Reflections on Module 1 Readings

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First of, let me start by saying, reading all these new information about media literacy has definitely gave me a broader knowledge for what it truly is. Like many of my classmates I am sure, we all had some what of an idea of what media literacy was but these readings were very helpful. One of the readings, included Jane Tallim stating that, “Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. It’s the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media— from music videos and Web environments to product placement in films and virtual displays on NHL hockey boards. It’s about asking pertinent questions about what’s there, and noticing what’s not there. And it’s the instinct to question what lies behind media productions— the motives, the money, the values and the ownership— and to be aware of how these factors influence content.” This is such a strong statement that is made and stood out to me the most. Media literacy to me was just the message the media gave out and how one perceived it but it is a bigger concept than that. After completing my readings, I view media literacy differently, I try to read between the lines and what the message really portrays rather than just the straight forward message presented. I was not even aware that media literacy is more than ads and how something is presented. It is around us on a daily.

Another reading that stood out to me was media literacy and children. That is something that never really crossed my mind. This concept seemed so simple to me that, media literacy is around us in a daily life. Our society is taken over with technology where most of it is retrieved through media. Weather it is a child watching television or a parent on social media, can we really go 24 hours without being in some type of link with media? As Jennifer Ladner speaks more about in her article about, Why Media Literacy Is So Important For Children Today. She states, “Media literacy allows children (and families) to become more aware of both intended and unintended media messages.” This is such a strong statement because it is true we let media take our lives and making what we know relying on media. I loved reading this article because children are growing up in a society today where media impacts them heavily, their futures rely on it and for them to grow up and read in between the lines rather that what they actually perceive is important so they can get a better picture of reality. However, this broads their knowledge of the world and being able to question their parents or peers around them.

Reflections on Module 1

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After reading the different definitions of media literacy; I gained a deeper understanding of what media literacy can be. As technology has evolved, so has the definition of media today. Maureen Baron defined media literacy as the ability to “decode, understand, evaluate, and write through, and with, all forms of media”, as well as, “read, evaluate and create, text, images, and sounds, or any combination of elements”. I thought Baron’s definition was the most accurate, because it included the fact that the definition of media literacy can change. The definition to me was also specific and to the point which made it easier for me to understand.
Baron’s definition helped me connect media literacy to the content in the book, Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture by Karen Sternheimer. Sternheimer(2013), emphasized the fact that media has changed over the years. Every generation has had a different experience with media and technology. Media doesn’t just include radio, television and the newspaper, but also social networking, iPods, the internet, et.(Sternheimer, 2013). I found it interesting that because older generations do not understand the new technology; they may misunderstand the way technology is used and media portrayed. Also, every generation fears for the next generation since the time of Plato.
What I found the most shocking from reading the book was that many people believe media is at fault for the negative behavior of adolescents. However, as Sternheimer(2013) stated, “the root of the most serious challenges American children face, problems like lack of a quality education, violent victimization, early pregnancies, single parenthood, and obesity”. Media cannot be blamed for all of society’s problems. There are underlying issues that people rather avoid such as sexism, racism, and discrimination. The second chapter, explained how childhood has also changed. Teenagers are no longer given many adult roles, but instead the teenage years as seen as an extension of childhood(Sternheimer, 2013). Children also have different responsibilities and expectations now. The example given in the book reminded me of my own parents’ childhood. Both were not expected to finish high school and were able to obtain decent jobs. Nowadays, that is nearly impossible to obtain a stable job without an education. Children are expected to go to college or a university.
My favorite article was University of Michigan Health Systems Your Child: Television and Children. I enjoyed reading this article because it gave a lot of information regarding children’s use of television. As a mother of an infant, I think this information is very valuable. What I could relate to from this article was that television should not replace reading. Although as a working mother, it can be very easy to try and find a quick solution to pacify a child. Television, should not always be the answer to that situation. Parents need to make sure they find time to engage with their child; read a book together or just talk about their child’s day at school.

Reflection on Module 1 Readings

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Society is constantly exposing us to media messages whether we are conscious of it or not. From the music we hear to the advertisements we try to ignore, we are constantly consuming these persuasive messages. Media literacy is the ability to critically analyze these messages and is a crucial skill to learn to navigate through the chaos of today’s world. Jane Tallim explains, “In our world of multi-tasking, commercialism, globalization and interactivity, media education isn’t about having the right answers—it’s about asking the right questions.” Questions such as: Who produces the media we are exposed to? What are they motivated by? Who benefits and who is harmed by these messages? These are the types of questions that make me reconsider the reality of our media constructed world. There is often little understanding about the foundation of media literacy since it is not part of the core curriculum taught in schools, even though it is one of the most “real world” applicable abilities for students to learn.  Uk professor, Len Masterman, recognized the importance of media literacy and made it his mission to set the foundation for it to be taught in systematic way for the future generations to come. Masterman stated, “the media, that is, are symbolic sign systems that must be decoded. Without this principle, no media education is possible. From it, all else flows.” Masterman breaks down media education into 18 fundamental principles that work as the foundation for the systematic teaching of media literacy. When it comes to media literacy, there  are several different approaches that are most often used to educate. Zaslow and Butler defined three models of media literacy: (1) Protectionist (2) Ideological analysis and (3) Constructivist. The protectionist model believes that people, especially children, must be protected from media. The ideological analysis model approaches media education in a way that teaches to question the naturalness of media messages and focuses on how dominant ideologies are supported and reproduced by media. Lastly, the constructivist  model believes that people should enjoy the experience of media while also developing the skills to critically analyze the content. I believe the constructivist model to be the most effective in developing media literacy. Our media centered culture is not going to change so there is no point in trying to avoid it. The ability to sift through these messages and see them for what they are while still experiencing them is the only way to truly achieve and teach media literacy. When approaching media education in a classroom setting with a civil defense attitude, “there is an almost sure-fire guarantee that students will switch us off, counting our dire warnings as just another manifestation of adult paranoia and lack of understanding”(Worsnop). Media manipulation has lead to countless issues within our country. To name a few, mass media’s inaccurate representations of reality has lead to unrealistic standards of beauty, acceptance of violence, and encouragement of alcohol and drug abuse within our society. Media literacy matters because it teaches people to reconsider believing everything they see and provides the tools to think critically and analyze the constant stream of messages that the media feeds us everyday. Teaching media literacy in schools is especially important since the youth of our country are exposed to just as much, if not more, media messages than adults are. According to a study done by the University of Michigan, children between the ages of 2-5 spend on average 32 hours a week watching TV and 71% of 8-18 year-olds have TVs in their bedrooms. Since younger people tend to be more vulnerable as they are shaping their perceptions of the world, it is easy for them to be manipulated by the media. Jesse Gainer explains that schools “should incorporate children’s interests into curriculum as a means to connect to students’ lives and show the relevance of class work to their lives.” These skills allow not only children, but their families too, to take control of the media they are exposed to, rather than letting it control them (Strauss).

Module 1

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Initially, when going through all the readings in an attempt to better understand media literacy, I found that Zaslow and Butler’s (2002) three models were easiest for me to understand. They separated media literacy into three models of protectionist or discrimination models, ideological analysis models, and constructivist models. The protectionist or discrimination models, as defined by Zaslow and Butler (2002), is that youth must be protected from powerful media. In order for youth the fend against these media, young people must be taught how to discriminate between high-quality and low-quality media. Secondly, Zaslow and Butler (2002) explained the ideological analysis models as, youth being taught to question the naturalness of media representations and to identify hidden messages in the media. Further, the analysis focuses on how media support and reproduce dominant ideologies about difference and culture. Lastly, Zaslow and Butler (2002) defined the constructivist models, which is to advocate the development of analytical skills while allowing for the experience of enjoying media. Students are not passive receivers of media but active negotiators of the media with which they engage. I believe that all of the models presented by Zaslow and Butler (2002) are necessary for youth to be able to put into use when needed. Personally, I found that I was able to agree with the constructivist models the most because although it requires children to analyze media, it still allows them to enjoy the media.

When further going through the readings and asking the question, why is media literacy so important, I found Jennifer Ladner’s article, “Why media literacy is so important for children today,” to be the most informative. She discusses the concern for not only how much time children spend in front of a screen, but also the concern for the content that they absorb. With media literacy, children and families are allowed to become more aware of media messages, both intended and unintended. She also explains that the messages within media allow children to learn to create and think critically; further, allowing children to take control of the media that is around them, rather than the media controlling them. Due to technology now being mainly wireless, many of us walk around with it at constant availability in the palm of our hands. Because it is so easy to access media, it is crucial to have media literacy on our radar. Ladner suggests reasons why it is important for it to be on our radar. For example, studies suggest a strong relationship between high exposure to violence in the media and aggressive behavior, as well as, a strong correlation between heavy television viewing and obesity, substance use, and increased sexual activity at younger ages. Overall, Ladner thoroughly discussed the importance of media literacy due the negative effects it can have.

Throughout the several readings I learned an extensive amount of information in regards to media literacy. Most importantly, I learned about the effects that media has on children and why is it necessary to implement media literacy. Specifically, as presented above, the the protectionist or discrimination models, ideological analysis models, and constructivist models, by Zaslow and Butler (2002) are all necessary for children to learn to employ when viewing media. Ultimately, due to technology being easily available in the palm of our hands, it is becoming crucial for media literacy to put to use.

 

Module 1 Reading Reflections

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Being born in 1995, I am on the cusp for technology entering the classroom. I can remember teachers attempting to teach us how to use the laptops and iPads. I think we watched television more often then we used the other technology, however. I grew up in a world where media was just blossoming and now we have children who have been born into the flower and know nothing of the roots.  I will eventually be teaching those children. There is a strict dichotomy between the origins of our media literacy and media education: these children were born into it, I have to learn it.

Jamie Tallim wrote, “In our world of multi-tasking, commercialism, globalization and interactivity, media education isn’t about having the right answers—it’s about asking the right questions.” I think that perfectly describes my ideal of media education and media literacy in my future classroom. I plan on taking a constructivist approach, teaching students that understanding the media fully will help them make it better. Using Mastermann’s principles to further their understanding will be beneficial.

Media education can apply to any field. I loved Tallim’s quote stated in the earlier paragraph because what she states is what I want my future students to do: ask questions.

Module 1 Readings- Wrap Up and Final Thoughts

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What is media literacy?  It is a question that seems to warrant a simple answer however, the concept as I am quickly discovering in this course, goes far beyond basic interpretation skills.   For one to be considered truly media literate, they must have the ability to examine and decipher messages that seek to entertain and inform us on a day to day basis.  According to Elizabeth Thoman, there are 3 stages of media literacy.  They include: awareness of one’s “media diet”, learning  critical viewing skills, and asking, who produces the media we experience?  I believe that last point is essential and something I do not exercise often enough.  If one frequently asks questions about the various media mediums and the messages, I feel it will open the conversation up to others to do the same.

Media literacy is an asset one can acquire and goes hand in hand with media education.  Media education is the “ongoing process of learning” which can “develop and evolve” (Andersen, Neil).  Media education is fostered through “media study”; which occurs when teachers and educational institutions  “organize specific courses..to study the media” (Worsnop, Chris).

I found the opening chapters of our textbook Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture: Why Media is not the Answer to be a compelling introduction to our media culture and it’s relationship with society’s members.  Sternheimer believes that the media culture is not our society’s central issue.  While people like to vilify media influence, the social issues currently plaguing us go far deeper than media intake.  Racism, sexism, homophobia and poverty are just a few of the major problems at hand that did not spawn from media integration.  In fact, “the most pressing crisis American children face today” is not the media, but poverty (Sternheimer, 2).

Our media does not rest, there is no snooze button.  While some can argue that with that comes an abundance of knowledge constantly at our fingertips, others believe that it’s leading to a society suffering from media overload.  People, particularly parents, are increasingly concerned that constant, uncontrolled information at one’s disposal will lead to problems within the lives of children.

The media has a long history of igniting fear in our society.  Comics featuring depictions of violence sparked fear during the McCarthy era.  During Elvis’ rise to stardom, concerns arose when he brought “traditionally African American music to white middle America” (Sternheimer, 6).  Sternheimer does agree that the media culture is not without its faults.  However, she encourages us to explore the root of social problems and realize it does not stop with media.

In the articles, “Why Media Literacy Is So Important for Children Today” and “That It Was Made By People Our Age Is Better”, an appreciation for the effects of media on today’s adolescence is explored.  Studies show that “children with media literacy skills will be better prepared for a successful future” (Ladner, J.)  Zaslow and Butler suggest that media offers adolescence a sense of control in an otherwise frenzied world.  And “many adolescent [children] turn to media” to construct their “own identity” (Zaslow, Butler).

After better acquainting myself with the principles of media literacy, I have an even stronger belief that there can be no price placed on the value of media literacy;  it plays a key role in the social awareness of the generation and generations to follow.  And while there are fears of overexposure to children, albeit sometimes justified, I agree with Karen Sternheimer who says “if childhood has changed, it is because the world has changed”.  Media awareness is a fundamental skill every young person must possess to flourish is this ever advancing world.

 

 

Module 1 Readings

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To understand media literacy, we must first understand what media literacy is. According to Jane Tallim, media literacy is “the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us everyday”. This includes using critical thinking skills to question the reasoning behind the media. Media literacy is still very broad, Elizabeth Thoman breaks it up into 3 stages which include: being aware of the importance of managing your media “diet”, learning to analyze and question what frame it is in, and exploring deeper issues. Media literacy also encompasses media education and media study. Media has shifted from being mostly print to now being mostly electronic. Marshall McLuhan taught us that “medium is the message” which means that the way the message is conveyed is equally as important as the content of it. The same events can be reported in different media, and each will have its own message. I also really enjoyed a quote from Masterman stating that “Media education is nothing if it is not an education for life”. I liked this quote because media is constantly changing and evolving and we are always learning new things and methods so it definitely should be considered an “education for life”. CML suggests five core concepts which include authorship, format, audience, content, and purpose. These are concepts are there to help you evaluate types of media. Masterman has a few more principles, his principles come out to 18 media education principles. One principle of his I liked was that “Media education is investigative”. I really liked him using the word investigative I feel like that describes the use of media very well. Media can help with transcultural communication, in New York 12 teens were interviewed. They found that the teens were able to exemplify multiple literacies by drawing on what is familiar and applying it to other things that were unfamiliar. The University of Michigan showed the effects of TV on children, both good and bad. The theme that I am seeing through all these articles is that media literacy is important, and it is also important that we take the correct form of media literacy. We don’t want the negative effects of watching television, such as more violence, health problems, and even alcohol and drug use. We also don’t want the media to be able to manipulate us into buying products that we don’t need or aren’t a good value. But there are many ways to learn about media and use media to make it beneficial and these articles are trying to show us those beneficial ways while also warning of the dangers. Gainer explained how media can even effect our culture. He also gives tips on how teachers can do the balancing act to incorporate media into curriculum and use it as a tool to engage students. Overall all of the readings we did this week helped me to learn what media literacy is and how it is in our lives and how it effects our lives.

module 1 readings- Regina Hernandez

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As this class began and I completed the first activities on my own, I have to honest, I still was unclear on what media literacy was. I did do some research on my own but I was still confused, but after proceeding with the assignments and getting to the assigned readings I began to understand more on what media literacy is. According to Jane Tallim, media literacy is the ability to analyze the media’s messages to the public by critical thinking, asking pertinent questions, understanding the goals of the media production, and to be aware of media factors influencing people. I also learned that there is a difference between media literacy and media education. Tallim explains that media education is examination of the media world, by asking who is the message for, why is there a message, whose voices are heard and whose are absent.  Now that I have read and understood the main concepts let me explain some articles that I found interesting.

To begin with, in this week’s readings for Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture by Karen Sternheimer, I learned about media phobia and the relationships of media and childhood. The first chapter focused on media phobia and it also gave me an insight on how the media was back in 1980’s. Did you know that in 1982 the channel networks would shut down at night!? Also, I learned that many have a media phobia and automatically link the media to all the society problems. This chapter explained that although the media is a critical problem, there are bigger problems such as poverty in the world, so one should not have all focus and blame on media.  It also explained how media phobia was created by media itself. There is media propaganda trying to blame social problems on media For example, the media has sent messages accusing itself for the increase of violence in adolescents.. Sternheimer also explains that in order to deconstruct media phobia one needs to focus on popular culture. I think that because popular culture shapes what we think and talk about, having media education, will help deconstruct media phobia. Additionally, in chapter 2 Sternheimer explains that many disagree on the age of a childhood as well as what childhood is. A childhood is lived by differently by experience of each individual. That I can relate because as an older child my childhood was strict and different than my younger sister who had more “freedom”. As well as the experience we had where I was introduced to a computer at age 9 and boy were they big.  On the other hand, she would watch cartoons on a tablet since she was five. I understand Sternheimer on varieties of definitions and understandings of childhood that make it more difficult to stop blaming social problems on pop culture.

Also, I found the power point  “Why Media literacy” interesting because it helped shape my understanding on the importance of teaching and having and ideology of media literacy. In the power point one can see how over time the consumption of media is greater than the hours of learning in school. It also compares violent acts between children shows and prime TV.  Where children shows have 5 times more violence than prime TV.  Last semester I took an adolescent development class where I learned that many adolescents are affected by the media because the media portrays a females as skinny yet with curves, and many adolescents do not know that these models are usually intensively photoshoped. This power point also explains how self esteem is targeted in the media.  Also, it shows other common problems such as drug use and drug death affected by media coverage.

Reflections of Module 1 Readings

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When signing up for this class, I honestly had no idea what media literacy was and didn’t have a single clue what this class would be about. After completing these readings, I learned a ton of new information and found the majority of the readings fairly interesting. So far from what I learned, it has made me more aware how kids receive messages from what they see or hear from the media, if there is a message being received at all.

Today, I was with family and there was a 10 year old boy there who was watching the basketball game with his dad. When there were some commercials that were played and he pointed things out and asked some questions on what those things meant. Noticing this, it reminded me of Jesse Gainer’s article Social Critique and Pleasure: Critical Media Literacy with Popular Culture Texts. Critical literacy is described as “the ability no only to read and write, but also to asses texts in order to understand the relationships between power and domination that underlie and inform those texts” (2007).  In the article, Gainer compares their daughter with her cousin when it comes to music. Gainer’s daughter asks questions what the lyrics actually mean, whereas the cousin likes the song because of the beat. Towards the end of the article, the daughter was talking about the song “Sk8ter Boi” by Avril Lavigne. Honestly, this made me really excited because I used to love her when I was ten. But the daughter, Clara, noticed the gender roles I guess you would say. She talked about how the irony of how in the song it mentioned how the girl was at home and taking care of a baby and it was the boy that was a rock star when she is one herself. So Clara started switching the roles throughout the song. When I was younger and even now, I never caught onto that.

So, what is media literacy? According to Rick Shepherd, media literacy is an “informed, critical understand of media.” Reading through that first article, there were a few different definitions but this one was short and understandable. Now, Chris Worsnop says there are three different terms that are used which are used interchangeably. These terms include: media education, media study, and media literacy. He says that media education is everything that happens in a classroom that is media oriented. Media study is when “schools of teacher organize specific courses or units to study the media.” Lastly, to him media literacy is the “expected outcome from work in either media education or media study. So as you can see that these terms are similar and I can see how these terms are interchangeable. The last thing that I thought stood out in this reading was the three stages that was mentioned by Elizabeth Thoman. The first stage is “becoming aware aware of the importance of managing ones media ‘diet’.” Next is to learn the specific skills to critical viewing. One of these skills is to “analyze and question what is in the fram, how it is constructed and what may have been left out.” So pretty much getting into the details. The third stage is to “go behind the frame to explore deeper issues.” This I think would be go farther into detail and know the background and how everything was put together.

The article that really got my attention though, was The Debate Over Screen Time is Really About Moms, not Kids by Elissa Strauss (2016).  To me this is kind of funny timing on reading this article because a week ago, I was talking to my grandma and saying that I wont let my future child have or play any electronics until they are about 5 (call me crazy). I said this because I wouldn’t want them to become so attached like how the majority of us are now. But within this article is says there isn’t enough scientific evidence of a child over 2 years old that watches TV or playing on a tablet isn’t all that bad. Strauss mentions a recent essay from JSTOR written by Alexandra Samuel who says that the taboo against screen time is sexist and maybe even classist. This made my jaw drop and my eyes widen, I have never heard anything like that before. Another thing that Samuel mentioned in her essay is that she “takes aim at screen time as boogyman, making the case that its demonization has its roots in a not-always-conscious anti-feminist bias.” To be honest, I don’t completely understand what this statement means, but I found it quite interesting if that even makes sense.

Overall, these readings have made it more clear to me what media literacy means and how youth is actually affected by it. After reading all of these readings, I am looking forward to what the remaining of this course has to offer.

 

Module 1

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Prior to this class, I’ve never put much deep thought into the media at all.. Let alone connecting it to education and children. I was confused when I saw this this course was on the list of classes I had to take in order to receive my degree in Liberal Studies(elementary education). The first realization of the importance of this class as a future education was when I watched the Barnyard movie trailer. I realized how much hidden meaning was put into the Barnyard movie, and even though I am an adult I could connect to the main ideas that were being portrayed in the movie. As I got further into the module, and the required readings and assignments I began to understand the connections being made, and the important of Media literacy in educational settings.

The first, and in my opinion most important article in this module was “What is Media Literacy?” by Jane Tallim. I found this article to be the most crucial to my learning because prior to this class, and these assignments I had no idea there was even a term “Media Literacy” let alone a difference between “Media Education”. For starters the first part of the article that stood out to me to help me understand what “Media Literacy” was, was Tallim’s three stages of Media Literacy. I thought this was a great way of being the term to life. The three stages were, 1) “becoming aware of managing/making choices of time spent using media forms”. 2)”Learning specific skills of critical viewing” and 3)”go behind frame to explore deeper issues, such as who produces? what purpose? who profits?”

By providing these three stages, it helped me understand what Media Literacy is on a deeper level. I also was able to identify the difference between Media Literacy and Media Education. These two parts of Module 1 stood out to me, and allowed me to see the importance of this class, and was a stepping stone in learning more about my own Media Literacy.