QUESTION: Getting Media Lit Program Support?

[Adam Steinberg]

Another teacher and I have been trying to get our school to start a dedicated media studies class -- or possibly IB Film (we teach the International Baccalaureate). Our wonderful proposal (all on paper) met with a chorus of ambivalence. They presented the old argument that it should be taught within subject classes, which is true, but we feel it is the right time to start something more thorough, explicit, committed. We intend to keep plugging.

Before I put hours and hours into it, I would love to hear that someone else has already created or knows of a presentation (PowerPoint? If necessary.) that promotes media literacy in an exciting, multimedia way.

All thoughts appreciated.

-Adam-

[Frank W. Baker]

Adam, contact me , Frank Baker [e-mail] ( Media Literacy Clearinghouse)

[Adam Steinberg]

Frank, you are everywhere at once!

[Ryan Goble]

You should start with this research...

Reading the Media in High School: Media Literacy in High School Eng... (Language and Literacy Series (Teachers College Pr)) by Renee Hobbs

[steve lynch]

I somehow think my most recently completed 50 page thesis on the necessity of media literacy education wouldn't suffice...

[Adam Steinberg]

Can you boil it down onto six slides? :-)

On the other hand, I would love to read it and possibly steal from it. What say?

[Mary Baker]

Canada has mandated a media literacy curriculum that all schools must incorporate. See http://angelfire.com/Medialiteracy/index.html for resources. The US government has recently put up a game for student use at http://Admongo.gov. Another site to check is http://MediaLiteracy.com.

[Anne Gaspers]

I would also suggest you look critically at the IB standards/curriculum/exams for all subjects. If you can find a way to show your colleagues how a film course would be an interdisciplinary way to support all other subjects, they might understand the legitimacy and importance of it, especially since many of the exam questions use current events. As a Language B (Spanish) teacher, I am always using elements from other courses as a way to start discussions or teach concepts (i.e. when students read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebee for Lang A class, we use the characters to talk about family and comparisons with our own). If you can, find out what is being taught in core classes at the time of your presentation and show how you would take that idea and create a film unit around it.

[Adam Steinberg]

Excellent thought, Anne.