Reflections on Module 1 Readings

After going over the readings for module1, I realized that all of them have the same meaning behind the text. One of the important messages behind this was that TV has as upside and a downside to it. The upside to it is that it can help the child learn more and new things, but it can also show them things that their parents do not want to know yet. Television can also increase the chance of the child to become obese or over weight. “There is no evidence that tv or tablets is bad for children over 2,” states Strauss. In this article, the author has a lot to say about the well off families. She mentions that it is more possible for”rich families” to have a real babysitter instead of electronic babysitter like the television. But television is not the only source of media that children will get their hands on.

The Gainer article opens up with the media of music. Most children listen to what is popular in their house. For instance, I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Diana Ross, etc. I didn’t know what the songs were about but I sure knew every word to them. Like me, most kids just sing their favorite songs without analyzing the meaning behind them. This article highlights the complicated literacy arrangements that occur when children engage with popular culture texts. The importance on comprehending the value of learning about how children engage with everyday texts and helping them learn to think critically when engaging with them. Freire promoted a problem posing education. The line between “teacher” and “Student”  is blurred. This collaborative relationship provides opportunities for critical thinking in which both are learners who read the word and the world (freire & macedo 1987). Like music, every type of media can grab our attention and whether it be good or bad we need to teach our generation to analyze it and not just “go with the flow.”