Week #6 Journal

Why did the authors do this study?

They wanted to study the impact of media-literacy curriculum on students' attitudes, behavior, knowledge, and academic performance.  As little to no research had been done on this.

 

How did the authors do the study?

They restructured the entire English Curriculum at a high school to better prepare students.  This was a group effort involving seven teachers, several of whom had been teaching for many years.  This change in curriculum was significant.  There was a strong collaboration between the teachers which involved carefully planning, and frequent communication.

 

It was noted that there needed to be preparation of the students prior to the skill and the multi-year study allowed students to grow and evolve002E

 

What data/results emerged from the study?

The participating teachers in the 11^th grade course reached three hypothesis as follows:

H1. Media-literacy instruction does not increase students' comprehension skills, as operationalized by the ability to identify the main idea of messages and to recall specific details from three formats of nonfiction-print, audio, and video.

H2. Media-literacy instruction does not increase students' writing skills, as operationalized by assessments of writing quality and quantity, spelling, and usage errors.

H3. Media-literacy instruction does not increase message-analysis skills involving reading; listening; and viewing media messages in print, audio, and video forms. Analysis skills are operationalized as the following: the ability to identify a message's purpose and target audience, identification of techniques used to construct the message, identification of values and point of view, identification of information omitted from a message, and comparison-contrast between messages using similar formats.

 

What do the authors conclude from the data analysis?

That the instruction of media literacy had little to no impact upon the learning ability of the test students.

 

What is the significance of the study?

There are some that may say that the education and teach of media literacy is insignificant and of little consequence to the educational curve of todays youth.  Since study results seem to show that media literacy did little to impact the acquisition of knowledge of the test subjects it may not be worth the expense to modify curriculum. 

 

How do these findings influence your position on media literacy and school curriculum?

I still believe that media literacy is crucial for future skills development.  This study is now more than 7 years old, and as in all things time and education changes.  Skills of students have evolved from this earlier time.  Just as the correct way to teach the three “Rs” has evolved so too will the role of media literacy.

Week #6 Lesson

In a separate class I have been learning about WebTools 2.0 and this seemed like an excellent time to try my hand at Glogster.  The lesson was authored by Kathy Wickline of Tolono, Illinois.  I opted to create my Glog based upon a Homer Hickam book I just finished reading.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework looks at Learning & Innovation Skills.  Creativity is a crucial part of the project associated with this assignment.  One that I found challenging.  It also supports life skills through initiative and self-direction, which I translate to making a decision and finishing the project.  Also flexibility and adapatability are key in this as well as many technology projects.  The one thing that is certain with technology is things do not go according to plan and sometimes one has to be flexibile and adaptable to complete a project.

Lesson Plan

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Students will:

• identify elements of fiction.
• analyze a fiction book.
• communicate literary terms in visual and written form by producing a glog.
• celebrate reading by sharing their glogs with their classmates.

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Session One: Introducing the Project

1. Show the sample glog of the story that students have previously read together.
2. Go through the rubric and grade the sample glog as a class. Discuss how the two quotes reflect the essence of the story. Discuss how the hyperlinks expand topics that are in the book, for example, links to author’s homepage or topics covered in the book.
3. Give each student the printout Book Report Glog.
4. Assign students to complete the printout before the next session.

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Sessions Two through Four: Creating the Glog

1. Check the students have completed the Book Report Glog.
2. Model each step of creating a glog using the printout Glog It!.
3. Provide each student with his/her username and password. When the student signs in for the first time, the student will be asked to type in his/her name. Instruct the students to do so because then you will be able to see on your teacher dashboard the students by name and username.
4. Allow students time to work on their glogs. While students work, work with students individually on some or all of the following.
   • Check on their accuracy of use of literary terms and help students revise where needed.
   • Question students about which quotes they have selected from their books and why these quotes reflect the essence of the book.
   • Ask students what hyperlinks they have selected and why their links are good, credible websites.
   • Also, ask students how the sounds, images, and videos they have chosen relate to their books so that the students make the glogs truly reflect their books.
5. Encourage students to work on their glogs from any computer (home or public library, for example) since this is an Internet-based program.

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Session Five: Celebrating and Sharing

1. Celebrate the joy of reading by having each student share his/her glog with the class. From the teacher’s dashboard in Glogster, each student’s glog can be easily accessed so that each student does not have to log-in before each presentation.
2. As students present their glogs, students can use the rubric to assess their peers and/or the teacher can use this time to assess the glog using the rubric.

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EXTENSIONS

• Establish a class wiki and post links to the glogs to the wiki. Publish your classroom wiki to the community, so the audience for your student is larger.
• Add other literary terms to the glog, such as plot, antagonist, foreshadowing, etc.

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STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

• Before students work on their glogs, review each student’s completed Book Report Glog checklist.
• During each session, observe and note the students’ time on task as this is one of the categories on the rubric. Using the Book Report Glog Rubric, evaluate each student’s completed glog. Offer feed back to the students on their glogs.
• Have students present their glogs to the class. Question students about their choices of quotes, pictures, videos, and sounds to show the essence of their books. Use the rubric to assess students' final projects.

My Project

Week #5 Double Journal

Quote:  "As we proceed through stages of the Information Age there has been an increased emphasis on visual messages at the expense of aural messages."

Response:  "In a totally non-academic way, I have only one comment..... duhhhh."  That said, I would explain that as various forms of literacy have evolved in the past decade (such as media, computer, etc.) the most basic form of literacy (reading) has declined. According to UNESCO (http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx) there are approximately 18,000,000 illiterate adults (age 15+) in North America.  In todays world, with technology and advances in education, this number is far too high.

It is not logical to presume that these 18,000,000 and others who are not proficient readers are gaining their information about life skills, environmental issues, politics, and more strictly from what they can interpret from aural messages.  They are undoubtedly digesting infromation from the visual as well.  Just as the written word can have mutliple meanings the visual is far more confusing as we have learned in this class.

This assignment brings to mind the recent crisis in Egypt and the global ramifications.  I went to YouTube, where the whole issue started and searched for "anti islam video" and this is one of several videos that appeared. 

1. How does visual imagery negatively influence the truth in political campaigns and foreign relations?
As we have already studied there is a direct link between what people see and what people think.  The mind processes images far faster than it does the aural.  The saying, "a photo is worth a thousand words" comes to mind.

2. Can you think of a recent foreign relations incident that may have been related to visual imagery?    

The largest, most far reaching current event is the anti-Islam movie that was produced in the US by an organization.  This independent video resulted in riots and death in Egypt.  My video shows a different perspective on the news and how it was presented in the US.  If one were to watch this video clip, without sound the interpretation would be very different than listening to it.  I started to watch the video and then I finished the balance by listening. 

 

3. What does Ben Franklin by the phrase "Freedom of the press only applies if you have a press." 

I could propose a couple of different interpretations, but by leaving the quote in the context of the time I would put forth that Mr. Franklin was referring to "your opinion only makes a difference if you have a way to give it."  In 18th century America, illiteracy was the norm, and only the very wealthy and privledged had the ability to share their views.  They were the only ones who had access to the machinery to put words to paper.

 

4. Do you think that the explosion of digital media is akin to giving everyone a press?

Yes, and further just as the traditional press of Franklin's time had a variety of uses, so too does digital media.  Some choose to use these technology presses well and some do not.  Others totally ignore the resource and others view it as someone elses issue and they view it with apathy.

 

5. In your opinion, is the potential for more people to create their own media a positive or negative influence on our democratic society?

The ability to do more is not always a good thing, but to deny one the ability to utilize technology is a violation of the principles of freedom.  That said, I believe that there is good and bad coming from the independent media / independent technology uses.  Much of the perception is based upon what the "independent" viewer chooses to view and support.  I would offer a comparison of the website www.godvine.com vs. www.godhatesfags.com both are faith based but they share two very different messages.  Which one is positive?  It all depends upon the personal views and conviction of the reader/viewer.

 

6. Is our increasingly visual cultural a good thing or bad thing?

I believe that it is a negative in many ways.  We are losing basic literacy skills, society is losing touch with the printed word, and our ability to focus and excel in any one area is being compromised because so many in society want to see, do, experience it all. 

 

7. What can save us from the tyranny of a visual culture?

I do like the view of the visual culture as tyrannical.  There is no one answer that is suitable and appropriate for all.  For society or the government to dictate how to counter the inundation with visual messages is wrong and would not work.  Dealing with the onslaught has to be a personal choice.  We, as independent, free thinking, individuals have to make the choice to "unplug" and barring that we have to evaluate carefully not only what we read and hear, but also what we see.  It is a challenge that many will not be up to and the problems and conflict caused by misinterpretation, misinformation will continue to have major ramifications in local, regional, national, and global formats. 

Public Perception - In the News

What we see and how we interpret it is causing a stir in the lesser news this morning.  This note on the Daily Shot is an interesting look at how the public perceives what the media presents.

http://shine.yahoo.com/dailyshot/controversial-magazine-photos-144600821.html

Week #5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13879236

A few weeks ago I received a status update on Facebook.  “Folklore Motherload,” this looks interesting!  I received a similar posting from several friends.  All linked to either this article or a similar one about the same topic.  Traditionally folklore is an oral subject, not a written one.  It was not until well into the 20^th Century that scholars put folklore to paper on a regular basis and began the study and promotion of the cultural context of the oral tradition. 

The presentation of a previously “unknown” or “obscure” folklore collection is like the superbowl in the academic world.  There are new stories, new old stories, legends, tales, and information to review, analyze, and dissect.  There are new opportunities for motifing and indexing and careful review and comparison to regional folklore.  Scholars have the opportunity to connect their work to a root culture and storytellers gain new material.  Folklorists and students of folklore love the opportunity to hear, see, learn a new tale. 

This article was published online by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on 22 June 2011.  The article has no author and fails to provide a link, citation, or footnote, to a print publication which would provide more indepth information.  It serves an important function as a teaser to what is to come.

Without knowledge of who the writer of this brief piece was, one can only assume that it is fed to the consumer in the brief, simply stated format of an online article to entice the reader to explore the topic further.  It is also equally possible that the article was used as a filler in print and it made the transition to multi-media with no apparent need for substance. 

The article does provide a “Related Links” section and the first two links are easily connected to the story, the third, “Studies query monkey legend roots” causes a reader to be sceptical.  However, my viewing the linked story one sees that it is indeed a folktale involving monkeys and Scotland.  Showing that you really do have to take the time to explore suggested readings.  Although this reader would admit that the graphics accompanying the story help to make it an intriguing story. 

I see no stereotypes or controversy in this article, but I would venture to comment that for the audience that would most understand, value, and appreciate the content, that is the academic community and folklorists, there is very little meat or stand alone value to the story.  Some might feel that the BBC did indeed view this as a “filler” piece and perhaps did not take this wonderful revelation as seriously as they, the reader, would.

The article does provide a link to the Carmichael Watson Project, which allows the scholar or serious folklorist to indulge their need for knowledge.

As a storyteller and amateur folklorist this story provides a connection to a culture that is of interest to me.  I am of Scottish descent and find that part of my heritage fascinating.  Using this article I was introduced to a resource that is beneficial to me both professional and personally.  This article provides a powerful resource to support the 21^st century skill and learning in workforce.  By sharing this BBC article and the associated links adult learners can not only learn how to evaluate websites, but they can also experience the opportunities that are opened to them with one simple click of a mouse.  Simply taking the link to the Carmichael Watson Project exposes them to a world that they might otherwise never have known existed. 

Magazine Cover

I apparently did not retain what I learned last semester about google / internet explorer / chrome!   Here I go again!  Chrome is the way to go!

My Cover

I decided to have a little fun and create a specialty People.  This is a very genre specific People, does anyone get it?  Ohhh and I did visit the Fartists!


Well I keep getting an error when I go to upload, back to the drawing board.