Technology gives us power, but it does not and cannot tell us how to use that power. Thanks to technology, we can instantly communicate across the world, but it still doesn't help us know what to say.
Jonathan Sacks
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What is media literacy?
Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media. When close reading a media text, you deconstruct (take apart) the text by analyzing the way different elements are used to create meaning. 5 Key Concepts of Media 1. Media can have commercial implications ($$). 2. Media can construct different versions of reality and influence public opinion. 3. Media can be interpreted through individual lenses. 4. Each medium has a unique aesthetic form. 5. Media can have social and political implications. |
Media Literacy Terminology
1. Media: The term media means more than just the traditional mass communication of the press, the broadcasting industries, and film. It is used here to include communications like the Internet, the telephone, product-packaging, advertising, and even fashion, cosmetics, and graffiti. A medium (the singular form of “media”) is a way of communicating meaning within a culture.
2. Text: A text communicates a message. A photograph is a text, and so is a message or graphic on a T-shirt. A campaign button worn on a lapel is just as much a text as is a newspaper editorial. A billboard on the highway is a text. The use of the word text is not restricted to the printed word.
3. Subtext: In literature study, this refers to the theme or the underlying meaning of a book, play, story, or poem. This concept of a meaning beneath the obvious meaning of the words in a text, or sub-text, is transferable to all media texts. At one level a pair of blue jeans is a practical garment; at another level it can be a social statement.
1. Media: The term media means more than just the traditional mass communication of the press, the broadcasting industries, and film. It is used here to include communications like the Internet, the telephone, product-packaging, advertising, and even fashion, cosmetics, and graffiti. A medium (the singular form of “media”) is a way of communicating meaning within a culture.
2. Text: A text communicates a message. A photograph is a text, and so is a message or graphic on a T-shirt. A campaign button worn on a lapel is just as much a text as is a newspaper editorial. A billboard on the highway is a text. The use of the word text is not restricted to the printed word.
3. Subtext: In literature study, this refers to the theme or the underlying meaning of a book, play, story, or poem. This concept of a meaning beneath the obvious meaning of the words in a text, or sub-text, is transferable to all media texts. At one level a pair of blue jeans is a practical garment; at another level it can be a social statement.
Watch This
Intro to Media Class:
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Analyzing media through a series of topics:
Our focus for this class will be on learning and developing our skills as critical thinkers, readers, writers, speakers, and listeners through the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of media. We will look at various media texts: political cartoons, commercials, public service announcements, documentaries, TED talks, print, and more around a topic of interest. Each quarter the topics change. To get an idea of some of the topics that we focus on in this class, explore some of the resources below.
We begin with...
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Tech Culture: What does this have to do with our media literacy class you ask? According to Flurry (via Tech Crunch), Americans spend an average of 5 hrs a day on their phones. Chances are if you are engaging with any kind of media, it’s happening on a phone. In this introductory unit we will examine various media formats, including editorial cartoons, TED talks, documentaries, news articles, and animations of picture books. We will be using digital tools like Flipgrid (vLog) and Padlet (microblog) to connect with others and share our thoughts about the messages embedded in the media that we consume. You will create and share media as a way to show your learning. Some of the projects that we will create during the course of the unit include photo essays, sketchnotes, ebooks, memes, and digital images. |
After Our Tech Culture/Introduction to Media is Complete...
What we do next depends on you. What topics interest you? What do you want to create?
The Key to Media's Hidden Codes:
Colors, camera angles and logos in the media can all prompt immediate associations with emotions, activities and memories. Learn to decode the intricate system of symbols that are a part of everyday life -- from advertising messages to traffic signs.
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Badges:
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Not All Scientific Studies Are Created Equal
Every day, we are bombarded by attention grabbing headlines that promise miracle cures to all of our ailments -- often backed up by a "scientific study." But what are these studies, and how do we know if they are reliable?
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In this unit we will explore the connection between science and media but instead of examining this connection within the medical field, we will look at environmental issues.
Badges:
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Seasonal Themes:
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Digital Citizenship:
Click this image to go to Interland.
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NAVIGATING NEWS IN THE DIGITAL AGE:
Editorial Cartoons:
TED Talks:
Public service announcements:
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The Flipgrid with all topics Media Lit:
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