This week I learned about media literacy. After watching Professor Zumpano’s screencast, I learned that media literacy is our interaction with media and the messages we take away from it. It’s our ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages. I agree that it is important to teach students about media literacy from a young age because it is important for them to learn how to analyze what they see, read, and learn online. Students need to be aware that companies post advertisements for a reason, and that is to sell. Our students also need to be aware of how the media makers manipulate things and how they can make informed choices and learn how to differentiate between what's true and not true online.
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| Image Source: Fulcrum: Media Literacy is Essential Education |
This week I also learned about Rheingold’s social media literacies and Renee Hobbs 5 competencies. Renee Hobbs 5 competencies are:
- Access
- Analyze
- Create
- Reflect
- Act
I think all of the 5 competencies Hobbs writes about in her book are important for students to know. But there are two in particular that I think are essential, they are: Analyze and Reflect. It is very important for students to learn how to analyze what they are consuming online. They need to use their critical thinking skills to “analyze the message purpose, targeted audience, quality, veracity, credibility, point of view, and the potential effects or consequences of messages” (Hobbs, 2011). This is important because students need to learn how to be critical thinkers when using digital and media literacy. They need to learn how to examine what they are reading and learning online and understand how they can benefit from that knowledge. It is also important for students to learn how to reflect on the information gained from the media. Students need to learn how to develop the skill of reflection because it will help them be more humane and conscious of the media content they are being exposed to and reflect on how it affects their life and those of others.
Even though Rheingold’s article was written in 2010, I think it is still accurate today because it is important for teachers to use media to enhance students’ learning instead of trying to avoid it. Rheingold stated in her article that “Digital and media motivates students and that makes them a means to reach today's learners” (Rheingold, 2010). I think it’s great that teachers are dedicating lessons and units to teach media literacy to students because the internet is a powerful tool and it is important to teach students how to use it effectively to enhance their learning experience.
I think all of the literacies and competencies tie into Marshall McLuhan’s “The Medium is the Message” idea because all of the literacies and competencies are interconnected. They depend on each other to function properly. McLuhan’s quote goes to demonstrate that it is important how we access the media because we may understand it differently depending on how it is being portrayed to us. It is important to note that the medium of the message serves different purposes and may be designed for different audiences too.
My students are 3 and 4 years old, therefore I can’t teach them yet on how to check for accuracy, reliability, and credibility. But if I taught older students I think how I would teach them to check for accuracy, reliability, and credibility is for them to learn how to spot fake news. Here is an infographic that details how students can learn to spot fake news:
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| Image Source: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) |
I think teaching students how to deconstruct media is another great way for students to learn how to check for accuracy, reliability, and credibility. It is important for students to develop this very important media literacy skill because they need to understand who created the message, why it was created, and who it was intended for. By doing so it will also help the students learn how to determine the accuracy of the message, if it’s reliable, and how credible it is.
Thank you for the information! Honestly if I had to pick two points Hobbs made I would have also picked "Analyze and Reflect". I think boiled down information literacy is not taking anything at face value. I admit I don't teach or work with kids. But maybe one thing to do (or if you do it reframe it as information literacy) is when you read books ask kids questions. Get them to think about what they are reading. Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus? Why do you think he shouldn't drive the bus? The very hungry caterpillar is eating so much! Where do you think he got all that food? Just getting kids to think about the media they consume (books) could be a good step for when they are older. (Once again I don't wok with kids so this may not be realistic or relevant at all).
ReplyDeleteAlso great graphic for fake news! I think it's going to be even harder now that AI is writing articles to keep track of what is true. Thank you for your thoughts!
Hi Kira! I love the infographic you've included on spotting fake news! Honestly, with how much fake news there is out there, this is definitely an infographic I would go back and look at when searching sources. With that said, I am someone who considers myself at a high level of media literacy and I still need help at times! Expecting children to understand everything that goes into media literacy so quickly is unrealistic. That is where that focus on analyze and reflect come into play. Part of media literacy is all about taking a moment to understand, not simply rushing from point to point.
ReplyDeleteWhile you can't (and shouldn't) teach accuracy, reliability, and credibility at such a young age, you certain can lay the foundation for media literacy by beginning to teach your little learners to recognize different types of media. Then, in the following grade, the next teacher can build on those concepts. Imagine if a school district did this- they would be helping shape the next generation of critical thinkers!
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ReplyDeleteHi Daniela,
ReplyDeleteI liked your comment about understanding that users are being sold things constantly through media. I feel that understanding this is even more relevant now because of social media influencers and targeted ads. I also analyzed the 5 competencies and found that they are all very intertwined. However, I do agree with your comment that analyzing and reflecting are very important. Being able to analyze a source and critically think is a skill that students can use in any subject and various real-life situations!