Critical Thinking About Media:
Media Literacy Skills All
Students Need
Frank W.Baker
media educator
fbaker1346@aol.com
Media Literacy Clearinghouse
http://www.frankwbaker.com
Media literacy 101
What do we want
students to know about
the media?
Media literacy 101
“It would be a breach of our duties as
teachers for us to ignore the rhetorical
power of visual forms of media in
combination with text and sound…the
critical media literacy we need to teach
must include evaluation of these
media, lest our students fail to see,
understand, and learn to harness
the persuasive power of visual media.”
NCTE Resolution on Visual/Media Literacy
IRA/NCTE Standards for
the English Language Arts
6. Students apply knowledge of language
structure, language conventions, media
techniques, figurative language, and genre
to create, critique, and discuss print and
nonprint texts.
8. Students use a variety of technological and
information resources (e.g., libraries,
databases, computer networks, video) to
gather and synthesize information and to
create and communicate knowledge.
Media literacy 101
Conventional:
Read --------------- Write
Contemporary:
Analyze-------------Produce
Media literacy 101
Media literacy 101
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87% of U.S. teens between 12 and 17 years
of age use the Internet; just 66% of adults
do so;
81% of teen Internet users play games
online;
76% get news online;
51% of teen Internet users say they go
online on a daily basis;
43% have made purchases online; and
31% use the Internet to get health info
Source: “Teens and Technology: Youth Are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired and Mobile
Nation” (2005) & "Life Online: Teens and Technology and the World to Come," (2006)
Media literacy 101
“Our students are growing up in a
world saturated with media
messages…yet, they (and their
teachers) receive little or no
training in the skills of analyzing or
re-evaluating these messages,
many of which make use of
language, moving images, music,
sound effects.”
Source: R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004
Media literacy 101
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American Association of School Libraries
International Reading Association
Natl. Board of Prof. Teaching Standards
National Council for Teachers of English
National Middle School Association
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy
Media literacy 101
What is media literacy?
OR
Why should your students become
media literate?
Media literacy is concerned with helping
students develop an informed and critical
understanding of the nature of mass media,
the techniques used by them, and the
impact of these techniques. More
specifically, it is education that aims to
increase the students' understanding and
enjoyment of how the media work, how they
produce meaning, how they are organized,
and how they construct reality. Media
literacy also aims to provide students with
the ability to create media products.
(Source: Media Literacy Resource Guide,
Ministry of Education Ontario, 1997)
What media literacy is:
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Set of skills, knowledge, & abilities
Awareness of personal media habits
Understanding of how media works
Appreciation of media’s power/influence
Ability to discern; critically question/view
How meaning is created in media
Healthy skepticism
Access to media
Ability to produce & create media
video
Media literacy in SC ELA
Elementary
Middle
High School
Recognize
details, setting,
characters and
cause and effect
in material from
nonprint sources
Demonstrate the
ability to
distinguish
between fact
and opinion, to
compare and
contrast info
and ideas, and
make inferences
in regard to
what is viewed
Analyze
nonprint sources
for accuracy,
bias, intent and
purpose
Media literacy in SC ELA
Draft of Revised ELA Standards
(2006-2007)
Standard 1
The student will read and
comprehend print and nonprint texts.
Standard 7
The student will access and use
information for a variety of purposes
Media literacy 101
“If video is how we are
communicating and persuading
in this new century, why aren't
more students writing
screenplays as part of their
schoolwork?“
Heidi Hayes Jacob
Ed Consultant
Media literacy 101
“Movies, advertisements,
and all other visual media
are tools teachers need to
use and media we must
master if we are to
maintain our credibility in
the coming years.”
Jim Burke, from
The English Teacher’s Companion
Core Concepts
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All media are constructed
Media are constructed using unique
languages with their own set of rules
Media convey values and points of view
Audiences negotiate meaning
Media = Power + Profit
Source: Center for Media Literacy www.medialit.org
All media are constructed
What is this?
No, this is a PHOTOGRAPH of a horse.
Media are constructed
using unique languages
with their own set of rules
Language of film
Camera
Lights
Sound/Music
Sets
Editing
Media convey values and
points-of-view
Audiences negotiate meaning
Media = Power + Profit
Big 6 Media
FOX (News Corp)
NBC (GE)
CBS
ABC (Disney)
CNN (AOL/Time Warner)
VIACOM
What are the implications/ramifications if only 6
companies control magazines, newspapers, TV,
radio, newspapers, Internet, film, etc.?
Advertiser~Audience
This program
is brought to
you by the
sponsor.
You are
brought to
the sponsor
by the program.
Critical thinking questions
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Who produces/pays for media?
For what purpose(s) was it made?
For which ‘target audience(s)’?
What techniques attract attention;
increase believability?
Who or what is omitted and why?
How do we know what it means?
Does it contain bias or stereotypes?
Techniques
Techniques
Techniques
well known case
of the digital
creation of a
magazine cover
featuring a
woman who does
not exist
Techniques
Techniques
Techniques
Techniques
The box of Oreos was not in the original NBC “Friends:”
it was placed there virtually for DVD/syndication exposure
Critical Thinking Questions
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Who produces/pays for media?
For what purpose(s) was it made?
For which ‘target audience(s)’?
What techniques attract attention;
increase believability?
Who or what is omitted and why?
How do we know what it means?
Does it contain bias or stereotypes?
Applying critical thinking
questions to examples
Visual Literacy
Languages of TV-Film
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Camera
Lights
Audio (including music)
Post production (editing, SFX)
Set design
Actors: wardrobe; expression
Deconstructing
Commercials
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Half of the room watches
the other half closes their eyes
Make a list of what you heard/saw
Cell phone commercial
Script
The Language of film
To Kill A Mockingbird
Opening credits (symbolism)
The Pocket Watch
A Sound In The Night (fear)
Tuck Everlasting
woods scene (music)
Tobacco advertising
Activity
Critical Thinking About Media:
Media Literacy Skills All
Students Need
Frank Baker
media educator
fbaker1346@aol.com
Media Literacy Clearinghouse
http://www.frankwbaker.com