Reflection On Module 1 Readings

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In the article called, Media Awarenesss Education I agree with Masterman. “Media education is a lifelong process, therefore high student motivation must become a primary objective”. I believe as our world is changing so is the way we teach and learn. Media literacy is becoming a big role in that.  It gives us the ability to look through and analyze information. We are able to use search skills as well as curating skills to get a better understanding of information. With media education teachers can relate almost any subject and integrate it with these media literacy skills. Jane Tallin communicates that, “Media education encourages a probing approach to the world of media”. Teachers who are implementing media literacy in their classrooms can ask questions like who is the message intended for? or From whose is the perspective is the story told? These questions remind me of what we used to do in first grade when it would be English time. The teacher would ask myself and the class the same questions about books we have read. Now we can do the same with newspapers, video, and so much more. Media literacy does not have to come just from television or electronic media but now things like T-shirts, billboards, and especially the internet are other sources.  It was also interesting to learn about the different terms. I now know “Media study” has to do more with schools or teachers organizing lessons with media, and “Media Literacy” is what should come from working  with media education or media study.

The article Why Media Literacy is so Important For Children Today, by Jennifer Ladner caught my attention because  I do always hear about debates wether children using different types of media is a good thing or a bad. “Not only are we concerned with the amount of time children spend in front of a screen, but we are also concerned about the content they absorb” (Ladner). Now days children were born into a world of media and technology and pick it up fast.  According to Ladner, she believes that media literacy allows children and their families to become more aware of media messages. Some messages are intended and some are not. Children get a chance to learn, create, and think critically about media. With these skills this allows children to grasp what is out there and control the media that is around them. There is always going to be a debate about screen time too. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics state, one to two hours of “entertainment” screen time is perfectly acceptable”.  On the other hand too much can be bad for a child. 718105b4b5e00890feaca0268d6e4fd6

Reading Understanding

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In the assigned readings for the week they really went into detail about explaining what media literacy is and when and where we see it. We learn that media literacy is the way that we access, understand and create media in all the different media outlets. When reading What is Media Literacy, The 3 Stages of Media Literacy, Elizabeth Thoman explains media literacy by breaking it down into three different stages. The first stage tells us how it is important to make sure that we are not spending all of our time focused on media outlets. The second stage shows that we must learn a set of skills to figure out how to critically view what you are watching. Lastly, the third stage explains how it is important to go behind the media and figure out who this form of media is supporting and why it is being produced. Media literacy is the information learned through different forms of the media.

When we think about why we should worry about media literacy so much we should understand that most of what people see today is a form of media in some way. In the Why Media Literacy power point it shows just how greatly the television has impacted young peoples lives. With them  doubling the amount of hours watching television as they spend in the classroom. This shows that the media is a huge part of these children’s lives and it needs to be monitored and understood in order for us to realize how it is effecting these children. They see so much violence and sexual references through the media that it seems to become a second nature for them, showing them that these things are o.k. which they are not.

The media also does not adequately represent those with hardships in their lives which then brings them in real life to be outcasts and unwanted. They also show that minorities are the majority of things such as poverty or crime rates which is also not true but they make it seem like that by only showing you what they want you to see. This is a huge problem in the media today which is why I believe it is important for us to have media literacy. If we have people to break away from the actual media itself and find the hidden meanings behind the things that we are shown, it would be best for everyone. For the future ahead it is important for us to see what our youth are paying most of their attention too.