Navigating the Media Maze: How The Willows Teaches Media Literacy

 

 

 

 

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My name is Brian Tousey; I am the Media Literacy Coordinator at The Willows. Since 1997, I’ve also worked as a classroom teacher, primarily in the Middle School.  From the moment I began teaching, I immediately incorporated media into my lessons. It felt like a natural extension of the educational training I received at the University of Illinois. My thought then (and now) was that a great way to learn about a given time period was to examine the art created during that time. The music. The photography. The writing.  And of course, the movies.

For me, it all started with the movies. My obsession with film started early and to be honest, continues unabated to this day. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, the film criticism of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were hugely important to how I thought about films as “more” than just entertainment. Through their weekly TV show, I was schooled on how to read a film on three levels- the cinematic level, the historical/cultural level, and of course, the narrative level.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on "the narrative"- who shapes the narrative of our society these days? What information is being delivered to us? Can we trust it? These questions are the heart of why we are putting such a focus on media literacy this year. The world is changing and the way we communicate is changing. Digital communication is the new language and media literacy is the way to teach it. But how?

My goal for the year is to help to get us all thinking about the five Core Concepts when approaching media, either as a consumer, a creator, or as a teacher of those things. Those Core Concepts are:

1.     All media messages are constructed.

2.     Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.

3.     Media messages are produced for particular purpose: gain in profit or power.

4.     Media messages have embedded values and points of view.

5.     Different people understand the same message differently.

In September, I observed 3^rd grade using these Core Concepts in guiding their students to ask good questions about the information they receive, by interrogating the infamous photo of Kathrine Switzer running in the 1960 marathon, to examining an electoral college map and all its components.  The 3^rd grade teachers modeled good questions and guided the kids to focus on “the why” rather than “the what.”  Additionally, through media literacy, those teachers helped make their students aware of bias and got them thinking about the concept of credibility. This helped the kids to learn compassion and empathy and shifted them to become active participants, not passive consumers.

Finally, Media Literacy Week is approaching, starting on October 21. The theme this year celebrates one of the five components of media literacy’s definition each day of Media Literacy Week: Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act.  At The Willows, we are working toward emphasizing these components in all grades throughout the year. Stay tuned for updates as we continue this important work.

To learn more about U.S. Media Literacy Week, click HERE.