January 2010 Blog Posts (6)

FTC Unveils New Ad Literacy Web Site for Tweens

Everywhere you look, you see advertisements—not just on TV and online, but on buses, buildings, and scoreboards. Many ads target kids ages 8 to 12. Do your students have the critical thinking skills to understand ads, what they’re saying, and what they want kids to do?

To help you equip your students with these valuable skills, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, has launched a campaign to teach kids about… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on January 31, 2010 at 6:21pm — No Comments

Black History Month Programming on PBS (long)

http://pressroom.pbs.org/filefolder/Black_History_Month_2010_rls_1.12.10.doc

NOTE: not all programs listed here air on the dates and times listed; check local listings for the time and channel.

Frank Baker

PBS Explores African-American Contributions to History and Society

An Impressive Array of New and Encore Programming Before and During Black… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on January 30, 2010 at 2:08pm — No Comments

Will the iPad Breathe Life Into Digital Comics?

From CNET: But what about books that depend on color, art, and illustration? Indeed, what about graphic novels and comic books? That seems to be where the iPad could really shine and knock all of the other e-book readers out of the competition.

Added by Frank W. Baker on January 27, 2010 at 10:18pm — No Comments

Taking Advantage of Popular Culture

I have recently revised three popular resources on The Media Literacy Clearinghouse web site:
Using Super Bowl Ads In The Classroom (the game is Sunday February 7)
Diet (Weight Loss) Advertising
Marketing the Movies During Awards Season (the Oscars are Sunday March 7)

Take a look; share with a colleague; let me know what you think.

Added by Frank W. Baker on January 27, 2010 at 9:33am — No Comments

Digital Nation Workshops for the Digital Nation

Parents and teachers can now develop more confidence in understanding the complex digital culture that children and young people are growing up with, thanks to the Digital Workshops, a new initiative developed by Renee Hobbs and her colleagues at the Media Education Lab, in collaboration with WGBH Frontline.

Over a single generation, the Web and digital media have remade nearly every aspect… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on January 26, 2010 at 6:57am — No Comments

Want Better Journalism? Boost News Literacy

Excerpt: There’s a lesson here for all of us who worry about the quality of journalism today: Citizens armed with the power of discernment will do more to rescue journalism than any dozen panels of veteran editors ruminating about their golden years in power and musing about better business models.

Unfortunately, most Millennial Generation students have been deprived of a good civics class. They’re… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on January 14, 2010 at 6:56pm — No Comments