Blog #3- Media Literacy

Literacy- that’s the three r’s , right? Reading, writing & ‘rithmetic . This old adage shows how convoluted our educational system can be. Two of those words don’t even start with the letter R! In our classrooms today, this definition must change. The concept of literacy has become wholly rooted in media and technology and while reading, writing and mathematics are a part of that equation, there are new abilities that must be considered as we assess whether or not our students are literate by today’s standards.

According to Peter D. & Co. , “media literacy is the ability to "read" television and mass media. Media literacy education teaches people to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, and PRODUCE media. Many studies suggest that such education can produce less vulnerable children and adolescents.” So, in this emerging culture of literacy, our students are expected to be more than empty vessels that receive information. They must be able to find the information, look at that information critically and then create their own information based on what they have discovered. That’s a lot more than regurgitating facts on a test!

Where does that leave the classroom teacher? The definition of media literacy demands that we teach in a new way. While we have put new names on old ideas such as Montessori, discovery learning, cooperative learning and the like, we are still rooted in our pencil and paper mentality. The media literacy of the 21^st century demands that we not only use the technology, but also actively teach our students to use it to effectively learn and share their learning with others. David Considine purports that media literacy is no longer the domain of the computer teacher down the hall. It should be taught across the curriculum in the context of the daily lessons. In Considine’s terms, media literacy instruction is the responsibility of every teacher, in every classroom, in every school.

So, what does all this mean for my digi-nats? It means that their digital immigrant teacher has to step up to the plate. Bloom’s Taxonomy will have to be turned on its ear. The base of “remembering” cannot possibly be as important. Lessons will have to integrate technology to discover the information, not just to be a cool way to present it. The employers of the 21^st century are expecting prospective employees that are well versed in effectively utilizing these technologies to research topics and create viable information sources of their own. The instruction has to start now or our students will be left in the digital dust.