Media Literacy, Hobbs, and ELA/NCTE Standards

· Media literacy is an expansion of traditional literacy that includes both analysis and production of all mediated forms of communication, from books to Web sites.

AND

· Media literacy helps teachers to more effectively address existing learning standards and engage students with varied learning styles

In Reading the Media, chapter 1, Hobbs discusses situation with students at Concord High School where the teacher and student integrate television shows into the lesson plan; realism vs. fiction. Students have a general idea of television and can assume when a show presents a falsehood in comparison with reality, but when comparing the shows together, the students had disagreement in which presented a more realistic standpoint of life; this opened up the class to discussion and debate (3-4). Hobbs is indicating that by integrating a media form that students were comfortable with into the class room, students are more apt to respond during class with intelligent, synthesized answers, rather than one-word/one-line responses regarding plot/setting/theme/etc. Hobbs states, “Growing up in such a culture, students are hungry for serious dialogue about what they experience via the mass media…. As students engage in sharing ideas and reflecting on experiences that matter to them, a learning environment is created where students can examine the relationships between meaning making, power, pleasure, and identity” (6). In other words, when media is already shaping students’ lives, we shouldn’t ignore it and factor it out completely; rather we need have to allow media to help us in the shaping we are trying to do as well. Furthermore, by allowing media to help us, as teachers, in our lessons we are opening our students up to the standards we want to teach them without forcing the standards on them. Through the lesson mentioned above, students were able to focus on speaking and listening skills without being told to do so; from here the teacher could ask students to write up a reflection on the class discussion for homework (whether its in a writer’s notebook or in blog; if it is a blog, students will then be able to respond further to the debates that had already been started in class).

· Media literacy can and should be integrated across the K-12 curricula at all grade levels and in multiple subject areas.

This seems like an obvious principle to me. Why wouldn’t media literacy be integrated through all levels of schooling? Granted some schools may have a more difficult time with certain stages of technology, but integrating media literacy goes beyond having a computer lab in the school.

Regarding Hobbs research and the first chapters of Reading the Media, there was one thing I found interesting: Concord High School’s mission statement and its emphasis of students’ roles. The mission statement exhorts, “Our community of learners will challenge and expect its members to realize their highest potential. Our community will create a positive learning environment through mutual respect and effective communication” (20). Much of the effort and work is put into the hands of the students and what kind of learners/workers they are. The expectations are high, but adequate and effective. It is the students’ responsibility to help create the learning environment they are entering into. I feel by doing this, more interest can be focused into media literacy; students, in my opinion, will have more awareness and attention to what is going on in the media world, and try to incorporate it into their learning. From that, teachers will be able to incorporate technology and media into the classroom as well, understanding what interests the students have and bringing those to a level that the lessons can begin to thrive from.

ELA/NCTE Learning Standards Emphasizing Media Literacy:

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).