The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Frank W. Baker media educator
Fbaker1346@aol.com
Media Literacy Clearinghouse
www.frankwbaker.com
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
The Persuaders Dec. 19 ETV
10-11pm
Copyright: ONE YEAR
explores how the cultures of marketing and
advertising have come to influence not only
what Americans buy, but also how they view
themselves and the world around them.
www.pbs.org/frontline
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
With the advent and popularity of YouTube,
Current TV, and similar venues, young people
are anxious to have their productions seen
and heard.
DIY (do it yourself)
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Generation M: Multi-tasking
“digital natives”
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
“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.”
R.Hobbs, Journal Adult & Adolescent Literacy, February 2004
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
“Adolescents need to learn how to integrate
knowledge from multiple sources, including
music, video, online databases and other
media. They need to think critically about
information….they need to participate in the
kinds of collaboration that new
communication and information technologies
enable, but increasingly demand.”
Bruce Bertram, “Diversity and Critical Social Engagement: How Changing
Technologies Enable New Modes of Literacy in Changing Circumstances”
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Literacy is more than words
on a page.
Text is not always printed.
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Media literacy refers to composing,
comprehending, interpreting, analyzing, and
appreciating the language and texts of...both
print and nonprint. The use of media presupposes
an expanded definition of 'text'...print media texts
include books, magazines, and newspapers.
Nonprint media include photography,
recordings, radio, film, television, videotape, video
games, computers, the performing arts, and virtual
reality…constantly interact...(and) all (are) to be
experienced, appreciated, and analyzed and created
by students.“
(Source:
)
Groups recognizing/recommending
media literacy
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association of School Librarians
Annenberg Public Policy Center
Cable In The Classroom
Carnegie Commission on Adolescent Development
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
College Board: Standards for College Success
International Reading Association
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
National Council for Teachers of English
National Council for the Social Studies
National Middle School Association
National PTA
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NcREL)
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Revised SC ELA Standards (2007)
Guiding Principle 8
An effective English language arts curriculum
provides for literacy in all forms of media.
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
“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
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Take a moment to write your own
definition of media literacy.
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Media literacy is the ability to:
ACCESS
ANALYZE
INTERPRET and
PRODUCE
communication in a variety of forms.
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
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: Ontario Ministry of Education)
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
5 Core Concepts in Media Literacy
•All media are constructions
•Media utilize unique languages with their
own set of rules
•Media convey values and points of view
•Audiences negotiate meaning
•Media are designed for power and profit
All media are constructions
media construct reality
Media use their own languages
The Language of IM
The Language of Film
BRB
Be Right Back
PIR
Parents In Room
LOL
Laughing out Loud
Cameras
Lights
Audio (sound, music)
Editing
Set Design
Costume
Actors’ expressions
Makeup
Cell phones
ROAMING? (is this about deer and antelopes?)
SMART PHONES? ( do dumb phones exist?)
DROPPED CALLS ( dropping the phone?)
Media: values and points-of-view
Audience negotiate meaning
Media= Power + Profit
The Big (6) Media in the U.S.
FOX (News Corp)
NBC (GE/NBC/Universal)
CBS
ABC (Disney)
CNN (AOL/Time Warner)
VIACOM
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
Learning to ask questions:
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Who created/paid for the message?
What is the purpose?
Who is the intended audience?
What techniques are used?
Who or what might be omitted and why?
What lifestyles are promoted?
Who benefits from the message?
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
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Photography (visual literacy)
News & editorial cartoons (journalism)
Advertising (techniques of persuasion)
Film (the language of film)
Video & media production
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
The language of TV & Film
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CAMERAS
1. Movement 2. Position 3. Lens
LIGHTS
SOUND (includes music)
EDITING (post production)
SET DESIGN
ACTORS (voice, expression, wardrobe)
The Languages of Media: 21st Century Skills-Helping Students Become Media Literate
and Critical Thinkers
VISA Commercial
Questions to consider (handout)
Scriptwriting In The Classroom
"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 Jacobs
The language of TV & Film
Moving images: Television
Cell Phone Ad
Script
Dove’s
Campaign for
Beauty campaign
streaming video
Bush
Kerry
Moving Images: Film
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Mighty
(Freak The Mighty)
Music
Symbolism:
Opening Titles
Pocket Watch
Sound in the Night
POV
Resources
Most school libraries are sorely lacking in
resources about media.
Recommended books, magazines, videos,
curricula and more can be found at
www.frankwbaker.com/resources.htm
Invite Frank to your school!
Planning Staff Development?
Media Literacy:
One of the 21st Century Literacy Skills
Frank Baker
fbaker1346@aol.com