Frank W. Baker's Blog (75)

Pop Culture and The Run for the Presidency

Ok, I admit, this is a promotion for my new book: Political Campaigns and Political Advertising: A Media Literacy Guide (Greenwood Press). In this text, I covered the role the media has played in getting candidates elected President. So I cover everything from photography (from the Lincoln campaign to today) to the development of radio, television (commercials, debates and… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on October 24, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

NCTE New Media Gallery 2009- Don't Miss It !

You’ve heard of blogs, wikis, and nings, but you’re wondering how to use them in your classroom? We have some exciting possibilities on exhibit at our New Media Gallery, Friday, November 20, 2009 from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. in Room 202A of the Convention Center. Sponsored by NCTE’s Commission on Media, the New Media Gallery can be your “one-stop shopping” location for all things related to new literacies. Showcasing teachers… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on October 20, 2009 at 12:01pm — 1 Comment

Literacy Accountability In A New Media Age

A middle school teacher's commentary in the current issue of Education Week urges his fellow educators (and test producers) to consider the kinds of texts young people attend to today. "Reading video, images and other multimodal texts," he says, "demands just as much critical thinking and analysis as a challenging excerpt from Moby Dick."

Added by Frank W. Baker on September 23, 2009 at 1:45pm — No Comments

Obama TV Speech Controversy & Media Literacy

It seems to me---whether your students watch or not---here is a great media literacy /teachable moment opportunity. Here are some questions that might be considered--by both teachers and students:

1. Where did you first hear about the President's speech?

2. What (and where) have you read or heard about what he is planning to say?

3. Who is his primary audience? (Might there be a secondary audience too?)

4. Where in the curriculum might you discuss the importance of… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on September 4, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Visual Literacy: Comparing Obama Magazine Cover Images

As we all know, the news depends on visual images, as much as the written word, to communicate. With that in mind, I have gathered together three recent current events/news magazine covers, all of which represent President Obama as a doctor. I have created a simple one page handout that you might decide to use with your students. Let me know what you think. Frank

Added by Frank W. Baker on August 21, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

New book: Shimmering Literacies: Popular Culture and Reading and Writing Online

Peter Lang Publishers. Book description: This book examines the powerful role of popular culture in the daily online literacy practices of young people. Whether as subject matter, discourse, or through rhetorical patterns, popular culture dominates both the form and the content of online reading and writing. In order to understand not only how but why online technologies have… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on August 12, 2009 at 10:25am — 1 Comment

PBS repeats doc on Depression Era Photographers

NOTE: Copyright allows this program to be recorded, used and retained for one year.

Local broadcast: check your local PBS station's broadcast schedule for the exact date and time in your area. Many stations are airing this during the week of August 10-15.

Documenting the Face of America: Roy Stryker and the FSA/OWI Photographers

An exploration of challenges faced by New Deal-sponsored photographers Gordon Parks, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, Walker Evans, Jack Delano… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on August 5, 2009 at 7:25pm — No Comments

Quick! Tell Us What KUTGW Means

From the August 5 edition of The Wall Street Journal: the language of texting and IMing.

Added by Frank W. Baker on August 5, 2009 at 1:46pm — 4 Comments

Looking Back on NAMLE's "Bridging Literacies" Conference

Ryan's email reminded me to post this new website where I have embedded links to some bloggers who wrote about happenings at the just concluded National Association of Media Literacy Education bi-annual conference in Detroit Michigan. Among other things, NAMLE unveiled the first issue of its new online journal:

The Journal of Media Literacy Education. This year's conference was full of engaging events and… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on August 4, 2009 at 8:14pm — 1 Comment

Adtext: An interdisciplinary curriculum for advertising in society, culture, history

A new and quite valuable ed resource. (Two thumbs up on this one!)
Frank W. Baker, Media Literacy Clearinghouse

Added by Frank W. Baker on July 15, 2009 at 10:49am — No Comments

March of Time Newsreels Now Available

From 1935 to 1967, Time Inc's newsreel series, "The March of Time®" chronicled the events of our lives. The March of Time® separated itself from its competitors using its trademark "pictorial journalism," mixing highly-produced, long-form, documentary-style stories with dramatic re-enactments. These award-winning motion pictures recorded global events and brought them to big screens around the world and then… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on July 13, 2009 at 12:34pm — 1 Comment

Media Literacy Embedded in New P21 Curriculum Maps

Media literacy is embedded in the new Science & Geography curriculum maps released today by P21 at NECC. According to the press release: "The 21st Century Skills and Science and Geography Maps demonstrate how the integration of 21st century skills into science and geography classes support teaching and prepare students to become effective and productive citizens."

Note: the press release, surprisingly does not provide links to these documents, and finding them on the P21C website… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 30, 2009 at 1:43pm — No Comments

The Music Instinct: Science & Song (PBS Special)

National Broadcast day/time: Wednesday June 24, 9-11pm (check your local PBS listings)

Title: The Music Instinct: Science & Song

Description: This documentary provides a groundbreaking exploration into how and why the human organism is moved by music. New work in neuroscience is giving us clues to the mysteries of how and why music penetrates the brain and the emotions. The program follows visionary researchers and accomplished musicians to the crossroads of science and… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 17, 2009 at 12:51pm — 2 Comments

We Need Music to Survive

“My parents love music, but at the time they were unclear about its value. The confusion is understandable: We put music in the ‘arts and entertainment’ section of the newspaper. But music often has little to do with entertainment. Quite the opposite." Read the remainder of this essay.

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 13, 2009 at 3:16pm — No Comments

How Twitter Will Change The Way We Live (TIME magazine essay)

Excerpt: "Put those three elements together - social networks, live searching and link-sharing - and you have a cocktail that poses what may amount to the most interesting alternative to Google's near monopoly in searching." Read Steven Johnson's essay here.

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 4, 2009 at 10:14am — No Comments

Teaching Copyright: New Resource

“Kids are bombarded with messages that using new technology is illegal,” said Electronic Frontier Foundation activist Richard Esguerra. “Instead of approaching the issues from a position of fear, “Teaching Copyright” encourages inquiry and greater understanding. This is a balanced curriculum, asking students to think about their role in the online world and to make informed choices about their behavior.”

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 2, 2009 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Game Theory: Video Games for Social Change

CGW (Computer Graphics World magazine) carried this piece recently about engaging young people with video games for social causes. Here it is.

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 2, 2009 at 3:46pm — No Comments

Do you know who Captain Queeg, Howard Beale, and Chauncey Gardner are?

Now, that I have your attention: this is an op-ed in the latest issue of The Christian Science Monitor, one of my favorite newspapers. The writer references "retrotalk" and "retroterms" and says today's TV talkers seem addicted to making cultural references that mean nothing to younger audiences.

Added by Frank W. Baker on May 26, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Reading Between the Frames (new film literacy curriculum)

Reading Between The Frames is a new 16-page media/film literacy curriculum created by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences--the folks who give out the annual Oscar awards. The guide is available for download from the Academy's website. Portions of the guide are in Spanish.

Added by Frank W. Baker on May 5, 2009 at 5:55pm — No Comments

Star Trek vs Star Wars (Newsweek)

If you've seen the cover story in this week's issue of Newsweek Magazine, then you know already that they're promoting the new "Star Trek" movie. What else is new? But what is not on their web site is this sidebar (which I have scanned) in which the editors astutely match up past and current administration officials with their Trek/Wars characters. Enjoy!

Added by Frank W. Baker on April 28, 2009 at 9:21pm — No Comments

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