Your Motivations for Digital and Media Literacy
But there is a limit to the amount of digital technology can be added to a core subject before it starts to lose its meaning. If we can also introduce Digital Media and Technology as a class, then we can touch down on the subject on a more generic and larger scale. It would be a great way to analyze various technologies, digital media influences, cultural impact, etc… Just as we have in this course.
3. "A deep commitment to student voice is at the heart of digital media literacy" (Hobbs, 2011, pg. 175)
I feel as if over the last 4 years in my various digital technology classes at FSU, I've seen how digital media can bring forth creativity and self-expression. Every time I watch a classmates video or view a digital product he or she has made, if feel as if I get a better idea of who they are and their stance on a subject. And it is always an interesting peek into their thought process. I know the product is probably something they are proud of and it they probably researched the topic a bit more, just to make sure the final product was polished. As such, I'm sure they gleamed more from the ideas behind the topic, then merely reading a text book.
It has been this way in the classroom for me as well. I have always looked forward to what the student produces in the end - each being unique and each reflecting the way the student feels about the subject. It is that 3rd dimension that is added to the product.
From least to greatest the five that are most closely related to my goals and motives for integrating digital and media literacy in my classroom are:
- To improve students' writing and communication skills by enabling them to use a wide range of message forms, symbol systems, and technologies.
- To develop students' skills in using digital technology tools.
- To promote creativity and self-expression.
- To help students use their own voices for advocacy and social change.
- To strengthen discrimination skills in distinguishing between high-quality and low quality messages.
Three Quotes from Rene Hobbs' Chapter 9 in "Digital and Media Literacy" that I find interesting…
1. "Should digital and media literacy be offered as a separate stand-alone course or should it be integrated into the curriculum's existing subject?" (Hobbs, 2011, pg. 171)
1. "Should digital and media literacy be offered as a separate stand-alone course or should it be integrated into the curriculum's existing subject?" (Hobbs, 2011, pg. 171)
Why not both? I think there should be a class that specifically touches down on digital and media literacy for various grade levels. AND then it should be backed up in different subjects as an integrated model. That way the subject stands out as a significant part of today's literacy AND how it is interwoven into various real-life core subjects. I think the integrated portion should play a heavier role because it is going to be a heavy hand in adding an authentic approach to teaching such as looking at science from a media standpoint and having the ability to pinpoint the bullshit…
**Thank god there was a real scientist present when this politician decided to share his knowledge on "Global Wobbling."
2. "For nearly 15 years, this course has enable every student in the school district to develop the kind of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills that are described in this book" (Hobbs, 2011, pg. 173)
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| Clapping Hands |
15 YEARS!!! I had no idea there was a school out there that had been focusing on cross-curriculur media literacy into the existing subjects. It seems so revolutionary to me today but that's because my eyes have not been open to this idea for very long. I've only been out of high school for 20 years. I can't believe that 15 years ago there was a high school in New Hampshire that delved into media literacy head first and have been producing digital citizens that have the critical thinking skills needed in the 21st Century. BRAVO Concord High School!
3. "A deep commitment to student voice is at the heart of digital media literacy" (Hobbs, 2011, pg. 175)
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| Student Expression |
It has been this way in the classroom for me as well. I have always looked forward to what the student produces in the end - each being unique and each reflecting the way the student feels about the subject. It is that 3rd dimension that is added to the product.
4 comments:
Student Voice is so impactful for me as well. I feel doing personal assignments personally and for my students can be difficult at times. What all do you want to divulge about yourself to some strangers. I think this opens the thought process as well into social media. If we can show the students your struggling to share with your classmates but don’t care what you put on facebook. There are so many ways you can take student voice this is just one way I am very interested in trying.
I as well love the thought process that happens during these type of lessons. I personally feel I grow as a person and grow a closer connect to my students when I watch their projects. Last night to get to know my staff a little bit better we made a Thankful Wreath. We didn’t use digital medial just good old fashioned constructions paper. It was so interested to watch their thought process of what to write and to hear them personally voice their thankfulness to the whole staff!!!
That sounds like a great project Carolanne. It isn't always the fanciest projects that turn out so awesome. I had students at the ERC today that pretended to land a rover on Mars and drive it. 2 students represented the drivers who had to write out the code ahead of time and three students were blindfolded and had to follow the code the drivers wrote. It is a difficult project but watching the thought process is amazing. We also did an engineering design project to drop a lander on Mars. The kids used straws, marshmallows, index cards, paper clips and a few other items. Nothing high tech, just team work. Sometimes those are the best projects.
Jaime, Again I'll say I really like the video and other graphics you have added to your posts, especially this video of Congressman Stockman espousing about "global wobble" (a term I really thought he just wanted to know what it meant). I find so many of the same little nuggets in your reflections that I too think need to be discussed and while not in the same order many of your top five are also mine. I too, like you, look forward to the learning I'm going to get when I read / view what my classmates have presented, which I think, students when given the opportunity to share their efforts also look forward to. Thanks for sharing!
Great post as usual, I always enjoy reading your interpretations of the text. The last quote and explanation brought together a concept I’d been contemplating since I began the digital media program. I hesitate to bring it up because I do not want to come off as being critical of some of the other classes I’ve taken but it completely ties in with what we’re learning.
It has been my experience with the program that my courses have fallen into two categories in terms of what I take away from them. In some, while I have gained knowledge, it is information that is just residing in my mind (for now). On the other hand, other courses like this one, I continually have “ah ha!” moments and the knowledge I gain are links to a chain of larger concepts. What I’ve been trying to determine was the difference in the courses. Is the content more interesting or more engaging? In theory, they’re all similar. The information is all relevant and interesting; the assessments (mostly) provide the opportunity for some creativity. I think the key pieces I’ve needed was self-expression and critical thinking. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, it’s what we’ve been discussing all semester in regards to media and we’ve been actively practicing both in this course.
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