Friday, June 29, 2012
"Crap Detectors"
"What's needed for being a good writer?"According to Ernest Hemingway, "crap detecting skills" (Hobbs 35).
Howard Rheingold, the author of Net Smart: How to Thrive Online, has actually broken this idea down into a teaching model: C.R.A.P.
C- currency
R- reliability
A- authority
P- purpose/point of view
This provides us and our students with a useful way to break information down and to weed out the crap. Specifics can be found on the link below.
http://mrsmotivator.com/2012/04/22/c-r-a-p-detecting-the-essential-online-skill/
Howard Rheingold, the author of Net Smart: How to Thrive Online, has actually broken this idea down into a teaching model: C.R.A.P.
C- currency
R- reliability
A- authority
P- purpose/point of view
This provides us and our students with a useful way to break information down and to weed out the crap. Specifics can be found on the link below.
http://mrsmotivator.com/2012/04/22/c-r-a-p-detecting-the-essential-online-skill/
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Distinguishing Useful Talk from Bullshit
He said, "As I see it, the best things schools can do for kids is to help them learn how to distinguish useful talk from bullshit....Every day in almost every way people are exposed to more bullshit than it is healthy for them to endure." (p35) - Neil Postman 1969 National Council of Teachers of English.
I found this quote to be a great summary of what we are learning in this class. Some might interpret that Postman was focused on the classics, however, he was "...instead sharpening focus on the practice of critical thinking, the practice of questioning assumptions." (p35) His goals are even more relevant today in the digital world we live in today. Students today are often "plugged in" everywhere but in the classrooms. Like the gentleman some of us heard at a school docs session, the argument for reading books is often part of the digital debate. However, how many of us own tablets or kindle's that we use to read? Regardless of the argument some want to make, the digital world is the reality of our students and clever ways to incorporate them in the classroom can only provide an eduation our students will not get on their own. Like Postman said, and Hobbs demonstrated in chapter 2, we need to teach our students how to make educated decisions in the digital world and to use it to their advantage. The use of reality shows came as a surprise to me, especially with some of the risky topics that are often the focus. We often forget the risky topics that are discussed even in "classic" literature.
I found this quote to be a great summary of what we are learning in this class. Some might interpret that Postman was focused on the classics, however, he was "...instead sharpening focus on the practice of critical thinking, the practice of questioning assumptions." (p35) His goals are even more relevant today in the digital world we live in today. Students today are often "plugged in" everywhere but in the classrooms. Like the gentleman some of us heard at a school docs session, the argument for reading books is often part of the digital debate. However, how many of us own tablets or kindle's that we use to read? Regardless of the argument some want to make, the digital world is the reality of our students and clever ways to incorporate them in the classroom can only provide an eduation our students will not get on their own. Like Postman said, and Hobbs demonstrated in chapter 2, we need to teach our students how to make educated decisions in the digital world and to use it to their advantage. The use of reality shows came as a surprise to me, especially with some of the risky topics that are often the focus. We often forget the risky topics that are discussed even in "classic" literature.
A Few Resources for Teachers
Hi everyone.
During my time as an undergrad at Penn State, I interned at
the Media Commons, which is a university-wide organization committed to
enriching “the teaching and learning experience through multimedia technology,
classroom training and direct support for students, faculty, and staff.” I
became affiliated with the Media Commons before I even became interested in the
education field, but its forward thinking approach and commitment to helping
students achieve academic success in non-conventional ways truly opened my eyes
to the advantages of utilizing media-related projects in traditional courses.
I posted two links below that might serve as helpful
resources for you:
http://mediacommons.psu.edu/
http://symposium.tlt.psu.edu/conference/video_archive#2009
The first link is for the Media Commons’ website, which has
a ton of great resources for educators. Although people who are not affiliated
with Penn State cannot sign up for workshops and consultant support, everybody
can access hundreds of software tutorials and an entire library of free,
copyright material. I also think there’s some examples of student work
available for viewing.
The second link is for the video archive of the keynote
speakers from the Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) Symposium. This
is a conference devoted entirely on using technology to enhance teaching,
learning, and research (for those of you who went to the School Docs in D.C.,
the TLT Symposium’s similar to that but on steroids). If anyone is interested
in using social media in the classroom, I would suggest watching Danah Boyd’s
keynote from 2009. Boyd has devoted her research to studying how young people use
social media as part of their everyday lives, and she brings up some
interesting issues that all teachers should think about.
I hope these resources can help all of you in your pursuits
to effectively implement media into your classrooms.
- Robert
Pregnant Girls versus the Salm Witch Trials
I can’t help but believe today’s students are receiving a far
better education then I did. I never read anything with substance in high
school, except for Romeo and Juliet and it is still one of my favorite plays.
In fact, I have on DVD, the 1966 version and I love every spoken word. I have
personally never read the Crucible,
but I plan to. I am impressed with Sam Fisher using a reality show that is well
known to teens to kick up some interest in the themes presented in the play. I
am happy to read ideas like this because my thinking is not always so creative,
yet I am willing to try a strategy that would engage students (when I get some
of my own). I believe most
instructors look at the theme of the Salem witch trials rather then the angst
in which the main character is experiencing. Hobbs’s notes, “Like The Crucible, it [sic 16 and Pregnant] featured a teen girl
getting a lot of negative attention from family and friends for her behavior.”
This certainly opens the door to facilitate an interesting discussion. My
question is how do you limit the discussion so it doesn’t eat up too much instruction
time?
Lynn
Facebook: "Every Man is an Island"
John Donne gave voice to the idea that mankind doesn't thrive in isolation when he coined the phrase "No man is an island, entire of himself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." It would seem that social networking and social media serve to connect us and to bind us together more completely, but a recent article, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely", in Atlantic Magazine argues the opposite.
Here is an excerpt:
"Our omnipresent new technologies lure us toward increasingly superficial connections at exactly the same moment that they make avoiding the mess of human interaction easy. The beauty of Facebook, the source of its power, is that it enables us to be social while sparing us the embarrassing reality of society—the accidental revelations we make at parties, the awkward pauses, the farting and the spilled drinks and the general gaucherie of face-to-face contact. Instead, we have the lovely smoothness of a seemingly social machine. Everything’s so simple: status updates, pictures, your wall."
I can see both sides of the issue, but I am more concerned about the implications this has for our students. Are they experiencing more loneliness than previous generations? Are they learning to hide behind a screen instead of interacting with reality? From my experience, many of my students wait to ask questions via email--especially when it is about something as potentially awkward as a question about a grade. My classroom atmosphere is generally one that students feel comfortable in. I work hard to make it a community where students and their ideas/questions are welcomed. Despite that, many still prefer to interact via email or my website. Is this another type of "literacy" that we need to be discussing with our kids? Should be be talking about social media and the benefits/drawbacks to finding your voice behind a screen?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/8930/#
Here is an excerpt:
"Our omnipresent new technologies lure us toward increasingly superficial connections at exactly the same moment that they make avoiding the mess of human interaction easy. The beauty of Facebook, the source of its power, is that it enables us to be social while sparing us the embarrassing reality of society—the accidental revelations we make at parties, the awkward pauses, the farting and the spilled drinks and the general gaucherie of face-to-face contact. Instead, we have the lovely smoothness of a seemingly social machine. Everything’s so simple: status updates, pictures, your wall."
I can see both sides of the issue, but I am more concerned about the implications this has for our students. Are they experiencing more loneliness than previous generations? Are they learning to hide behind a screen instead of interacting with reality? From my experience, many of my students wait to ask questions via email--especially when it is about something as potentially awkward as a question about a grade. My classroom atmosphere is generally one that students feel comfortable in. I work hard to make it a community where students and their ideas/questions are welcomed. Despite that, many still prefer to interact via email or my website. Is this another type of "literacy" that we need to be discussing with our kids? Should be be talking about social media and the benefits/drawbacks to finding your voice behind a screen?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/8930/#
"Dysconscious Elitism"
As I was reading the book, Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime,
Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills, for my glog, I came across a section that shocked me. James Bucky Carter states:
"In my opinion, to choose not to recognize the importance of visual literacy and students' visual cultures and to not make efforts to incorporate these elements into the classroom, for any reason, makes a very powerful political statement. The statement reads: 'I support racist, elitist, and classist notions and policies of literature and education.' It is a strong assertion, but racism, elitism, and classism have had a strong presence in the American classroom for generations" (54).
Carter goes on to explain that these "isms" are "dysconscious"--in other words, we are unaware that we are supporting these notions and policies, and we may even think that we are promoting equality when we are actually perpetuating inequality.
One of the biggest topics in class thus far is the idea that our schools, by and large, do not support media and visual literacy. If Carter is correct, and our school systems are unconsciously promoting racism, classism, and elitism, we have a considerable problem on our hands.
I am curious to see what you opinions are. Do you agree or disagree with Carter's assertion?
"In my opinion, to choose not to recognize the importance of visual literacy and students' visual cultures and to not make efforts to incorporate these elements into the classroom, for any reason, makes a very powerful political statement. The statement reads: 'I support racist, elitist, and classist notions and policies of literature and education.' It is a strong assertion, but racism, elitism, and classism have had a strong presence in the American classroom for generations" (54).
Carter goes on to explain that these "isms" are "dysconscious"--in other words, we are unaware that we are supporting these notions and policies, and we may even think that we are promoting equality when we are actually perpetuating inequality.
One of the biggest topics in class thus far is the idea that our schools, by and large, do not support media and visual literacy. If Carter is correct, and our school systems are unconsciously promoting racism, classism, and elitism, we have a considerable problem on our hands.
I am curious to see what you opinions are. Do you agree or disagree with Carter's assertion?
Monday, June 25, 2012
Student's Videos
Chapter five in Hobbs is similar to the project that was
featured in the School Doc must of us observed on Friday. PBS News Hour
sponsors an area on their website where students are encouraged to post their
filmed editorial. An eighth grade student from Tampa Bay, Florida was the focus
of the presentation. Unfortunately I could not locate a link that would allow
you to see this great example. The teenage boy lives in an economically
depressed, predominantly African-American neighborhood that has seen more than
its fair share of violence. The student created an editorial that focused on
the violence between the teenage students. He included a graphic scene in which two young women were
participating in a brawl without regard for who would be witness to the altercation.
The website is an outlet for the students to display their
work, whether it is in digital form or written. It’s just amazing to me how a
little encouragement can result in such a huge accomplishment. My
disappointment is not being able to find this young man’s video.
Lynn
"Truth is Another Country"
In my other graduate class, Teaching Literature to Adolescents, we have been focusing on the dividing line between fiction and nonfiction. Our conversations have had a great deal of overlap with our recent discussions on documentary vs. fiction film.
We recently read an article titled "Truth is Another Country" by Timothy Garton Ash. Ash makes a number of provocative points in his attempt to differentiate between fiction and "fiction of fact."
He argues that fiction of fact "records what the eye sees" and fiction "discovers what the imagination knows."
The most compelling point with the strongest correlation to documentaries reads:
"To create literature of fact we must work like novelists in many ways. We select. We cast light on this object, shadow on that. We imagine what it is like to be that old Albanian woman weeping over the body of her murdered son, or what it was like to be a 14th century French serf. No good history or reportage was ever written without a large imaginative sympathy with the people you are writing about. Our characters are real people; but we shape them like characters, using our own interpretation of their personalities...Imagination is the sun that illuminates [both fiction and fact], but this leads us into temptation and [this temptation] must be resisted."
I find it fascinating that imagination finds its way into both fiction and nonfiction, but that we need to be very careful how we use it. Today in class we discussed "truth" vs. "fact" and decided that they are not synonymous. You can stack a million facts up in an effort to present A truth, but there is a very real possibility that they will not represent THE truth. Documentarians do this everyday. What truth do they want us to take away from their film? What will they incorporate into their audio, visual, and textual tracks in an effort to communicate this truth to their viewers?
Golden discusses something very similar in his section on different tracks used in documentary. When exploring text tracks he states, "Michael Jackson could be identified as 'pop star' or 'acquitted child molester.' Both are truthful, but depending on the text track, we get entirely different impressions of him" (Golden 22). He also states, "Text track is just another tool, like sound and visuals, that documentary filmmakers can use to construct the meaning they want" (22).
"Truth" seems to be a very slippery concept, and I find myself wondering if objectivity, TRUE objectivity, can ever really be achieved. Without it do we have the truth or simply versions of it?
Link to article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/nov/16/fiction.society
We recently read an article titled "Truth is Another Country" by Timothy Garton Ash. Ash makes a number of provocative points in his attempt to differentiate between fiction and "fiction of fact."
He argues that fiction of fact "records what the eye sees" and fiction "discovers what the imagination knows."
The most compelling point with the strongest correlation to documentaries reads:
"To create literature of fact we must work like novelists in many ways. We select. We cast light on this object, shadow on that. We imagine what it is like to be that old Albanian woman weeping over the body of her murdered son, or what it was like to be a 14th century French serf. No good history or reportage was ever written without a large imaginative sympathy with the people you are writing about. Our characters are real people; but we shape them like characters, using our own interpretation of their personalities...Imagination is the sun that illuminates [both fiction and fact], but this leads us into temptation and [this temptation] must be resisted."
I find it fascinating that imagination finds its way into both fiction and nonfiction, but that we need to be very careful how we use it. Today in class we discussed "truth" vs. "fact" and decided that they are not synonymous. You can stack a million facts up in an effort to present A truth, but there is a very real possibility that they will not represent THE truth. Documentarians do this everyday. What truth do they want us to take away from their film? What will they incorporate into their audio, visual, and textual tracks in an effort to communicate this truth to their viewers?
Golden discusses something very similar in his section on different tracks used in documentary. When exploring text tracks he states, "Michael Jackson could be identified as 'pop star' or 'acquitted child molester.' Both are truthful, but depending on the text track, we get entirely different impressions of him" (Golden 22). He also states, "Text track is just another tool, like sound and visuals, that documentary filmmakers can use to construct the meaning they want" (22).
"Truth" seems to be a very slippery concept, and I find myself wondering if objectivity, TRUE objectivity, can ever really be achieved. Without it do we have the truth or simply versions of it?
Link to article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/nov/16/fiction.society
book and film
I'm finally getting this to work so bare with me... I wanted to talk about a movie trailer that I saw this weekend that really sparked my interest. It was "The Great Gatsby", and I was thrilled that they were making a film adaptation of the book. I know we talked in class about staying away from teaching the book and then the film, but i felt myself still leaning toward doing this with this particular film. Is this a really bad thing or could we as teachers still find a way to teach the book and the film and still get meaning out of it besides just watching the movie to take a break. I think with this it could work because it is a classic, you could even tie it with the leonardo dicaprio version of romeo and juliet since he is in this new film as well. Here is clip to the movie, id love any thoughts you guys have on how this could tie into the curriculum! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqxmhJU4nk4
American Media Idiot
Since we began reading Brooke Gladstone's The Influencing Machine, I have been thinking about what role the media plays in our everyday lives. We are constantly surrounded by media, and most of it seems pretty harmless...but I really do wonder what these images are doing to us? Are they having a negative or positive influence on our lives?
While watching TV on a Saturday morning, I stumbled across a channel that was playing nothing but music videos (!!!), just like in the old days! Anyway, I was drinking my morning coffee and watching the videos, when "American Idiot" by Green Day came on. I listened to the lyrics and this class immediately popped into my head. Here is what the song says:
"American Idiot"
Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind fuck America.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.
Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along to the age of paranoia.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.
Don't want to be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information age of hysteria.
It's calling out to idiot America.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.
(From azlyrics.com)
I italicized the lyrics that I thought were relevant to our class. If we believe what Green Day says, then the media is creating a hysteria/paranoia among us. We sort of had this discussion in class, where we said that certain news stations will broadcast certain things one way and another new station will broadcast the same story, but it will be different.
If we choose to believe everything we hear and see in/on the news, then it is very likely that we will be paranoid. My personal opinion is that people don't care enough about the world they live in. Instead of investigating for themselves, like cross-checking facts on different news sites or stations, people tend to listen to what a station is saying and believe that everything that station says is correct! The news tends to be strictly negative, and it is difficult to find a positive story. If you choose to believe what the news is saying, it is easy to be a negative and have little faith in the world.
I could see using this song in my classroom as an introduction to a discussion on the influence of the media. I think it is important that the kids can sort through the information and decide for themselves what to believe. Discussing the positives and negatives of the media is a good way to teach kids how to do this. Does anyone else have any ideas on how you could generate a discussion on the effects of the media on our society?
While watching TV on a Saturday morning, I stumbled across a channel that was playing nothing but music videos (!!!), just like in the old days! Anyway, I was drinking my morning coffee and watching the videos, when "American Idiot" by Green Day came on. I listened to the lyrics and this class immediately popped into my head. Here is what the song says:
"American Idiot"
Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind fuck America.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.
Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along to the age of paranoia.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.
Don't want to be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information age of hysteria.
It's calling out to idiot America.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.
(From azlyrics.com)
I italicized the lyrics that I thought were relevant to our class. If we believe what Green Day says, then the media is creating a hysteria/paranoia among us. We sort of had this discussion in class, where we said that certain news stations will broadcast certain things one way and another new station will broadcast the same story, but it will be different.
If we choose to believe everything we hear and see in/on the news, then it is very likely that we will be paranoid. My personal opinion is that people don't care enough about the world they live in. Instead of investigating for themselves, like cross-checking facts on different news sites or stations, people tend to listen to what a station is saying and believe that everything that station says is correct! The news tends to be strictly negative, and it is difficult to find a positive story. If you choose to believe what the news is saying, it is easy to be a negative and have little faith in the world.
I could see using this song in my classroom as an introduction to a discussion on the influence of the media. I think it is important that the kids can sort through the information and decide for themselves what to believe. Discussing the positives and negatives of the media is a good way to teach kids how to do this. Does anyone else have any ideas on how you could generate a discussion on the effects of the media on our society?
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Hobb's Chapter Four
I found chapter four in Hobb’s book interesting, mainly due
to the mentioning of Martin Luther King’s speeches. I have found many adult
learners seemed to be interested in Martin Luther King, so it was enlightening
to see the young students’ enthusiasm in this event. As I read through the
book, I envision ways in which I can use the lesson plans for an English class
for adult learners.
I believe I would title the lesson “The American Dream” and
the clips of King’s speeches would be a wonderful way to introduce the lesson.
I believe it is important to have both a reading and a writing component to the
lesson. The play A Raisin in the Sun is
a great example of a family’s struggle to experience the American Dream, and
reading is not a challenge. YouTube has a plethora of clips featuring A Raisin in the Sun that would be an
additional visual element.
The end result of the lesson would be a five paragraph essay
in which the student would be required to use two direct quotes from their
choice of King’s speeches. The central focus of the paper would be the idea of
the American Dream and what this actually means to the student. It certainly
would be nice if the play were incorporated into the paper, but I would let
that up to the student to decide whether to synthesize that or not.
I hope for feedback from my classmates, since I have never
taught a class, I would value your opinions. I believe this lesson could cover
two one hour and fifteen minutes classes, perhaps a third day to add mini
lessons for the writing component.
Lynn Eager
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Boys & The Body Image Boogeyman
I made a note to check out the website www.shapingyouth.org after reading chapter 6 in Hobbs' book, Digital and Media Literacy. The section in the book about Amy Jussel's pieces on Target and Kmart ads stuck with me since we usually don't associate "family" retail stores with subliminal messages about sexualization. In my mind, these types of negative messages came from cigarette ads, makeup, or even barbie dolls. My oversight sparked my interest and I went deeper.
Coincidentally, this post ties in with my previous post about "boy-toy sexuality", but it looks at the issue of media messages and their effects on boys. Too frequently we consider the influence the media has on young ladies and ignore the implications that these pervasive messages have for young boys. For ladies it is simple; the media perpetuates unrealistic ideas about weight, body shape, sexual power and prowess, etc. But what messages are teenage boys taking away from the various television shows, magazine covers, video games, and sports programs they take in daily?
According to Jussel, boys "are joining girls in socioemotional sidewinders impacting their health at ever-earlier ages in adolescence, and their dissatisfaction with their own body image has risen from 15% to 43% in the last thirty years." Where media images and messages lead to anorexia in girls, they are leading to "bigorexia", "exorexia", and "manorexia" in male teens. Boys are now comparing themselves with the Taylor Lautners plastered all over the internet and big screen. According to media massages, huge, Hulk-like muscles and impossible 8-pack abs are what make a boy a man. Jussel provides a number of links to helpful resources that expand on the growing problem of boys and unrealistic body image. Boys suffer more now from eating disorders than they ever have in the past, and objectificaiton is no longer an issue relegated to the world of women.
It is easy to overlook boys in a culture that has grown ever-watchful of female gender stereotypes. Our increased vigilance in one area has caused neglect in another. If we are going to educate our students about the media messages they take in, we need to be very careful that we look at them from all sides. Our male students will be severely under-served if we turn a blind eye to what the media is telling boys about masculinity.
Jussel's blog:
http://www.shapingyouth.org/?p=18956
Coincidentally, this post ties in with my previous post about "boy-toy sexuality", but it looks at the issue of media messages and their effects on boys. Too frequently we consider the influence the media has on young ladies and ignore the implications that these pervasive messages have for young boys. For ladies it is simple; the media perpetuates unrealistic ideas about weight, body shape, sexual power and prowess, etc. But what messages are teenage boys taking away from the various television shows, magazine covers, video games, and sports programs they take in daily?
According to Jussel, boys "are joining girls in socioemotional sidewinders impacting their health at ever-earlier ages in adolescence, and their dissatisfaction with their own body image has risen from 15% to 43% in the last thirty years." Where media images and messages lead to anorexia in girls, they are leading to "bigorexia", "exorexia", and "manorexia" in male teens. Boys are now comparing themselves with the Taylor Lautners plastered all over the internet and big screen. According to media massages, huge, Hulk-like muscles and impossible 8-pack abs are what make a boy a man. Jussel provides a number of links to helpful resources that expand on the growing problem of boys and unrealistic body image. Boys suffer more now from eating disorders than they ever have in the past, and objectificaiton is no longer an issue relegated to the world of women.
It is easy to overlook boys in a culture that has grown ever-watchful of female gender stereotypes. Our increased vigilance in one area has caused neglect in another. If we are going to educate our students about the media messages they take in, we need to be very careful that we look at them from all sides. Our male students will be severely under-served if we turn a blind eye to what the media is telling boys about masculinity.
Jussel's blog:
http://www.shapingyouth.org/?p=18956
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Postman's Prophecies
"I will not burden myself with arguing the possibility ... that oral people are less developed intellectually, in some Piagetian sense, than writing people, or that 'television' people are less developed intellectually than either. My argument is limited to saying that a major new medium changes the structure of discourse; it does so by encouraging certain uses of the intellect, by favoring certain definitions of intelligence and wisdom, and by demanding a certain kind of content--in a phrase, by creating new forms of truth-telling." -- Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death, p. 27
Postman's study of "television people" was published in 1985 as television was becoming the common outlet for information and entertainment in America. When I saw the date of original publication, I assumed that his assertions about society would be outdated as he completed his studies in a world that was far less digitized than ours; however, I'm finding the majority of his conclusions surprisingly relevant, in some cases completely prophetic. His primary claim, as noted in the quote at the start of the post, is that the way in which information is delivered affects the way it is processed. As society was shifting from a print-based information system to a multimedia--primarily television--platform, Postman was curious about how this would affect our perception of current events. He wasn't sure exactly how it would impact us, but he was certain that it would impact us. And he was right. Television news and internet media have had a profound impact on the way modern individuals digest information--some positive, some negative. These changes are reflected in the readings from Gladstone, Golden, and Hobbs.
I thought it might be interesting to spark up a running dialogue about the different ways that modern media has affected our consumption of information and our preferences regarding entertainment. What are some positive effects? What are some negative effects? If you don't feel like taking sides, what some of the basic changes that have taken place in these areas since, say, twenty years ago (around the date of Postman's study)?
One positive effect I see is easier access to a range of disparate viewpoints on current events. It is easier to locate information on the news of the day, and as a result it is much easier to stay informed.
Nonetheless, at the same time, there is so much information that it is easy to feel overwhelmed or oversaturated. Sometimes I'm not sure what to think about a certain issue because internet resources have given me the ability to see both sides of it. In this case, I'm not sure if increased access is objectively positive. That said, am I better off than someone twenty years ago who got his news from the same newspaper day after day? Hard to say...
I look forward to (hopefully) reading your thoughts on the issue.
The "Movie Time" Problem
“[M]ost young people get very little opportunity to have serious conversations with adults about the complex mix of entertainment, socialization, and information that is a substantial part of everyday life. ... But it is through digital media, mass media, popular culture, and technology that we will get most of our information and entertainment across the span of a lifetime. Shouldn’t students get some meaningful opportunities to analyze and evaluate the way these messages and experiences work in contemporary culture?” (Hobbs 8)
Hobbs poses this question in the initial chapter of Digital and Media Literacy. Her question is not asked with an amused curiosity. Rather, it is a stinging indictment of the mindless perception of film and media as unfit for the classroom. What is the reason for this perception?
The benefits of studying film and other types of media, particularly in the language arts classroom, are limitless. Those of us who are avid moviegoers can rant endlessly about the aesthetic complexity and philosophical profundity of film. Even “uncultured” viewers can find thematic and artistic value in movies. Film has an immediate visceral effect on us that other art forms seem to lack, in a universal sense. You’ll find people who don’t have a passion for poetry, those who don’t have the patience or interest to walk through an art museum, and certainly those don’t have the focus to sit through a symphony concert. You’ll rarely find, however, someone who can’t rattle off a list of his or her favorite films. What better way could there be to hook the interest of young learners?
Still, the senseless aversion to film and media persists among parents, administrators, and policymakers (and I’m sure you could find a few teachers who would join the club). I’ve been trying to determine the cause--or causes--of this unwarranted negative sentiment, and it seems to me that the basic genesis of it is the fact that most of the individuals currently in charge of the educational system probably weren’t exposed to film and media in meaningful ways during their schooling. To add, film knowledge and media literacy weren’t as important to them as young learners. They didn’t grow up in a “wired” world, and as a result it is perhaps difficult for them to understand the novel needs of today’s learners. In high school, they most likely sat through a number of classes that used film as a break or a reward or some other approach that didn’t treat it like the serious art form that it is and that didn’t acknowledge the valuable educational opportunities that it provides. Regrettably, we all know the scene: teacher presses play, students go to sleep. No wonder film isn’t associated with learning.
In your opinion, what are some other reasons that such negative perceptions of film and media in the classroom persist? And what can be done to combat such perceptions?
Self-Expression Versus A Cry For Help
One of the first ideas Hobbs mentions is the delicacy with which we need
to approach students' self-expression. She gave the example of her son, who wrote a violent
screenplay that included gunfire and standoffs (Hobbs pg 94), and was
sent to the guidance counselor because of the nature of his writing.
This is something I, myself, have found to be a challenge. I tend to hold back, when giving creative assignments, in an attempt to avoid a situation that would break the student-teacher trust relationship. Because my inner-city students come from very tough backgrounds, different from mine, in an area where violence is known to occur, I don't know what is acceptable and what is "guidance counselor" worthy. I could, theoretically, end up sending over fifty students to the guidance counselor for their pieces of self-expression. How would my administrators react to that? They'd probably tell me to stop giving out those types of assignments.
When a student is given an assignment in which he or she shares personal information, when must a teacher intervene? How much personal information is a student allowed to share? How creative can a student be when they include themes of violence or sexuality in their pieces?
We try to allow students to self-express, but what if they come from the poorest city in the United States? What if they come from a place where their father is in jail and their mother works two jobs to support them? What if those students don't have any food to eat? What if those students walk to school along streets that were riddled with gunfire the night before? What if those students walked past a dead body on their way to school that day? What if those students had a friend who committed murder or suicide? What if those students had fathers who committed murder or suicide? What if those students are daily approached by recruiting gang members? What if those students are in a gang? What if all they know is violence and hardship? What can I accept from them when I ask them to self-express? Would it be right for me to tell them not to share those violent images-- would I be asking them to self-repress instead of self-express?
This is something I, myself, have found to be a challenge. I tend to hold back, when giving creative assignments, in an attempt to avoid a situation that would break the student-teacher trust relationship. Because my inner-city students come from very tough backgrounds, different from mine, in an area where violence is known to occur, I don't know what is acceptable and what is "guidance counselor" worthy. I could, theoretically, end up sending over fifty students to the guidance counselor for their pieces of self-expression. How would my administrators react to that? They'd probably tell me to stop giving out those types of assignments.
When a student is given an assignment in which he or she shares personal information, when must a teacher intervene? How much personal information is a student allowed to share? How creative can a student be when they include themes of violence or sexuality in their pieces?
We try to allow students to self-express, but what if they come from the poorest city in the United States? What if they come from a place where their father is in jail and their mother works two jobs to support them? What if those students don't have any food to eat? What if those students walk to school along streets that were riddled with gunfire the night before? What if those students walked past a dead body on their way to school that day? What if those students had a friend who committed murder or suicide? What if those students had fathers who committed murder or suicide? What if those students are daily approached by recruiting gang members? What if those students are in a gang? What if all they know is violence and hardship? What can I accept from them when I ask them to self-express? Would it be right for me to tell them not to share those violent images-- would I be asking them to self-repress instead of self-express?
Self-Expression Versus Imitation
In chapter 5, Hobbs articulates the importance of giving students a chance to express themselves through media. As I have had experience with 7th grade inner-city children, I understand that the media is one of the major parts of their lives as learners. They learn language, fashion, hairstyles, music, dance moves, gestures, lingo, current events, and jokes through this medium. TV becomes their parents, in many cases, and what they learn from this pseudo-parent becomes affirmed and reaffirmed by their peers, and even sometimes their teachers. Media becomes intricately intertwined with their identities and personalities. Media becomes them.
Teachers should keep in mind that when students contribute to the classroom, their thoughts are mixed into a messy concoction comprised of individual thoughts, cultural influence, and media residual. Student contributions may be convoluted and influenced by a "superpeer" that teaches information which may not always merit a teacher's praise. Hobbs says, "Educators 'must resist the temptation to glamorize student voices, and recognize that the multiple voices that students bring to the classroom, while potentially possessing some elements of resistance and transformation, are likely to be imbued with status quo values'" (pg 95). If a student creates a magazine called "Slutmopolitan" (Hobbs, pg 95), and there are stories featured in that magazine that are inappropriate for a school setting, teachers should not try to justify, in the name of self-expression and pushing boundaries, the choices their students made. In reality, what those students did was merely mimic a lower level media form that most of society would mock and regard as what my father calls "mindless trash". Though the students may have sufficiently reached the goals the teachers set for them (create a media project that expresses yourself), they did not achieve this goal in a way that would intellectually benefit or represent themselves. They didn't learn anything new about themselves or share anything thought provoking. Have we gotten to an age where "intelligent product" or "school appropriate" is a requirement needed to be listed on a rubric?
Some other questions come to mind when thinking about teaching self-expression in a world of heavy media influence-- Do teachers have the responsibility of teaching students that the media they generate should transcend cultural and/or media bias? Should/Can teachers teach students how to produce a text that isn't derived from pop culture while knowing that imitation is the first step to mastery of a skill?
Teachers should keep in mind that when students contribute to the classroom, their thoughts are mixed into a messy concoction comprised of individual thoughts, cultural influence, and media residual. Student contributions may be convoluted and influenced by a "superpeer" that teaches information which may not always merit a teacher's praise. Hobbs says, "Educators 'must resist the temptation to glamorize student voices, and recognize that the multiple voices that students bring to the classroom, while potentially possessing some elements of resistance and transformation, are likely to be imbued with status quo values'" (pg 95). If a student creates a magazine called "Slutmopolitan" (Hobbs, pg 95), and there are stories featured in that magazine that are inappropriate for a school setting, teachers should not try to justify, in the name of self-expression and pushing boundaries, the choices their students made. In reality, what those students did was merely mimic a lower level media form that most of society would mock and regard as what my father calls "mindless trash". Though the students may have sufficiently reached the goals the teachers set for them (create a media project that expresses yourself), they did not achieve this goal in a way that would intellectually benefit or represent themselves. They didn't learn anything new about themselves or share anything thought provoking. Have we gotten to an age where "intelligent product" or "school appropriate" is a requirement needed to be listed on a rubric?
Some other questions come to mind when thinking about teaching self-expression in a world of heavy media influence-- Do teachers have the responsibility of teaching students that the media they generate should transcend cultural and/or media bias? Should/Can teachers teach students how to produce a text that isn't derived from pop culture while knowing that imitation is the first step to mastery of a skill?
"The Culture of Boy-toy Sexuality"
I was struck by a particularly strong excerpt from chapter 6 in Digital and Media Literacy. Hobbs quotes Downes saying, '"Eroticism in popular culture is a 24-hour all-you-can-eat buffet,' and many children in their early teens are filling up. Adults are generally unreflective about the sexualization of their own children. Kids lose out in this culture of 'boy-toy sexuality, where girls' nimble and growing brains are impoverished' without the sense of wider possibilities in life because so much of media culture offers them 'a cramped vision of girlhood that enshrines sexual allure as the best or only form of power and esteem'" (105).
As disheartened as I am to admit it, this is something I see reflected in the culture of my school. Many (though certainly not all) female students believe that they have power and popularity as a result of looks and "sexual allure." When a young lady says something that is construed as "stupid", I have heard the phrase "It's OK, she's pretty" on numerous occasions. I had a student ask another student to tie her shoes for her because her "jeans were too tight to bend over." Tight clothing is not the only problem; bare skin abounds.
This poses a number of problems for teachers who want to set these young ladies straight. For example, many male teachers will simply not broach the dress-code issue with female students. They will find a female teacher and have her address the issue. Some male teachers feel that enforcing dress code is akin to giving these scantily-clad young ladies the attention they are asking for when they choose to dress that way--and that can be terribly misconstrued by a teenage girl with a need/want to be noticed.
So it falls to the female teachers and administrators to enforce the policy. This is where I see glaring irony. The women enforcing dress code are women in power. We come to school everyday in professional dress and we garner power and respect through our intelligence, our demeanor, and our positions as teachers/principals. Students see positive role models for 6-7 hours daily, yet it is the media that has the power to influence them.
We are doing these students a disservice if we are not taking the time to teach them how to "read" the media messages they take in everyday. It is not only shaping them as learners but also as individuals. Their very identities are at stake.
Young ladies are extremely sensitive about dress code issues. They do not like being told to change and frequently think school officials are "overreacting" or "being too old school." We have to find a way to reach these students on a different level. It is human nature to become defensive when we are confronted or we feel attacked. Hobbs makes very valid points about how we can use media literacy to get students thinking about these issues without raising their defenses. I think comparison/contrast activities using famous celebrities are a very good idea. Even though these activities sound great, I can't help wondering if students will connect what they discuss in class with their own personal lives? How deep do these media messages go?
A final thought: There is a book titled Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady by Derek Blasberg. The inside cover begins, "You can't blame a girl for being confused. In the media today, we see young women famous for all the wrong reasons...the modern young lady confronts a unique set of questions and difficulties. Like: should I buy a dress made exclusively of rhinestones? And is it OK to break up with someone via text message? (no and no)...this book encourages young ladies to live a little cleaner and behave a little better..."
Disclaimer: The book mentioned above is absolutely hilarious and covers a range of issues from outfits to underage drinking, but it is not appropriate for younger teens. It is written for teens, but it has some rather adult comedy threaded throughout. Preview before giving this to your students.
As disheartened as I am to admit it, this is something I see reflected in the culture of my school. Many (though certainly not all) female students believe that they have power and popularity as a result of looks and "sexual allure." When a young lady says something that is construed as "stupid", I have heard the phrase "It's OK, she's pretty" on numerous occasions. I had a student ask another student to tie her shoes for her because her "jeans were too tight to bend over." Tight clothing is not the only problem; bare skin abounds.
This poses a number of problems for teachers who want to set these young ladies straight. For example, many male teachers will simply not broach the dress-code issue with female students. They will find a female teacher and have her address the issue. Some male teachers feel that enforcing dress code is akin to giving these scantily-clad young ladies the attention they are asking for when they choose to dress that way--and that can be terribly misconstrued by a teenage girl with a need/want to be noticed.
So it falls to the female teachers and administrators to enforce the policy. This is where I see glaring irony. The women enforcing dress code are women in power. We come to school everyday in professional dress and we garner power and respect through our intelligence, our demeanor, and our positions as teachers/principals. Students see positive role models for 6-7 hours daily, yet it is the media that has the power to influence them.
We are doing these students a disservice if we are not taking the time to teach them how to "read" the media messages they take in everyday. It is not only shaping them as learners but also as individuals. Their very identities are at stake.
Young ladies are extremely sensitive about dress code issues. They do not like being told to change and frequently think school officials are "overreacting" or "being too old school." We have to find a way to reach these students on a different level. It is human nature to become defensive when we are confronted or we feel attacked. Hobbs makes very valid points about how we can use media literacy to get students thinking about these issues without raising their defenses. I think comparison/contrast activities using famous celebrities are a very good idea. Even though these activities sound great, I can't help wondering if students will connect what they discuss in class with their own personal lives? How deep do these media messages go?
A final thought: There is a book titled Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady by Derek Blasberg. The inside cover begins, "You can't blame a girl for being confused. In the media today, we see young women famous for all the wrong reasons...the modern young lady confronts a unique set of questions and difficulties. Like: should I buy a dress made exclusively of rhinestones? And is it OK to break up with someone via text message? (no and no)...this book encourages young ladies to live a little cleaner and behave a little better..."
Disclaimer: The book mentioned above is absolutely hilarious and covers a range of issues from outfits to underage drinking, but it is not appropriate for younger teens. It is written for teens, but it has some rather adult comedy threaded throughout. Preview before giving this to your students.
Monday, June 18, 2012
I find the idea of critical
autonomy (p. 119 in Digital and Media
Literacy) really interesting and just wanted to post some of my thoughts.
I have always believed that school must be a secure place
where previous theories and ideas can be discussed, critiqued, and even
challenged; however, I also recognize that young people tend to avoid
challenging their own beliefs. Before reading this book, I assumed that
teachers who forced their students to critique their own lives were helping
them in the long run. I now realize, however, that this practice could have detrimental
effects on the students. The book states, “When teachers choose to deconstruct
media messages that students consider to be pleasurable, there can be an
emotional fallout,” which can cause the students to “resist of reject what the
teachers tell them.” Instead of preaching to the students about the negative
aspects of their popular media, teachers must create a student-centered and
inquiry-oriented class that helps “develop in pupils enough self-confidence and
critical maturity to be able to apply critical judgments to media texts which
they will encounter in the future.”
I think the best way teachers can help students begin to
analyze their favorite and most common media is to model this behavior. The
book says that “every idea and argument must be placed under the microscope for
critical scrutiny.” This means that teachers must be willing to challenge their
own worldviews and beliefs within their classrooms. This wouldn’t be easy since
it forces teachers to become vulnerable in front of their students and risk the
stability of their long-standing beliefs; however, teachers need to show
students the benefits of analyzing their intimate worlds. By questioning things
and never simply accepting them as truths, people will be able to either better
justify their previous beliefs or alter their opinions to adapt to newer,
better supported ideas.
- Robert
I know there are
a few people in this class who either are currently teaching or have previously
taught in high schools, and I would like to direct this question specifically
to them.
As I read
through chapters three, four, and six in Renee Hobbs’ book Digital and Media Literacy, I noticed a trend in regard to teachers
attempting to implement current affairs topics into their lesson plans. Many of
the teachers in the book express both the importance and the difficulty of
using pop culture and current affairs material in their classes. Connecting the
class discussions to the students’ lives obviously increases participation and
overall enthusiasm among the students, but the teachers also acknowledge the
difficulty of staying on top of the latest trends/fads and keeping their
lessons up-to-date with breaking news and social phenomena that occur on a
daily basis.
My question is
(note, this is actually a few related questions):
“Do you or have
you used current affairs in your lesson plans? If so, what did you use and how
did you connect it to the curriculum? Were your experiences similar or
different than those in the book? How would you change these lesson plans if
you had the chance to go back and teach them again?
I appreciate any
insight you are willing to share.
- Robert
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