Double Entry Journal #9

"One thing that has struck me in my work with urban kids is the odd congruence between two very different systems: the system of global media that wants young people to be spectators and consumers rather than social actors, and a factory system of schooling that wants young people to be passive and willing vessels for a prescribed set of knowledge and skills." Goodman, 2003

This quote pretty much sums up my feelings about media literacy. I think that this odd congruence exists among all students, not just those in urban areas. Media is so pervasive in our society and young people are exposed to it constantly throughout the day. They are constantly getting messages that they should behave a certain way, buy certain items, and believe certain beliefs. Then, in the school system, especially in today's age of high-stakes testing, students are being spoon-fed academic formulas without having the oppurtunity to think for themselves and express their ideas creatively. We see this as art programs and other school programs face funding cuts all over our country. Our students today face more challenges than ever and it is up to us, as educators, to provide a means to facillate our students to think independentlly and creatively.

Route 21 is an interesting webpage that discusses the integration of media literacy into the K-12 curricula. This website features video clips of teachers and students integrating this technology into their classrooms starting at a young age. Teachers could use the information contained on the aforementioned webpage to obtain ideas on incorporating media literacy and video production into their classrooms.

1. According to the author, what is the main reason school have ignored engaging student with critical media literacy.
Goodman (2003, p. 2) states that schools are "one-way" systems that seek to repress the agency and self-determination of young people. As I stated above, in the age of high stakes testing, schools want to teach their students how to perform well on standardized tests instead of learning how to think independently and creatively.
 

2. Define critical media literacy.
Critical media literacy is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and produce print, aural, and visual forms of communication.
 

3. How can film making or digital story telling support the goals of critical media literacy?
Film-making and digital story telling can empower young people to understand how media is constructed to convey certain messages and how they can use media technology to record and voice their ideas and concerns regarding the issues that are most important to them.
 

4. Why does teaching media literacy become more complicated as student become consumers of news?
According to Goodman (2003, p. 6), they are growing up in a media culture of spectacle that has normalized the notion that entertainment is news and news is entertainment. The news media wants viewers and knows that they can obtain good ratings by transforming the news into "personal drama," therefore, messages are often skewed or sensationalized and this is what students become indoctrinated to expect. This can be a difficult attitude to "challenge."
 

5. What is the difference between learning through the media and learning about the media?
Learning through the media involves analyzing and constructing ideas based on the information that is provided or inferred. Learning about the media involves understanding the history and practices of the media that can help us to make informed decisions about the messages being portrayed.

References:
Goodman, S. 2003. Teaching youth media: A critical guide to lliteracy, video producation, and social change. New York, New York: Teachers College Press.
 
Route 21. 2007. Media literacy: Core subjects and 21st century themes. Retrieved from:
http://route21.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=168