Happy Sunday!
WOW! A blog post on a Sunday, that doesn't happen very often for me. However, I will be traveling later this week to watch my boyfriend graduate the police academy! Then this weekend we will be traveling to go hiking and camping with his family to celebrate him and his grandma's birthday. With that being said, I have lots of things on my to do list before then. Yes... That includes sub plans! I also have professional development Tuesday, so a busy week for me! I wish my Sunday looked like the image below... my cats are probably wishing the same. I keep telling myself it's ALMOST summer!
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| Photo Source: GIPHY |
Media Literacy
This week I will be sharing ideas about media literacy. According to Renee Hobbs, a media literacy expert, there are five competencies (Access, Analyze, Create, Reflect, and Act) all students need to know. Read her full meanings of the five competencies
here! She believes these skills are essential for navigating complex media of the 21st century. By mastering these competencies, individuals can become informed, critical, and responsible media users and creators. This will lead to engaging with media content and contributing positively.
As an educator, I value a lot of Renee Hobbs' perspectives. I teach 3rd grade and at my school this when they really start to use technology to dive into their school work. This year they had two research projects (Animal research and Country research) and created digital resources to share their learnings. I teach my students how to access the web in a safe way and become digital citizens. They know their expectations and how to use the internet safely. Although, I do not let them search the web at school, I give them resources to appropriately find out information. Two of my favorites are
Kiddle and
Safe Search Kids. This allows students to access safe content, analyze the information, create resources/presentations for others, by reflecting on the information learned.
Although 3rd grade is an introduction to the web, they still have limited access. I share that not everything they see on the internet is true. Some of my students were finding different information on their country research. This led to positive agruements of who was right and who wasn't. This was a great learning in the moment time, that not everything they see is accurate. I believe this age group is the beginning step of knowing this. As they get older, they will learn more about all the competencies Renee Hobbs shared. This group is just being aware of how to use the internet and will develop greatly in the upcoming years.
Additional
This week I watched this video for me to become more aware of digital literacy. Yes, we are all still learning more about digital literacy each day as technology advances. Sometimes I will share things I learned with my friends or family and may not always know if it is accurate. Watch this
video to see what your perspective is. Surprisingly, I guessed 16 passes with a few pauses of the video and I did notice the gorilla. However, I did not notice the curtain change colors or the player in the black shirt exit the game. I believe this would be a great resource for any age you teach. This would be a time to reflect that if you are only focused on what you want to see, sometimes you miss other important aspects or perspectives. Then your mind may fill in the missing piece based on your prior experience, views, or cultural background.
Another idea I learned about digital media was how advertisements have a play on your perspective or how you convey informations. Call of Duty is a popular video game and the media advertisements I view shared lots of different aspects. Although most children may view it as a popular and awesome game, others may have a different outlook based on their experiences. Those that served in war or gun violence may convey the game as an insult or a negative perspective. The game is not supposed to be played by children under the age of 17 due to maturity. But, most of use know this is not the case. That is because of the advertisements that are created and shared use famous people reaching all different ages and populations. The primary ages that are reached start at age 12-13. The constant asking of parents to get the games, result in parents caving in and allowing their children to play. This can then led to children being exposed to inappropriate content at a young age.
Questions to Think About
1. What strategies can be used to teach media literacy skills effectively in schools?
2. How does media literacy contribute to critical thinking and informed decision-making?
3. What are current trends or issues in media literacy that educators and policymakers should be aware of?
Mayci, I hope you have a fun-filled week! It sounds like your schedule is absolutely booked! Have safe travels, and enjoy yourself!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your questions, strategies depend on the age of the students. Though I've always found activities get the most engagement out of anyone and everyone. Age-appropriate activities and examples I think would be the best approach.
Media literacy and critical thinking just go together like butter on toast! I can't count the number of times I've done my due diligence in researching random things that are told to me or that I find on social media. My dad the other day, sent me a video of a Doctor talking about how microwave popcorn is bad. He tends to say some questionable things sometimes, so I absolutely went ahead and did my research. It created the habit of validating and backing up claims, which makes for better decision-making. Having multiple sources to support an argument is integral when having a discourse about different topics.
I think we have all been made aware of fake news and fabricated stories for sensationalism. We've seen an influx of it since 2016. We've all had to fight these narratives time and time again. That should definitely be something that's being focused on. Interestingly enough in a similar vein, the reading community (aka BookTok) has been seeing some interesting controversies as of late. White authors are falsifying their cultural and ethnic identities to speak and write from non-White perspectives. I'm on the edge of my seat watching all of this unfold.
How wonderful that your 3rd graders were discussing what was real and what wasn't! Congrats to your boyfriend, and best of luck to him. My son graduated from the police academy in December so I know the amount of work, dedication, and discipline that is involved.
ReplyDeleteHi Mayci, wishing you luck on your busy week!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated reading your blog post because, as a high school teacher, I always wonder what do elementary teachers do in a specific instance. Although I teach Juniors and Seniors, we do have something in common! I also provide resources for my students in order for them to have credible information and also sometimes it is just easier that way. Having our students research credible articles is definitely so time consuming, and sometimes we don't have any time!
To answer your third question, I think that privacy is an issue that educators and policymakers should address. Going back to our last week's topic, with the increasing collection of personal data by tech companies, students need to understand concepts related to privacy, data security, and digital surveillance. Educators and policymakers should prioritize teaching data literacy skills and promoting awareness about our privacy rights and online safety.
Thank you for your insightful post!
Mayci,
ReplyDeleteI love reading your post as a fellow Third Grade Teacher! What school do you teach at? It was fun hearing about someone else's experience introducing technology to students in small doses through our Skyline reading curriculum (it sound like that is what you are using based off of your unit topics). I absolutely think that at this age it is crucial to be informing our students about credibility, privacy, and navigating the vast internet!