Reflections on Media Literacy Project

The media literacy project our group did - internet alcohol sites - was a very interesting project for me. I was amazed by some of the sites, and worried at the same time since I have an 18-year-old who I always worry about doing the underage drinking scene. I was glad we chose that topic and the information we gained was invaluable.

I really enjoyed this project - probably as much as all the rest of them. Since media is such a large part of everyone's life, I have learned the importance of giving our students the tools to look at things presented in the media critically. It's something we don't even do as adults as much as we should.

Looking at intended audience, means of attracting those audiences, etc. was beneficial. I agree with both Dr. Stearns and Charity that we need a media literacy class. It would be a great, and fun, class to teach.

The other thing which I leave this project knowing is how books are only a small part of literacy. There is so much more than I would have ever assumed, and I now look at everything from a literacy point of view.

Syracuse Schools Laptop Program

Heard this morning about the problems with the laptop program in the Syracuse school system. I can't believe (or maybe I can) that kids spent so much time downloading porn and other things they knew were inappropriate. Unbelievable. The sad part is now they are rethinking the enire program. How can kids ever have access to new technology when they spoil it for themselves by doing things like this.

I wonder if kids in other countries who are technologically advanced in comparison to the United States have the same kinds of problems with their youth. If not, maybe that would explain why we are behind other countries when it comes to technology in education.

Interview

This was a very difficult task for me because technology is so new to me. I feel like I'm not able to "think on my feet" as quickly as some in our class who have much more experience in this field. I chose to do a website about interracial students in YA literature (a subject I explored in great detail in our YA literature class). This website gives students a chance to look critically at works dealing with this subject matter and blog about their own experiences as they relate to the recommended readings.

Hobbs Chpt. 4 - "Advertising, Persuasion, and Propaganda

Great chapter and says so much about where we are today. Advertisers certainly understand a great deal of their market is aimed at adolescents - $170 billion in 2002 alone. This makes it imperative they reach this group. As such they have an enormous amount of impact on what young people purchase. We need to remember this is not only true of the television media but also other advertising media. Cigarette ads placed in stores where young kids can easily see them - influencing their choice of whether to smoke or not smoke.

How many things are advertised in a positive light making them look attractive? The models in ads are always beautiful/handsome and thin. No wonder our teens are obsessed with body image. Advertisers give them the idea that if they purchase their products they will also be beautiful and popular. I think media is an extremely important thing for our students to study and to understand. They need to know who is being targeted and who is being left out. They need to be able to take apart these ads and find out why they are done the way they are and who they are trying to influence.

I wonder how many would care about wearing brand name clothes if those clothes were not associated with being popular and beautiful. In our town it's Old Navy and Aeropostale. My son won't even look at clothes without those tags. It's as if by wearing something else he will no longer fit in. We need to address these issues with kids and help them explore the advertising media and find out the real reasons behind their ads. If advertising weren't such a big $ business do you honestly think advertisers would spend millions for the chance to run an ad during the Super Bowl? Some of these ads are never shown again, and yet they understand the impact just one showing will have on their audiences.

This was a wonderful, insightful chapter. It's an important chapter for those of us who are future educators.

Internet Access on School Buses

Check out this article. Is this really another chance for students to learn, or is it putting more stress on kids? What does everyone think?

I know some kids from when I was in school who rode the bus in excess of one hour both to and from school. Why not put the time to good use? Don't "adult" commuters do it all the time? I think it's a good idea. Lots of kids own laptops. I just hope they won't leave their work for the last minute thinking "I'll do it on the way to school".

Friedman-"Dirty Little Secrets"

How long is it going to take for educators/educational administrators in this country to realize we are sending our kids out into the world ill-prepared for what lies ahead. We still want our students to memorize things - standing in front of a classroom feeding them information they can recite back to us on tests. Do we do this because it's in their best interests to be taught in the manner? Absolutely not! We do this because it's what is easy for us - we don't have to work so hard. We don't have to learn the latest technology to pass on to our students. We can rely on doing things in the same old way. We need more educators willing to work harder. That's why 307 is so important. Hopefully we will learn some of the skills we need to use in our classrooms to prepare our students for the flat world they will be entering.

Every teacher/administrator should be required to read Friedman. It's essential to understand how far behind other countries we are and how woefully prepared our students are when it comes to entering this flat world. How will they become the untouchables?