Issues in Educational Technology
WHY CORE STANDARDS
MUST EMBRACE
MUST EMBRACE
Authors: Richard Beach & Frank W. Baker
SUMMARY
We cannot really hide the fact about the youth getting so hooked into devices released throughout the market from time to time. However, studies show that the young generation lacks several skills of being media literate. Youths are not able to access, evaluate, produce, and critically analyze media messages and utilize digital tools properly.
According to Ernest L. Boyer (1989), children must know how to segregate facts from falsifications such as isolation of social cliche, analysis from banter, and important news from coverage. The demonstration of teachers to students about nonprint media was a resolution made by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 1996 while the necessity of new digital and media literacy was recognized by their executive committee in 2008.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills attached media literacy in English Language Arts, Social Studies and other disciplines. Based from the K-12 Horizon report that New Media Consortium published, there is a demand of formal instruction in key new skills as a challenge to schools. However, printed literacies are still in favor due to the federal No Child Left Behind Act and growth of standardized reading and written tests.
The usage of media literacies through the Common Core State Standards were adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. The cyberspace and devices serve as the target for constructing media content while engaging other individuals and there are no particular sources for critical analysis.
Most of the states' teaching standards reduce focus on media and information instruction according to the 1999 national survey of state standards which led to four ways to address the common standards' limited focus on media literacy based from the article:
1. Add additional standards for media/digital literacy. The Common Core State Standards Initiative allows states to add their own standards for use in their schools.
2. Build on the common core standards to develop curriculum and instruction designed to integrate print and media/digital literacies. The common standard formulate instructional goals.
3. Push for assessments that include measures of media/digital literacies that employ media/digital tools. Assessments could require students to critique examples of media representations of race, class, or gender, or to engage in accessing and assessing the quality of online information.
4. Support and fund professional development for teachers to help them incorporate media/literacy into instruction. There is a need to provide in-service instruction for busy teachers.
A call for the demand of teachers in implementing a focus in media literacy through common core standards must not be ignored in order to achieve better preparations for the students' lives in the 21st century.
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DISCUSSION
What additional standard for media/digital literacy you may consider for CNMI PSS?
Think of a suggestion on how to replace printed literacies to media/digital literacy that won't violate the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
What assessment would you suggest to employ media/digital literacy?
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REFLECTION
Information and media literacy engage individuals to apply critical thinking skills to a wide range of cases. These have been practiced inside the classroom when it comes to discussion of current issues. Since I am a teacher aide, I find teachers tackling media literacy in subjects such as English Language arts, Social Studies and Science. In the Lu'ao Learning Center for Special Education, we also give assessments to students that collaborates in being media literate. However, the school needs a person who has higher knowledge in media literacy in order to show proper orientation to students by training teachers on the principles of information and media literacy. We also have to consider the regulations and policies that won't deprive the federal No Child Left Behind Act when applying these. Using technology is one of the requirements nowadays that teachers must comply in delivering lessons to students. In specific subject areas such as Social Studies, current issues involves media that covers a lot of media literacy.
I love the layout of your blog! The colors make me even more excited to read it!
ReplyDeleteYour blog post brings up some crucial points about media literacy. It is true that devices are frequently used by today’s generation yet they lack some skills when it comes to being media literate. As a teacher, I think the use of printed literacy is essential for students to learn. I know your discussion question asked for a suggestion on how to replace printed literacies to digital ones, but I think the use of digital literacy can be used to enhance the child’s learning. I often use printed material, then enhance the concept with media. It gives students the chance to learn in multiple ways (visual, intrapersonal, and audio). Also the importance of writing is essential. Digital learning would take away from some of the important aspects of writing. The No Child Left Behind Act should look at digital literacies as a way to enhance the learning experience.
I think some assessments that can be used to gauge where students are in terms of their media literacy skills would be for them to create original pieces or to analyze and evaluate different pieces of media relevant, of course, to what they are learning in their core subjects at their grade levels.
ReplyDeleteWith the continual implementation of digital learning and technology in the classroom, it is essential for the students today to obtain the right skills that are everything-technology. Most technological innovation only means more technological literacy, and media literacy is also important.
I totally agree with your call for the demand of teachers in implementing a focus in media literacy through common core standards. We should not ignore it because we should take advantage of it in order to achieve better preparations for the students' lives in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog Post Maria!
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should get get our educators to use more of the digital learning and technology in the classrooms although I still believe that writing on plain old paper with a pencil is also very important.
Great Blog Post Maria!
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should get get our educators to use more of the digital learning and technology in the classrooms although I still believe that writing on plain old paper with a pencil is also very important.