Media literacy

Media literacy, in my opinion, cannot be more important than literacy. By sheer definition, literacy is the ability to read, write and interact with the world. Media is one tool to facilitate literacy. I do strongly believe that many in society are heavily dependent on media. I myself have become heavily reliant on a smart phone over the last two years. No one is more shocked than myself. I was not an early adopter of cell phones. I have long resented the need of people to be reachable at all times at any cost. The change for me came when the media became a useful tool for me.

Medias importance is in its use as a tool and resource. Can I walk down the street and ask someone a question? Yes. Is picking up the phone easier? Yes. Is texting even easier since I don't have to have whole conversation to get the information? Yes. Could I simply look up the information and be done with the whole process without need of involving someone else? Most likely. For me, the importance of literacy is a basic need. Media literacy is a higher level of application.

The importance of media comes into play in situations where to use media enables someone to interact with the world in socially recognized ways. If media is the way a community is connected, like much of the industrial world is, then media is of rising importance.

In Chapter 9 of Robyler, it states quite clearly that we must create new definitions and ever expanding learning to stay competent in new literacies. My thought is, we still have to be able to actually read the instructions that come with new technologies.

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TIP Model Phase 2-Determining the Relative Advantage

The superintendent of the Wellmade School District felt that every student should be "connected to the Information Superhighway," so he decided to install Internet connections in every school classroom in the district. The hardware and installations were funded through a federal grant and local business sponsors. Two years later, it became apparent that only about 25% of the teachers were using the Internet with students, and most uses were "casual surfing."

1. Why do you think the teachers did not see the relative advantage of this technology?

2. If you were made responsible for integrating this technology into instructional activities, how would you translate the superintendent's rationale into problems and solutions for which the relative advantage would be clear to teachers?

1. The superintendent of the school had the best of intentions in providing resources to all persons in the district. The challenge of this lies in the fact that frontline teachers were not invested in this project. In introducing ideas to the group, it is imperative to identify those who are early adopters. That is, persons who are, in this case, already technology users in their personal life. These persons already posses the technical skills and have seen the benefit of this type of technology in their personal lives. By simply making the technology available, without directions or requirement, the staff simply used the technology for what most people use their computers for at home - google searches, e-mail and solitaire.

2. In my opinion, key to making teacher's interested in this technology and its opportunity would be to enlist the assistance of early adopters (as described above). By coordinating this key group of people, some from each campus, it will be possible to create goals and opportunities to utilize this awesome access everyone's benefit.

So, initially, getting the early adopter's to invest in the idea with clear goals. Second would be to allow the early adopters to share their experiences, both successes and dead ends with staff in educational development. Small, multi-disciplinary groups seem to be a powerful way to share this. The third step would have to be to make goals for the staff to have some form of technology implementation into their lesson planning. Leaving this as an open ended opportunity would create some interesting ideas. I think there is just as much opportunity for math to implement technology as science or english. As a last step, it would be great to have each campus create a list of ideas to share with other campuses. Even a contest to see who was able to come up with the most interesting application for technology in education.

Gearing staff to accept new ideas will always be a challenge. Change is difficult for some, and exciting for others. The things we are most excited about in life are those that have clear benefits for us. So, let me add another last step, and that would be to share with staff what benefit there is for them to take the time and effort to change how they have been doing things to implement this new idea. For me, it is allowing students to have tools at hand will allow them to integrate from student to productive citizen in the world. The world is full of technology, let the kids be full of experience with it in a productive manner.

So, it was a lovely extra day to the weekend. Somehow, there is always enough work to fill up the extra time. My kids and I were talking about if I could have anything I wanted right now, what would it be. I stated I wanted a hose by the beach. My 17 y/o wants an Iron Man suit. The 13 year old who posed the question - wants her cat back that disappeared this summer. Too sweet.