Obama TV Speech Controversy & Media Literacy

[Frank W. Baker]

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 American education?
5. What technique(s and/or words does the President use in his speech that might be persuasive, influential?
6. What does the President hope to gain by giving this speech? (What do the news networks that broadcast the speech hope to gain?)
7. What does the President hope students will do after hearing, reading, viewing the speech?
8. Survey your classmates: what did they "take away" from the speech?
9. What line or slogan might be memorable?
10. How did the news media cover it? Compare and contrast two or more versions (newspaper, radio, magazine, online news source, TV, etc.) Did they leave anything out?
11. Where might you go to read the entire transcript?

Frank Baker