Double Entry Journal #13

             “In spite of the facts that the dominant political culture of this county opposes youth rights to autonomy and self-determination, and that the consumer media culture co-opts them, civic engagement is a growing trend among after-school programs” (Goodman, 2003, p. 105). This statement summarizes my individual philosophy on the purpose of education. I think that a good education results in autonomy and self-determination and these skills should be taught throughout the school day, not just through after-school programs. We are preparing our students for their future and I think that we need to focus more on why we come to a certain answer instead of just the importance of getting the answer correct. Education needs to address not only cognitive development, but also social, emotional, moral, and creative development. By implementing critical literacy programs in our schools, we as educators, are able to better address these critical standards of development. In today’s age of standardized testing and focus on direct instruction, introducing critical literacy programs into our public schools has become a challenge.

                The role of the student in education is to be an engaged participant in their learning experience. Once again, this creates another challenge in today’s classroom, in which the emphasis on testing scores outweighs the importance of preparing our young students for the future. I feel that students are more engaged in the task at hand when they have a voice in their educational opportunities and are informed about why they come to a certain conclusion or answer. “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, p.2). I strongly agree with Goodman’s quote and I think that his feelings apply to students in rural and suburban areas as well. By creating critical literacy programs in our schools, we are able to provide our students with a voice and a sense of empowerment. I will incorporate critical literacy skills in my future classroom in order to engage my students in learner and to foster their development.

                I feel that as a teacher, I should be a facilitator of my students gaining the knowledge and skills that will help them become successful and productive adults. My graduate coursework has been in special education, and I think that facilitating these skills in this population, one that is the least likely to feel empowered and the most often to feel hindered.  I think that teaching critical literacy skills can help students develop critical thinking skills and creativity. "But there are other visions of media literacy, more narrow and more problematic. Unfortunately, some see media literacy as option for low-performing, underachieving students whose interest can be piqued by TV and nothing else" (Hobbs, 1996). There are so many skills that can be taught through media literacy (critical thinking, writing, reading, social, technology, emotional, etc.), and I think that those who see this subject as a singular vessel for students whose interest can only be piqued by television have not researched the topic. This narrow-minded view is a challenge for today’s educators. As a future teacher, I will use media literacy to facilitate the learning of my students, as a tool of empowerment and knowledge.

                Teachers need to be productive and visible members of their communities in order to gain the trust and respect from community members, students, parents, and fellow staff members. This assists in gaining rapport which is vital to the teacher-student relationship. By being cognizant of the communities in which their students live, teachers are able to better reach their students. They are more aware of their culture and lifestyle.  Teachers working in the community to promote media literacy are able to form bonds with community leaders that can spread to their students. This assists students in developing their own voice in addressing the strengths and weaknesses of their own communities. Goodman states, “Young people stand to benefit if reform efforts from the school, after-school, and community development fields can join together. Such a working collaboration can provide a continuity of practice and principals across the day” (Goodman, 2003, p. 108). By being actively involved in learning activities, I think that students will be more engaged, especially when these activities ensue throughout the students’ entire day.

Links that I would use to promote media literacy in my classroom:

This website provides some really good suggestions for integrating technology and media literacy in the classroom.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/digital-media-literacy/integrating-digital-tools-and-content/

This link provides a lesson plan for deconstructing a poster. This specific plan is targeted toward fourth grade, but I think that it could be adapted to other grade levels.
http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod32_Less_Plan_Text.pdf

I'm not sure how I didn't stumble upon these awesome PBS links, but this is another website about media literacy that contains interactive activities that my students would enjoy.
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/

This is a video that I would show in my classroom when introducing media literacy to my students. It was retrieved from: http://youtu.be/IysHjKE2D-Y
 

This is graphic organizer that would be very useful for students learning about media literacy from
http://teachemgood.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/media-literacy-a-simple-lesson-on-a-complex-topic/:




References:
Goodman, S. 2003. Teaching youth media: A critical guide to lliteracy, video producation, and social change. New York, New York: Teachers College Press.


Hobbs, R. (2002). Center for media literacy. Retrieved from http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/teaching-media-literacy-yo-are-you-hip