"U.S. students may learn something about evaluating sources in research paper assignments and learn to recognize propaganda in social studies, but that's often the extent of their media literacy instruction."
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This quote is completely true. When I was in school no teacher taught is anything other than how to use the computer for research papers or for anything other than power point. Even today in many schools around the state students are still not using the internet and the free software that accompany it to its full potential. Some parents/older teachers believe that spending time on the internet is a waste of time and that it "dumbs down" our students. What they don't understand is that literary skills that are being used when reading a book are the same ones that are being used when a student reads a journal article or a newspaper article of even a book off the internet. It actually takes more critical thinking skills to read things off the internet. Students have to think about what is being presented to them on the screen. Is it from a credible source? Is it believable? When was it published? Etc.
Related source:
Click here for different lesson plans that teach how to analyze media sources.
- This website has several ideas that can be used when teaching media literacy for any ages.
Resources:
KQED. (2011). Kqed education- curriculum bank. Retrieved from http://uw.kqed.org/edresources/results.php?subtopic=13
David, J. (2009, march). Teaching media literacy. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 84-86. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching-Media-Literacy.aspx
Great response. I agree with what you are saying.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, teachers are not using their sources to the full potential. For the past few years my child has been doing a math program online to earn points, but this year they have not. They also do a reading counts which is where they read a book and answer questions online and then they earn their points to go bowling. I believe that teachers are afraid to use these tools, maybe it is a lack of them knowing how to use them. So maybe we need to teach both students and teachers at the same time.
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