Q1 - In your opinion, what are the benefits of students being educated in media literacy?
We live in an increasingly visual era, where the ability to be literate in visual codes and iconography etc. is ever more necessary, let alone important. Media-literate students are able to exercise critical thinking skills when engaging with a variety of media; are able to avoid manipulation by advertising and propaganda; are able to transition into being active media producers rather than passive media consumer, i.e. they become opinion-formers and influencers.Media literacy spans all subjects and the discipline is important to help students make sense of the world around them - from the texts they see, hear, read and interact with to global, socio and political issues. It is important for students to be able to decode messages and to understand how their view of their own world is constructed. This provides them with more power over their own identity and their lives in general.
Students are already developing their usage and knowledge of elements of the media from a younger age. I'd even say the same at KS2. Due to the exposure and usage that students have of the media- I think that they need to become more savvy and understand some of the elements behind the media. Children are already warned about the dangers of strangers on the internet, or prevent elements, but not how to decode messages or how to break down what is being presented to them.
It allows them to identify and be critical of the mediation that is happening in the information given to us by the media - photoshop of body image, biased editing and reporting in the news etc. And therefore be more informed.
It gives them greater confidence in competing in a media-focused world.
It gives the students whole world understanding. This generation is the first fully digital generation and they need to know how to understand and harenss the media (info) they consume.
Widens their knowledge of media techniques.
In our media saturated society, we tend to take the media for granted rather than taking them apart to consider how they work and what effects they can have on individuals, groups and society as a whole. Media literacy can and should produce people who consume the media in a constructively critical way whilst continuing to celebrate the wealth of creativity demonstrated therein and developing the desire and ability to contribute creatively themselves.
Independent thinking Critical of political discourse Deeper understanding of wider contexts Prepares them better for workplace environments Develops creativity Understanding of developing and changing ideologies influencing/influenced by the media.
Able to critically analyse the world around them and messages sent to them via the media.
Prepares them for life. There world is bombarded with different media images.
The media is becoming a large part of the new society and students need tinge able to navigate their way through it. By educating our students about the Media world we are better preparing them for the world of work they will eventually be thrown into.
Opens up their analytical vocabulary.
Q2 - Do you think that media literacy should be a feature of key stage three education?
Why do you feel this way?
I feel that it is already a strong component of KS2 teaching, and by comparison KS3 media literacy is sparse and weak. At an age where students are being exposed to massive amounts of media that they are increasingly consuming without oversight from parents / teachers, they need skills and strategies to cope and manage.As stated in q1, it is key in all aspects of education.
Students are taught how to breakdown and decode meaning and how to create meaning in their own work in many other subjects, including those which are a part of their development and daily processes. Media is a part of students daily processes and enabling them to understand and decode, as well as how to create for themselves is becoming an essential element to progress and success in the more modern new digital media age.
It fits well into the PSHE curriculum, and is a modern concern.
Same as above. Reason it's not is because gov policy and a lack of understand in the importance of it.
It's a very interesting subject and can provide pupils to look at media differently than just for entertainment.
This is a time when the influence of students' parents is often waning and they are engaging with a wider range of media, particularly social media, which demands the sort of critical reflection so often conspicuous by its absence.
Pupils at KS4 enjoy it so much, it is relevant to KS3 and would help with the transition to the new GCSEs which are much wider and harder.
It has a massive impact on them.
Younger students are particularly more 'media savvy' but may not know the dangers that this holds.
It's necessary in our new social media culture.
Q3 - In general, how would you rate the levels of media literacy amongst key stage three students at your school?
Q4 - Is media literacy an explicit feature of the key stage 3 curriculum at your school?
Q5 - If so, how is it delivered?
In your opinion, is this delivery successful?
No. There are no KS3 media lessons. Media is merely identified as an explicit strand in each department scheme of work, but the reality is that a box is ticked - no media literacy is actually taught apart from a small element in English, despite each dept identifying media elements in their SoW.The delivery I worked with last year wasn't successful, as the students were taught by different subject specialist teachers within a lesson called "key skills". Each teacher had been allowed to chose what these key skills are most have stayed within their specialist subject. It had, unfortunately, been presented to the students as an additional lesson they didn't have to take seriously. Despite the fact that I was using media literacy as my key skill, students were already switched off, although they are able to display a good deal of prior knowledge despite never having specifically studied the subject. They have the technical understanding from ICT to work on programmes such as photoshop and they found a couple of the video editing programmes easy to adapt to. They did struggle with the element of what I term media literacy in terms of decoding and understanding what they are presented with in order to create their own media product. They struggled to make the connection between the written analytical subject with the practical and computerised subject. Personally I think this was related to the fact that ICT seems to have been very practical and completely computer based, contrasted with English which has been very much linked to writing. They struggled with the combination elements. This does link to my experience as a KS3 Drama teacher. Students often believe that practical subjects don't need a written element, which is changing. In addition to the formal lessons within key skills, I also worked on an extra curricular media project with Gaia. Students (mainly G+T) were chosen to be taken out of lessons to create scene from a drama text, to be filmed and then they were to edit their own work. Student groups were also responsible for the music and backdrops, as the work was filmed using greenscreen. The students had a really positive experience and developed their technical skills- but they hadn't been required to have any written element during the process, which was mainly combined with other "practical" subjects, meaning that the written element was missing. I do believe if media is introduced at KS3 this is important- as students are required to create written responses at KS4 and 5- which is more and more what drama specialists are finding with the new GCSE specifications and the increase in written responses and the need to introduce this earlier on in the subject.
There used to be specific media-focused units within KS3 English prepared by a Media Studies specialist, but these units have been increasingly marginalised as the new GCSEs have emerged and KS3 has been restructured to prepare students for those new GCSEs where a specific focus on media literacy does not seem to exist.
No, tends to be skirted over by non specialists.
Q6 - In an ideal world, how would media literacy be delivered to key stage three students?
As an ongoing series of projects, supported by a lesson per fortnight minimum, where students would be encouraged to explore persuasion, manipulation, information delivery etc. by participating in the creation of media texts in support of other aspects of school life e.g. adverts promoting their favourite subjects; how-to explainer videos to help students pick up and use study skills; short documentary pieces focusing on one small aspects of their school environment... etc.Through a project approach - and threaded through each subject.
As a discrete lesson, alongside subjects like computer science at KS3- combining the written and practical elements from the start, so that students understand that it is a two tiered subject. Also ensuring that students are working from their current knowledge - which would require an element of base line testing, as many year 7 students will have had different levels of exposure to the different platforms.
Through PSHE or as part of a Media unit in English.
As part of every lesson. The same as literacy across the curriculum.
Discrete lessons and embedded into ks3 curriculum.
Probably an hour a week same as ICT.
As a stand-alone subject (very unlikely), through specific media literacy-related units within English and as a focus across the whole curriculum: all subjects use media materials, which students should be encouraged to take a critical approach to.
Through PSHSE sessions Workshops.
During English lessons but as part of media units taught across the year.
It should be compulsory for all.
In tutor times but from external agencies who can show the power of the media from both a positive and negative angle.
Media lessons.
Q7 - Currently, media literacy does not feature prominently in the UK’s national curriculum. Why do you think this is?
Media literacy is seen as frivolous and not taken seriously as an academic subject. In a sense, Media Studies in the 21st century is where English Literature was in the 19th century - largely derided for not being important like the Classics, or relevant like the sciences. The cynic in me feels that there are considerable vested interests who make a lot of money out of our media illiteracy, who stand to lose a lot if the general populace become media literate and capable of being discerning media consumers.Media is not considered an important academic subject by the government and by the media itself. Perhaps if all students were skilled in media literacy then it might upset the hegemonic status quo!
Because it isn't considered academic. This also follows the way in which Drama is required in terms of the fact that it doesn't have to be taught in any form or at any stage of the curriculum. Both subjects suffer the "part of English" curriculum labels. Whilst they have their similarities in terms of communicating to an audience, the same could potentially be said for music and yet that is an arts subject. I think that people struggle to put it in a pigeon hole of arts, English or computers and so it falls between gaps and is easily discarded.
Rarely are useful changes made in education - and those who make these decisions are of a generation that do not interact with the media in the way our students do. It is too 'modern' a problem.
It isn't seen as important by those outside teaching.
Not popular with gov.
Our government is so focused on creating students that are academic and not creative. The government is changing too many schools to getting rid of creative subjects and telling schools those subjects are not worth anything in school data so therefore schools are not providing it or providing very little of it.
It's partly to do with the longstanding perception of Media Studies as a 'soft subject' because of its insistence on taking popular culture seriously, but also, perhaps, because it has the potential to be a very subversive subject which can encourage students to question authority and ask some very awkward questions of those in power.
- a more media literate society which doesn't allow for the levels of propaganda we alga even all been inflicted with in the past (and still today)
- being a ctiticla, independent thinker allows more creativity which does not fit into the capitalist goals -narrow mindedness
- it's absurd that media focussed subjects are still considered 'soft'. I've just been told that I can only deliver either film or media a level next year as they can't afford to run both course, ofqual are inherently disapproving of these subjects. Our education system is archaic and will not develop students to function and flourish in our contemporary world.
Because it's not valued by the DFEE or many SLTs.
Previous education secretaries archaic view of education. We have a fundamentally Victorian view of education.
The curriculum is still archaic and is not keeping up with the ever changing world.
Not valued as important.
No comments:
Post a Comment