Module 1

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.