Media Literacy Issues

When I think of media literacy issues, I immediately think about a student’s ability to assess media to determine its validity.  For example, if students are working on a current events project and they turn to the news or magazines for information, are they able to tell if the specific media source they are using is valid for purposes of project completion? The ability to read many types of media has become an essential skill in the 21^st Century, whereas media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Therefore, it is important for elementary school teachers to teach their students the importance of validity in media before they reach the older grades where they will be required to complete more in depth research projects. Teachthought.com listed several examples of ways to promote digital media literacy in the classroom, and a few activities stood out to me that could be used for this type of learning:

1. Concept-map the thesis and primary and secondary supporting details.
2. Prioritize the implicit and explicit ideas for their immediate relevance for a given context.
3. Discuss the relationship between the media’s style, the author’s style, and the apparent audience.

These three activities are just a few different ways that student can learn how to assess the validity of a media source. It is important for teachers to emphasize the importance of validity, especially in media that we see in the news, magazines, on the internet, etc.

            Another issue that comes to mind when I think about media literacy in the classroom is how much technology is too much technology.  The PBS article Can Computers Enhance the Work of Teachers? The Debate is on brings up the idea that schools must be cautious to not rely too much on computers in the classroom.  Although most school work can now be completed using strictly technology, this article highlights that as schools struggle to raise high school graduation rates and close the persistent achievement gap for minority and low-income students, many educators push digital technology in the classroom as a way forward. But, experts caution that this approach still needs more scrutiny and warn schools and parents against being overly reliant on computers.  Likewise, there have been other studies that prove that there is such thing as too much computer time, especially in the classroom.  For example, Pediatricians warn that too much screen time can come at the expense of face-to-face social interaction, hands-on exploration and physical activity. Some studies also have shown that students may learn better from books than from computer screens, while another found that keeping children away from computers for five days in a row improved their emotional intelligence.  Personally, I prefer a paper book over an e-book, and I would rather have notes printed in front of me than be viewing them on the computer.  This may be because when I went through school everything was in print, we did not have computers in the classroom.  However, students are now becoming so reliant on technology since they are using it as early as preschool. I am currently a preschool teacher, and all of the students in my class are always talking about their iPads.  The ultimate question is, will this early access to technology help or hinder them in the long run?  Therefore, teachers should be sure to alternate their classroom activities so that not every activity involves the use of technology.  This is where differentiation is very important!