Media Literacy

My father, who has never opened up an email account, does not understand when I talk about tagging, uploading, or downloading files online. In contrast, most of my students probably know more than I do about online terms because they spend more than six hours in front of computers everyday (Media smart, 2005). However, this does not necessarily mean that they are media literate. Media literacy involves more than ability to define the cyber terms. It includes, according to Tessa Jolls in Media Literacy (2008), the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create in media forms.  Media literary makes students the owners, authors, and active participants.

Students Wesch’s class initially did not know that they could edit the wiki until he made a class group wiki for the materials taught in his class. Students participated and contributed in the class wiki with videos and other resources that resulted as the best review materials for the exam (2008). Media literacy helps students become naturally motivated and engage with the materials because they take ownerships by discussing, analyzing, and creating in media forms. 

If I were to make my own school, I would address the artistic view of the media. Media should attract the viewers and draw the attention to be viewed out of millions of information out there. Content is the most important part of course but without the artistic part of the media, it would probably loose the audience. I would talk about how to make tone of voice, the composition of photographs, transitions of motion pictures, typography, visual arts and music to enhance the content presented. In the video Media Smart (2005), I was impressed by how students were analyzing the two different newspapers on the same issue, Iraq War. Student mentioned that one picture shows the soldiers and how the war is important and other newspaper shows the injured civilians to show that the war is not necessary. I noticed the power of the photographs to present the message. Tessa Jolls in the video Media Literary (2008), also talked about the importance of techniques and artistic skills in the media literacy to attract the audience.

Also, I would address the power of collaboration. In Wesch’s class (2008), he let the students made notes and reviews on their class wiki and students collaborated to create the best reviews on the class materials. It would have been very hard, almost impossible, for Wesch to do by himself. He mentioned the quote of saying “No one is smarter than everybody.”  Media literacy helps students see the relationship with others as well while they collaborate and influence each other.

Media literacy, education & choice – extra feature, (Video). (2008, August, 4). Challenging Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzeVjAM-drg

Media smart: Kids learn how to navigate the multimedia worlds. (July 13, 2005). Edutopia. Retrieved, October 10, 2009, from http://www.edutopia.org/media-literacy-skills-video

Wesch, M. (Video.). (2008, July 10). A portal to media literacy, Lecture presented at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4yApagnr0s