My Media Literacy Autobiography

Brainstorming my Media Literacy Autobiography

1.     What are your earliest recollections of watching television, going to the movies or listening to the radio? Growing up, we did not have cable television until I was about ten years old. We had an extensive movie collection. I think this is why I get funny looks from my husband when I respond to something that happens with a random movie reference that he has never even heard of. I remember we first got cable television when I turned ten, and I also got a television that year for my birthday. I loved watching shows like Wishbone, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, and Doug. As for listening to the radio, I always had to listen to what my parents were listening to. When I was with my mom, it was country music (which I cannot stand, now), and with my dad it was always the oldies station.

2.     What commercials or advertisements do still remember from your childhood? I honestly could not remember any distinct advertisements or commercials, so I asked my husband if he remembered any. Once he started talking about ones he remembered, it started to make me remember them, also. The Tang commercials, the Campbell’s commercial where the little boy is a snowman that melts, the Nesquick commercials, and basically any other 90’s item that is not around or popular anymore.

3.     Do you remember desperately wanting to buy something as a child based on an advertisement? What was it? Why did you want it? I remember growing up that once Thanksgiving came and went that the toy commercials got more and more prevalent. I remember waiting for the commercials to see what toys were going to be out for Christmas.

4.     What are your earliest recollections of using social media? My earliest recollections of social media are Xanga, Myspace, and AOL Instant Messaging. I would spend much of pre-teen and early teenage years typing in Xanga, arranging my Top Friends on Myspace, and messaging my friends on AIM.

5.     Describe a negative experience with social media? The problem with social media is that it is too easy to access people. For example, when my husband and I first got married, he had his phone number on his Facebook (not a good idea). A girl that he knew as an acquaintance started texting him. It ended up causing problems because she was relentless. We eventually had to go get him a new phone number and change the privacy settings on his Facebook.

6.     Describe a positive experience with social media? Instead of focusing in on a personal experience, I wanted to see something positive I just saw on Facebook today. A soldier took a picture of a little stuffed fish that was sent to him in a care package with a note from a little girl that this was her friend that protected her from monsters, and she wanted it to do the same for him. I loved this story and that it was being spread all over the globe by means of social media because it highlighted some good in the world during a dark time.

7.     Describe your current media viewing habits (binge watching Netflix shows on iPad). My husband and I both have certain shows that we watch, and we watch them as an entire family. My favorites are Pretty Little Liars and One Upon a Time. Shows we like to watch all together are Biggest Loser, American Ninja Warrior, and Ink Master.

8.     Do you have a favorite commercial or advertisement? My family (not sports fans) always jokes that the only reason we watch the Super Bowl is for the commercials. My husband, who is a sports fan, never finds this funny. I think my favorite commercials are a tie between the Sonic commercials with the 2 guys in the car (because I find them hilariously ridiculous) and the Mayhem commercials for All State (because I love the sarcastic attitude of the character).

9.     Have you bought something recently because of an advertisement? We went Christmas shopping on Black Friday and we purchased 2 games that my oldest son saw that he really wanted. He saw the commercials on TV and got really excited.

10.  What have you read or heard recently on the radio, TV or Internet that has caused you to have a strong reaction? Describe and explain. I would have to say that everything on the news and social media about what happened in Paris caused me to have a strong reaction of anger and fear. I was angry that someone would hurt others like this, and fear because of the state of the world today.

11.  When do you think you became media literate? Give an example. I would say that when I got into middle school was when I became media literate. I was going online to search for information, whether for pleasure or for school.

12.  Do you consider yourself digitally literate? Explain. I believe that I digitally literate. I know how to find information online, I know how to evaluate information online, and I know how to work my way around many different forms of digital technology.

13.  Find 3-5 quotes from the course reading that cause you to have a strong reaction. Reread your reaction. Do you still find these quotes powerful? Why? Why not?

"As a result, when inappropriate sharing or relational aggression happens on Facebook and Myspace, its impact can reverberate across many aspects of school life" (Hobbs 124).

"There are many things that I claim to 'know' that I know only from mediated experience" (Hobbs 72).

"School leaders can inspire educators by helping teachers make large and small steps toward embracing new ideas and instructional practices" (Hobbs 170)

I still find all of these quotes powerful because all three show a different part of media literacy: the importance of using digital media responsibly, recognizing what one knows, and the importance of working together.

14.  What course reading or video impacted your thinking the most about the importance of developing the digital and critical media in school?

15.  What approach to media literacy to you most closely align:​

As much as my love and devotion to books is, I must say I fall more under the media literacy movement. As a Teacher Librarian, I focus a lot of my units on finding information using digital media and teaching them how to read and valuate the information.

After you answer the questions review your answers and then answer these questions:

1.     What role has media played in your life? Media has always played the role of a luxury in my life. In my childhood, media was not very relevant because there was a lack of it, and when I got older, it became a way of communicating with others or looking up things that interested me.

2.     Has your relationship with media changed over time? Now, with my job, media is more of a necessity. I use media to look up information for lessons, and I teach digital technology skills. I still use it as a luxury for communication, but it does hold a more prevalent place.

3.    Has your understanding of what it means to be literate in the 21st century changed or evolved because of this course? How? My understanding of being 21^st century literate has changed from just being able to find information to being able to use the information, evaluate the information, and deconstruct the information.

4.     What, if anything, do you notice about your own experiences with media that can help inform your future teaching practices? I think that I could use my experiences in order to show my students the positive and negatives of media so that they can use their better judgment when using media.

5.     Why is it important to incorporate media literacy into your current or future teaching practices? I think it is important to incorporate media literacy into my teaching practices because it will better prepare my students for the future. Media literacy is becoming more and more of a necessity in this 21^st century world.

6.     How will you incorporate media literacy into your future teaching practices? I love the idea the one video gave of teaching students how to find stories in the world and how to tell these stories.

 

If you are the protagonist of the story you have just told. What kind of story is it?

A member of a band of bold adventurers! I see life as an adventure, and I love to experience it with those around me (although I have a little reading grasshopper in me, too.)

My Digital Story

My digital story is all about me finding out I was going to be a mother for the first time. I did not have a stereotypical response; I didn't jump up and down with joy. No, I cried and was terrified. But with the love and support of my husband, we fixed our situation to prepare to be parents. My story ends with me showing that adding children to your lives does not mean that your life is over. Adding a child to our lives meant that our lives had just begun.

At first, I thought my story was just that, a story. I didn't think it could be used to do any of things mentioned. But I began to think about my audience, young mothers. My story could provide support young girls who became pregnant and were scared or nervous. Too often, women are expected to be overjoyed at becoming pregnant, but that puts lot of pressure on them. Sometimes, young girls need to know that it is okay to be afraid of becoming a mother. I think my video shows that it is okay to be afraid, but with love and support, everything will turn out good in the end.

Infusing Digital and Media Literacy Across the Curriculum

Chapter 9

"School leaders can inspire educators by helping teachers make large and small steps toward embracing new ideas and instructional practices" (Hobbs 170)

There is really a chain reaction that needs to occur. State board needs to inspire school administrators, schools administrators should be trying to inspire their teachers to push the boundaries, and teachers should be inspiring their students to embrace new ideas and to push themselves.

"When integrating digital and media literacy into the subject areas, it's possible that superficial uses of digital media and technology may trivialize the practice of accessing, analyzing, composing, reflecting, and taking action" (Hobbs 171-172)

I have seen it often that teachers will say they incorporate technology into their classrooms every day, when in reality they use a PowerPoint program to accompany their lecture. We are doing our students any justice if we are not showing them how to truly incorporate technology into their lives.

"A deep commitment to student voice is at the heart of digital and media literacy" (Hobbs 175).

We must not take the voice of our students' away. They have to have the chance to speak their own stories, otherwise digital and media literacy is just another school project.

Tha Danger of a Single Story

Three things I learned about storytelling are that there are examples of every culture somewhere in literature (even if it is sometimes hard to find), there is always more to the story, and there is an awful stereotype of African culture portrayed in most literature.

The most important thing I learned is we must not close our eyes and minds to a single story because each story has so much more, below the surface.

Chapter 6

"Researchers have shown that students who write about topics they choose freely write lengthier essays and their work is more detailed and clearly organized." (Hobbs 109).

As an English major who has student taught in several English classrooms, I would have to most definitely agree with this statement. It goes along with the fact that students will read (even if they are reluctant readers) something that they have interest in. That is why, as a teacher, it is so important to know your students. I do a Reading Interest Inventory every year so that I can better suggest books to my students.

"Readers, viewers, and listeners pay attention to stereotypes because they are familiar" (Hobbs 114).

I think this goes along with what the speaker in the TED Talk was saying about the gentleman reading her book. He was paying attention to African stereotypes, and he noticed that her characters did not follow these stereotypes, so in his mind they were wrong.

"When teachers choose to deconstruct media messages that students consider to be pleasurable, there can be an emotional fallout" (Hobbs 119).

Students just want to be accepted for who they are, with their peers and their teachers. Students cannot wait to tell their teachers about something that happened to them. They always want to ask if the teacher saw this or heard that. When a teacher makes them feel ashamed for something they found pleasure in, whether the teacher does this purposely or not, causes a disconnect and it hurts the students.

Eveyone Around You Has a Story to Tell

I definitely understand and agree with him stressing the importance of hearing a loved one’s story. In my undergraduate, I took a class that required an interview a family member to get an oral family history. I interviewed my dad, and he told me this amazing story about how my grandmother and grandfather met. Without going into too much detail, him riding to a sale on a cow was how the story began. Like the speaker, I had the privilege of getting to know more. I got to learn more about where I truly came from, and that was amazing.

Storyboard for Digital Story

Brainstorming My Digital Story

1. Describe a positive scene from childhood.

My dad was, and still is, a farrier (someone who trims and shoes a horse's feet). As a child, I would frequently go with my dad. I loved horses so much, so it was very exciting. Oddly enough, now as an adult, the memories I have are not so much being around the horses (even though most of his customers would let me ride the horses afterwards) but the car rides with my dad. My dad is an oldies fan, when it comes to music. We would listen to old songs on the radio. He would also sing songs to me. He would sing The Lion Sleeps Tonight and a song that started with "When I was an itty-bitty baby, my momma would sock me in the cradle..." I have asked my dad if my son, who is now four-years-old, would be able to go with him to shoe horses. I want him to have these same memories.

2. Describe a negative scene from childhood.

As hard as this is to talk about, there was a really negative scene from my childhood that instantly comes to mind. When I was about 10-years-old, I had a friend that was not exactly the greatest of influences, not that I am solely blaming her because I did make my own decisions. One day, we were at a local store when she talked me into stealing something. Of all things, it was a stupid, insignificant pair of socks. We ended up getting caught, the town police officer came and talked to both of us, and talked to our parents. I was in so much trouble, but even more than that, I was so embarrassed. I definitely learned my lesson, and have never taken anything since. As a matter of fact, I have gotten to my car at Walmart and realized I forgot to scan an item at self-checkout and have gone back to pay for it. As negative as an experience as it was, I am almost glad it happened. It made me sit down and evaluate the friends I had, and I ended up becoming a better person. If I had not been caught, it could’ve escalated, and I may not have the same life that I have, today.

3. Describe a particular event from teenage years.

I was fifteen years old when I met the boy that would eventually become my husband. We met during my sophomore year, his freshman year, in high school at band camp (yes, band camp). We were together all through high school. Funny enough, m particular event from my teenage years is more of an “adult-like” moment (heads out of the gutter, please :P). My senior year of high school, we went to dinner and a movie, like we did quite frequently. In the parking lot, though, he stopped me, and asked me if one day I would consider marrying him. Of course, I said yes, and he gave me my promise ring. I remember everything from that night. We were outside of the Dragon Buffet in Whitehall, and it was raining, pouring, actually. It was very movie-esque. It is quite funny to think back to that moment now because one year later he proposed for real on Christmas Eve and in just one year after that we were married. Now, we have been together for eleven years, married for seven, and we have two amazing children together.

4. Vivid or important memory from adult years.

I have two children. I was blessed with two beautiful, healthy little boys. While my first son’s birth was obviously memorable, my second son’s birth was a little more vivid. I won’t go into certain details, but it was a scary moment for sure. I was about to get my epidural, and the anesthesiologist told me that the baby’s heart rate could drop. I was not worried, though. They said the same thing with my first, and his didn’t, so I assumed it wouldn’t happen this time either. I got the epidural, and after a few minutes, I began to feel very sick. My husband grabbed me a bucket, I threw up and felt very dizzy. All of a sudden, the nurses ran in, laid me on my side, and put an oxygen mask on my mouth. No one would tell me what was happening. I could see my husband was scared. He grabbed my hand. My mother, who never gets scared of anything, looked terrified. I just remember that I kept asking someone to tell me what was happening. Eventually, everything slowed down, they took off the mask, and told me everything was fine. I was so scared.

5. A turning point in my life.

Obviously, my turning point was becoming a mother. I became a mother at twenty-two years old. I had always thought about myself before, even when I got married. I mean, I thought about my husband, too, but I still feel like I thought of myself more. That all changed when I held my first son, Landon, for the first time. I remember that I didn’t really feel different when I was pregnant, until I felt him kick for the first time. I just remember thinking, “Wow…I am responsible for this little person.” When I held him for the first time, my whole world changed. I started thinking about everything I said and did because I knew it would affect my son.

 

The Power of Storytelling

Video #1:  It's More Than Dancing  http://reelworks.org/videos/its-more-than-dancing/
Video #2:  Beyond the Flip  http://reelworks.org/videos/beyond-the-flip/
Video #3:  Dancing Alone  http://reelworks.org/videos/dancing-alone/
Video #4:  Selfies  http://reelworks.org/videos/selfies/
Video #5:  Heart & Hussle  http://reelworks.org/videos/heart-hustle/

I chose the following video as my favorite:

• I really enjoy the fact that the video is set up as a poem. I also like the fact that the video is completely made up of clips of her dancing. It almost puts the viewer in her mind as she is trying to fight her pain and continue dancing.
• I learned that the narrator found a way to fight through a difficult time in her life and that she found strength in dancing.
• I don't think there were any surprises, but I did think it was interesting that she made her story into a poem, which is associated with music, which has rhythm and is associated with dance. The whole story flowed together nicely.
• This digital story showed a young girl overcoming the loss of her mother leaving her.
• I think the sole purpose of this video was an outward showing of overcoming this major obstacle and finding a way (through dance) to work past it, or at least learn to cope with the situation.

The 7 Elements of Digital Storytelling

Video: Just Being There

Element #1:
The story is in third person point of view.  The narrator is part of the action of the story, but it is coming from him.

It is the narrator's voice that we hear.

Element #2:
"Sometimes, grown-ups make bad decisions. These decisions may result in life-changing losses for children."

Element #3:
The emotional paradigms portrayed in this story are death and loss.

Element #4:
The effect of the voice from this story is very powerful. There is a genuine concern sound in the voice. The voice also gives off a sense of being lost and confused.

Element #5:
There is a soundtrack to this video, and I think it represents the message very well. The music is not fast-paced and upbeat, but it does have a positive rhythm that highlights the children being able to work their way through the dark occurrences in their lives.

Element #6:
The sequence and transitions are expertly strung together. There is a brief moment where the screen is black, and the narrator is just speaking.  This is such an important part of the story, where the narrator is discussing the question he was asked and how it made him feel. The lack of an image gives the viewer time to focus on the question and how it makes them feel.

Element #7:
The narrator uses a nice pace in his storytelling. He gives pauses to give time to reflect and he repeats important phrases (like "I just sit and listen").

Media Literacy PSA

Composing Across Media

"Romance comes first. Emotional involvement with the subject matter compels our interest" (Hobbs 89).

This is probably the trickiest part to teaching because while most of us as educators understand that students learn best when interested, it is difficult to make some things we are required to teach interesting to students. Teachers that are able to get their students interested in, or to love, their subject have the best results. If you can get students interested in the subject matter, the precision and generalization processes will come much, much easier.

Aww...the joy that is engaged students!

 

The Power of Representation

"There are many things that I claim to 'know' that I know only from mediated experience" (Hobbs 72).

I absolutely had to use the image below because my husband says this about me all of the time. The fact of the matter is that this quote is an embodiment of me. I am constantly reading, listening to music, watching movies and videos, etc. I can usually hold my own in any conversation about anything, even without a thorough knowledge of the subject. Most of my knowledge comes from mediated experiences. I do not think this is so much a bad thing, though. I do have my share of real-world experiences, but I am a visual learner who remembers things best by reading or seeing it. It is very easy for me to recall something I have read and apply it to whatever is being discussed.

PSA Storyboard

Critical Questions, Close Reading

"But overuse of closed questions risks turning students into barking seals, performing the role of good student" (Hobbs 54).

I love open-ended questions because when you can get a student talking, you can truly see their understanding. When you use closed questions, you are only seeing understanding of a small portion of the information. Also, with closed questions, you are not seeing their thought processes, which I personally feel is such an amazing thing to witness.

Authors and Audience
1. This publication is put out by TIME, and according to their website, "Nearly one-half of all U.S. adults read a Time Inc. magazine, and our audience growth consistently outpaces the industry". They also state that more than 50 percent of their print subscribers have an income of $100,000.

Messages and Meanings
2. The image is a school desk that is all white, surrounded by an all white room, which is appealing because of the clean look and feel it portrays. Also, the bright green apple serves as a nice aesthetic.

3. Some may see this message as positive "Building a Student for the 21st Century" because it puts out the idea of making sure students are ready for life after high school. Another more negative way to perceive the message, though, is impersonal. This wording turns students into objects, instead of people.

Representation and Reality
4. Education is at the forefront of the issue, with a focus on 21st century learners. The point of view is obviously adults, teachers most likely.

5. Explanation seems to be missing. I do not feel like it is enough to say this is a How To when there is not a subtitle with a small bit of explanation.

PSA #1

• Identify the topic of Public Service Announcement

My PSA will focus on posting hateful or violent content online. We often want to focus our attention on the emotional stance of the victims of cyberbullying (and with good reason), but we do not focus much time into what consequences can occur to those who are posting the hateful/violent content. I would like to focus my Public Service Announcement on the doers instead of the receivers.

• Facts and Statistics

Cyberbullying.org: All states, with the exception of Montana, have enacted bullying prevention laws, which recognize cyberbullying. A few states have specified that those found guilty of cyberbullying may receive fines and/or jail time

In the case of Kowlaski vs. Berkley County Schools, a student was suspended for 10 days for creating a hurtful website dedicated to hurting another student emotionally.

http://cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-legal-issues.pdf

Bullystatistics.org: Cyberbullies, and their parents in some cases, may face criminal charges for partaking in cyberbullying.

Examples of cyberbullying posted online may effect students when applying for college or a job.

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html

StompOutBullying.org: When cyberbullying and getting caught could face arrest depending on the degree of the incident.

• Identify the audience

My hopes are that this PSA could target anyone of any age that could identify as a bully. I suppose, though, that my main audience are identified bullies in school.

Life Online

"As a result, when inappropriate sharing or relational aggression happens on Facebook and Myspace, its impact can reverberate across many aspects of school life" (Hobbs 124).

This quote highlights a major issue we are facing today in terms of social networking. Cyber bullying, sexting, pedophilia, etc. are all made possible though social networking, and most of it stems from children using the Internet but not knowing how to do so safely or appropriately. The problem is that kids are kids. Just today, I had one student call another student and idiot. While I spoke to him privately about this, he realized that he shouldn't have said it, felt bad, and apologized. The problem is that when this same thing is done online, it is not as easy to "take back". Students don't realize the consequences f posting things or texting things. They don't grasp the concept that once it is out there, it is never truly gone or deleted.

"Don't screen a video in a classroom that you haven't previewed first outside of class." (Hobbs 129)

Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way. I purchased the video Cyberbully to show my 8th grade students during our school's Anti-Bullying Week. This was my first year of teaching. I thought the video would be a great addition and means of discussion. I knew it was shown on ABC Family and a popular video. However, watching it in the class with my first class, I instantly regretted not watching it myself, first. The words used were way too much for 8th graders to be hearing. I had to eventually turn it off and tell the students we would have to come up with something else. Even though several students told me that they watched it at home, I felt it was not appropriate for me to be showing in class.

"Psychologically, this German term is often used in the English language without translation to describe the emotional response generated in feeling pleasure at another person's misfortune or suffering" (Hobbs 134).

This concept is so relevant in today's media. Shows like Ridiculousness, videos on social media like Vines, and images of people dressed awkwardly at Walmart...these are all popular examples of the term schadenfreude. We (and when I say we, I mean kids and adults alike) love viewing these shows, videos, and images because we find it hilarious. The problem is, though, that we would not enjoy this as much if we were the ones subjected to the suffering or misfortune.

Commercial Deconstruction

I found the Century Link commercial both catchy and appealing, which was obviously their goal. I found the deconstruction extremely interesting because I did not know the related facts about New Mexico and its inhabitants in relation to this product. With that being said, my lack of knowledge on the subject makes it hard for me to judge the commercial and deconstruction and whether or not the ad is a cover. Based on the facts presented, it does seem as if the ad could truly be a cover, but I have to wonder if there is some bias involved when the writer states "We", or is the information purely factual?

As far as the AllTell commercial, I think the deconstruction is spot on. It does not seem to include any bias whatsoever. She completely breaks down the commercial to prove her deconstruction. I have seen this commercial before, and I hate that I never realized the stereotyping that is clearly evident. The commercial clearly makes the white family seem normal and desirable, while the immigrant tenants are strange and loud. The humor they attempt to portray with this stereotype overshadow the fine print on savings that the deconstruction elaborates on. I will definitely be watching commercials more closely for other stereotypes that show up.

Now that I have watched a few commercial deconstructions, I tried to watch this commercial very closely. The first thing that I noticed was that there were no white children. I did not make the connection of a white male "saving" children of other races, but I did find the lack of white children strange. This commercial really bothered me, though, not for the obvious racial aspect, but because the company is trying to portray nature and learning as boring and toys as amazing. It is already tough for teachers to get students interested in learning, we do not need Toys R Us's help, or rather lack there of.

Chapter 2

"Listening and asking questions are the most important practices that activate critical thinking in the high school classroom." (Hobbs 33).

I thought this quote missed its true meaning by adding the piece about in the high school classroom because I feel like listening and asking questions is extremely important at every level of education. I love to listen to my middle school students explain things from their points of view because it gives me a chance to get some insight into their lives.

"Not only is it important to be able to identify the source of information, we must also examine the quality of information we encounter" (Hobbs 35).

I try and stress this to my students as soon as we start researching online. I always try and get them to understand that they have to learn how to judge information they find online for quality. They do not want to do all of that work to find a source, but the information not be good quality. An example that I give is that even though The Washington Post might be a good source of information, but if the information is not up- to- date, accurate, or relevant, the source makes no difference.

"simply reading six, eight, or twelve works of classic literature in a year doesn't meet of our students' real needs when it comes to developing reading and writing skills" (Hobbs 36).

As an English major, I am heartbroken to think that the classics are not enough, but I also understand this. Not everyone gets what they need from Shakespeare, but they may get what they need from reading more informational text. This is why I am okay with the Common Core, because I do feel that there needs to be a balance between literature and informational text. Students need to learn how to read for information, although I am still a major advocate for literature and the classics because there is a lot to be learned from the classics.

 I think memes track media literacy because they are easily recognizable to students. I used a series of memes in my Welcome Back PowerPoint, and the students were really interested and engaged because they recognized the images.

My Magazine Cover

The first and main persuasive technique I used was a celebrity endorsement. I actually searched it up and Bill Gates is a major advocate for the Common Core, and the quote was really one of his. (I wanted to make sure I didn't have any libel on my cover.)

The second technique that I used was the bandwagon approach when I said that everyone feels like it is a good thing to be able to read for information. What I mean by this is that too often, students can interpret Shakespeare but they can't read their taxes (this is especially true in my case), so I feel like teaching students to read and interpret informational text is a great thing.

The last persuasive approach was the emotional approach with trying to enact some fear in students being failed.

Reflecting on Our Love Hate Relationship with Media

After viewing and reading everyone else's Padlet entries, here are some interesting concepts I gleaned:

• Although there were a few that mentioned other types of print media, it seems most of us automatically went with books.
• I think that one person said that visual media conveys meaning, which I think sums up everyone else's love of visual media.
• It seems that we all love to listen to media, but not media that is repetitive.
• We all seem to hate the parts of digital media that make it scary.

My reflection (In a Love/Hate Relationship with Digital Media)

The Internet offers such endless capabilities that I personally take part of every day. I can search for lesson plan ideas, listen to my favorite music, and connect with friends on Facebook, all in one sitting. If I need to know the answer to a question quickly, Google is just a click away. If I want to know why 5 ambulances and fire trucks just went whizzing don my street, Facebook usually has the answer before the news. If my students are talking about this hilarious video, and I want to be able to connect with them, I can easily pull up YouTube.

I use Digital Media in my classroom all of the time. I help my students learn how to research online. I expose them to new information they can learn about, like on Wonderopolis.org. I let them explore the world using Google Earth.

While I can go on and on about all of the reasons I love Digital Media, I can also list some reasons why I completely despise Digital Media.

With endless possibilities comes endless dangers. I a lucky, now, that my sons are 4 and 1 because I don't have to worry about all of these dangers, yet. I do know that I will eventually have to fear when my  children go online. You always wonder, who are they talking to, what are they looking at, etc. At school, I have to be constantly circulating the room when my students are using the Internet. Even with my constant vigilance, I still have had students get on things they shouldn't have. It is a shame that I cannot let my students freely use the Internet, but the reality is that it is my responsibility to keep my students safe.

Love Hate Relationship with Media

Magazine Deconstruction

According to the publication's site, The Blaze is, "a news and information website, TV network, digital radio network and small business marketplace – but above all else we are a community of people, bound together by a shared set of values: Truth. Respect. Ingenuity and Family" (theBlaze.com). The publication is directly related to Glenn Beck, a right-wing conservative who openly speaks his mind on multiple issues. According to the site, The Blaze began back in 2010 with a goal to "cover a wide range of topics from politics to culture, technology to science, faith to family" (theBlaze.com) The site has become over time one of top 100 websites in the world.

The target audience of this particular issue are the parents of students around the US. The technique used is a threatening, warning-like tone that is used to scare parents into believing what the publication says is a threat to our children, freedom, and future. The publication uses big letters on the front of the issue that make this bold statement.

As a parent, I would interpret this article much differently than I would as the teacher that I am. As a parent, I would become worried about how these new standards are going to effect my child and my child's growth in school. As a teacher, though, I understand that this is just trying to scare parents into believing all of the horrible misconceptions of the Common Core standards.

The people who would like to abolish Common Core would definitely benefit from this article, but the well-being of the students may be at stake. There may be problems with the Common Core, but I do believe they are moving education in the right direction.

The perspective being left out of this publication is that of educators or those that believe in the good of the Common Core. I believe that in order for something to be made credible it must be without opinion or bias and it must highlight points from both sides of the argument, so I would be apt to say that this publication is not credible. Not knowing much about Glenn Beck, I would be willing to bet that this pushes his beliefs on the Common Core.

Critical Media Literacy: Core Concepts and Debates

"We would resist, however, extreme claims that the era of the book and print
literacy are over" (Kellner and Share 370).

I am so glad to read this because too often I have heard that books are becoming obsolete, Libraries will be a thing of the past, and, my personal favorite (she typed sarcastically) "Oh, you're a Librarian! So you teach all of your students computer skills, right? I try and instill a love and value of books in all of my students. We do many things on computers, and I teach them research and use the Internet appropriately, but that is not what defines my classes and my teaching.

"It is highly irresponsible in the face of saturation by the Internet and media culture
to ignore these forms of socialization and education; consequently, a critical
reconstruction of education should produce pedagogies that provide media literacy
and enable students, teachers, and citizens to discern the nature and effects of media
culture" (Kellner and Share 371).

I think that this quote sums up why taking classes like this one are important because the world of education is going to and has to continue to evolve with the ways of the world. We may not be to the point that technology is being implemented in education as it should be, but hopefully we will continue to go in that direction. As standards change to include more technology implication, so must our pedagogy.

"When groups often under-represented or misrepresented in the media
become investigators of their representations and creators of their own meanings the
learning process becomes an empowering expression of voice and democratic
transformation" (Kellner and Share 372).

I think this speaks volumes to the importance of making at-home and school connections. When we allow students to connect something in school to their home life or their culture, they become investigators, teachers, and even advocates.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I definitely feel like I fit the media literacy movement. I have such a love for books (the ones with paper and covers, not font on a screen), but I also know the importance of using media, especially in ways of expressing oneself.

Introductory Post

My name is Jessie Long, and I am from Fairview, West Virginia. I live in Fairmont, now, with my husband and our two sons, Landon (4) and Carter (1). I teach Library Media at East Fairmont Middle School, where I have been for three years. At my school I also am the adviser for Student Council and Yearbook. Last year, I coached 7th grade girls' basketball for the first time, and I had such a great experience that I plan on continuing to coach.

With this class and degree I am hoping to become an asset in my school as a technology advocate. I hope to be able to help the teachers in my building implement new technologies in their classrooms in order to help our students become 21st century learners.