within it.
Would I incorporate media and technology into a classroom? YES – I definitely would! The assignments for this class all incorporated technology and at times it was very frustrating. Technology is not usually my friend and especially when I was creating the movie I found that I was confronted with many “technical difficulties”. As more and more technology becomes available and the educational benefits of using it increases it is more important now than ever before for children to start learning how to use technology from as young an age as possible. The sooner they start to learn, the more they can learn and the less likely it is that they become frustrated with it. I mean, before this class I had no idea what IMovie, Flickr and Bubbleshare were. When I was high school at least 50% of the students in my class did not have computers at home and we had very few computers in our very small library, so we barely ever had assignments or projects that required the use of technology. These days almost every family has a computer and more and more schools are becoming equipped with computers. I fully support taking advantage of the technology that is available to help students learn in the best way possible and we should of course also use this technology to teach about the media. I also love the idea of blogging. The guest lecturer did not give us a clear answer as to what age is a good age to start blogging but I think that once the students are able to handle the workload, blogging can start from the time they know how to use a computer . Using fake names is a great way to help shy students have a chance to express their feelings and views about important topics.
I found the guest speaker about blogging very interesting, especially since he was able to implement blogging in a part of South Africa. The fact that the students were able to utilize blogging, even without easy access to computers, shows what a powerful medium they can be. If John Pascarella can succesfully implement a blog-centric curriculum there, conceivably, it should be easy to use blogs in North American classrooms. However a valid point was brought up by a few classmates during his lecture; how to prevent cyber-bullying when utilizing blogs in the classroom. This was especially pertinent to me, because as a students predominantly in psychology classes, I have experienced people being very mean/disrespectful to each other on webct. I suppose the difference is that webct is not, for the most part, moderated- however one would think that by the time students arrive in university they are mature enough not to belittle their classmates. I have seen people being mocked for spelling/grammatical mistakes, for asking questions perceived by others as being “stupid” and for just asking for help in general. It seems to me that the purpose of webct is for just those sorts of questions, so it’s unfortunate that people can be harassed for asking them. Now, i have only noticed this in my science classes, and it could be mediated by the fact that many of these classes are very competitive.. It just makes me mad that some students are so incredibly arrogant.
In returning to the k-12 classroom, however, these problems can be prevented by creating a set of rules with the class, and having the teacher moderate the board. I think it is very important that this happens, because once ideas are transmitted into cyberspace there is a sense of anonymity or disconnect which can allow people to type things that they wouldnt otherwise say. Just my thoughts…
I can’t believe the end is already here! It’s amazing how fast the term went and how much I have learned! I think that this class has helped me in several ways. But first and foremost I’ve actually learned to criticise all the media input that is around me. Ever since I was in middle school our Spanish teacher told us to never believe everything we read in the papers or watch on TV, but I was 13 so although she gave us many examples it never went far from the classroom. Although it should have! When I started college I took two courses on critical thinking and analysing. They were quite helpful. Everything to be was a big shock because most schools in Mexico teach to accept everything that is said, so when my teachers told me to always question what we read and make up our own mind on the subject then I had issues. Our courses encouraged us to have facts and information to support why we chose a statement over the other. This semester, with the media literacy class I really went in deep in many subjects and things I didn’t question. Why did I not question them? I don’t know, but now I’ve read a sufficient amount of things to make up my mind and have a rich personal opinion. I really enjoyed the class.
I think that children should be taught to be media literate at a very young age because they are exposed to it all the time. Media affects our lives in so many ways that students should be aware of not believing all that they see and to question it as well.
The incorporation of media in classes is a wonderful idea. I believe that students become much more engaged. When used properly it can make the lessons appealing, interactive and much more interesting. Like I just said, we as teachers need to know how to use media to not make it monotonous. I’ve had many teachers that use power point for every single class. The presentations are full of text and because the room is dark, the slides boring and the teacher just speaking it creates a perfect environment… to sleep!! This media class has given us valuable tools to use in class.
In regards to blogging, I found it to be very easy and a lot of fun. I don’t participate a lot in class but with the blogs I can express my opinions and ideas in a free and “cozy” environment. I would love to incorporate blogs in my classes; however I find it very difficult. Most public (and some small private) schools back in Mexico don’t have the infrastructure that some schools have here. Schools in rural areas have multi grade lessons and the students are very far from having computers or Internet. In order to actually use all that I have learned in this class, I would have to work in the expensive schools where rich kids go to. Only that way I can be sure that my students have access to Internet and computers and where I, as a teacher have those resources as well.
Creating my unit plan I really have made an effort to incorporate media literacy- and it fits so well. My subject is English and the interplay that can occur between literature and media (newspaper, tv etc) can be very impactful for students. It seems that NOT using media to teach students is not nearly as effective. When you use media you are also forced to teach students to become critical thinkers- which is very important. Being a critical thinker, as i have learned throughout this course, empowers you as a consumer and individual. I do not see myself as a mindless viewer, soaking in information as truth. (I am not sure i ever did…but…) For instance, I never fully realized the extent of Disney, or the structure of how there truth is filtered down through many voices and many modifiers. It is even more essential that teachers are critical viewers so that do not play a part in the same socialization process that the media does. It is so easy and effective to use the media- in its many forms- in the classroom. Whether is be blogging for homework (which i fully support!) or using powerpoint for a lesson which allow you to add in small video clips and photos. But i really urge everyone (including myself) as beginning teachers to really take media to the next step and include students in the process of analyzing and critically thinking about the media and its message that it sends.
I also just want to say how I enjoyed the book Media Literacy. And how teachers should use it in their classrooms.
After reading and commenting many aspects that are involved with media, now I am more aware of the different ways in which society is vulnerable to manipulation… To me, it is impossible to stay away from media and nowadays it has a very important role in everyone’s life. This is why it is crucial to educate our children on how to receive all the information that is being given. Children, these days are experts in the use of technology. They have no problems to understand how to use a computer, a mobile phone or anything that has to do with technology. This is why I think that including blogs and websites for class purposes is a good way to involve children to participate actively in the learning and the critical thinking process. It is a good way for teachers to know a bit more about their students and what they think.
Although there are several positive aspects of including the use of blogs and websites into a class, there are many things to consider. It all depends on where you are teaching, who you are teaching to and the entire surrounding. When we talked about this in class I thought about Mexico. There is a huge difference when talking about education in my country. Public schools are not bad, and some schools do provide computers and other sources for teaching. In this particular situation, children not always have access to a computer in their houses, so this kind of activity is not very appropriate. To me the use of technology linked to learning is amazing and I think children find it more interesting, it is a shame not everyone has the opportunity to do it.
I don’t think we have to blog this week but I guess I will do it anyways. While I really don’t intend to use media to teach English, I think it would come in handy for Bio. Thinking back to grade 12 Bio, I recall alot of lessons that the class may have understood faster with some sort of visual aid. A lot of kids seem to have trouble understanding transcription and translation, perhaps because there are alot of steps and it’s hard to visualize what is occurring. Using a powerpoint presentation with pictures and with videos might make it easier for kids to understand these concepts. Some subjects like Bio just cannot be taught using language alone. In a video about transcription and translation however you can see where all the little parts are going and what they’re doing and this helps kids to understand and recall information better. So, while I don’t think I will make use of technology too much in my classes, I do think teachers of other subjects should.
I think every subject can incorporate media literacy; but I think English would be one of the toughest to incorporate media effectively. I think it would be difficult mostly because of the popular ideology of “putting on a movie for a couple classes to quiet students” can easily be applied to English studies. Most movies are adapted from novels.I’ve watched movies completely unrelated to class material; like watching Shrek in 8th grade geography. Also in my final year in high school, my English teacher had to leave due to an illness near the beginning of the school year. My former teacher had been relatively old school in her teaching methods but never the less a good teacher. Through the year our class received a series of substitute teachers. I think I remember mostly one in particular, who was there for the majority of the school year. Although the substitute teacher incorporated media literacy and film studies into the curriculum, she wasn’t that great a teacher. I remember we spent two whole classes looking at slides of her previous vacation to Thailand. Although these pictures showed what living conditions were like in developing countries the material didn’t really tie into what the class had been previously been studying, the novel “A Clockwork Orange”; nor did we later touch upon developing countries in the classes after watching the slides; we watched Hamlet. I do think that incorparting media litercy and technology into the classroom is important and a great way to get students interested in material and participate in class. I also think media and techology can often be misused in the classroom. I think just having a mandatory media class in the Education program really demonstrates how important it is to effectively incorporate media and technology.
I think watching movies in English classes can be very powerful and leave a lasting impact on students, provided it is done correctly. Showing a movie just to fill up the class time without relating it to the rest of the course is of course not a good idea. However, I remember the movies I watched in high school much better than the readings, and when the teacher of that class was good at using media, I also remember very well the message that the movie was supposed to carry and the way the teacher tied it to the issues discussed in class. Many movies can be used for instance to discuss issues of race, class, gender, which can be very relevant to an English class depending on what the teacher chooses to focus the course on. Students often have more things to say about a movie they have just watched than about a text most of them probably didn’t even read entirely. I don’t think that movies should replace readings, but I believe they are an excellent way of helping students to get involved in class discussion, make connexions, and remember what they have learned.
I also agree with Britney when she says that media and technology can be very useful in bio. This is so true! I remember a bio teacher who was struggling to explain how chromosomes were divided during mitosis and meiosis. She tried to make drawings, but it wasn’t really working, so she finally came to class with a buch of clothes pegs that she gave us to disassemble and reassemble. If she had showed a short video clip or an animation, I am sure it would have been much easier. I think media and technology are useful tools in any subject matter, and it is really important for us, as teachers, to know how to best take advantage of them.
To be honest, before I was ever in this class, I had absolutely no idea how to use a power point, make a video, embed a video, post on you tube and I had most definitely not ever ‘blogged’ on any type of website. I was sort of afraid to even open that door because I was intimidated and there was so much to learn. Even first year’s stage when I was working at the Mackay centre, there was a lot of media technology to benefit the disabled children and I had absolutely no idea how to work any of it. I don’t like to sound corny or anything but I am so thankful I took your course. Now I know that I am capable of using all of the beneficial and innovative technologies on the Internet. It even affects me in the smallest ways. Even the littlest thing, I would get someone to help me with. For example, even now, I would have looked and my broken printer and called someone to fix it for me. Instead, I sat back and thought to myself “you can figure this out, how hard can it be”. Blogging is also such a nice and new outlet for me to express myself and listen to other people who have similar opinions on matters and it’s a relieving feeling. The world is becoming totally dependent on technology. There is even a major in the management program now focusing specifically on information systems. I am so thankful for learning all that I have learned in this class. However, I think I am most thankful for getting over the fear and low-confidence when it came to media and technology. I can now happily and readily do all of these things! PowerPoint in particular will especially help me when I become a teacher because my writing is excruciating. All in all, I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this class.
This obviously is no longer a class requirement but i need to get something off my chest: I DESPISE CNN!! Today was a tragic day in Mumbai, India, as finely-coordinated terrorist attacks gave way to over 80 deaths in the south of the city. The attacks were very unexpected and described as “very bold” on the part of the terrorists responsible. I happen to be flying to Mumbai in 11 days and then travelling to an area about 4 hours north of there, so these events are of even greater concern to me. Obviously, I have been closely monitoring the situation, looking for updates as well as information about the state of the international airport in the center of the city. The scene is disheartening and many questions remain unanswered as military forces attempt to take control of the ongoing hostage situation occurring in two large hotels in the city. In my inquiry I unfortunately came across CNN…what a mistake that was. Within the first thirty seconds I was infuriated!! The pressing question on the mind of the woman (“Kitty” i think her name is) interviewing a reporter on location was as follows: “Soon after the election of Barack Obama, Al-Qaeda officials reportedly insulted his administration via the Internet, do you think this attack could be a reflection of those messages?” O.M.G. are you kidding me? So here is my philosophical question of the day: If a large-scale tragedy occurs somewhere in the world and CNN is not around to manipulate the story into being about the United States and Al-Qaeda, DID IT REALLY EVEN HAPPEN?? …I am beyond frustrated. Isn’t it time CNN and the likes pull their heads out of their asses?? …Unlikely.
My sincerest sympathies go out to the countless families affected by this injustice, and I am profoundly hoping for a safe recuperation for the city. <3
i think you are spot on anita, cnn was appalling and those questions had nothing to do with the reality of tragedy…anything to make sensationalistic crap, as if multiple terrorist attack in Mumbai isn’t enough. when will we make a difference in demanding responsible media internationally?
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