Teacher Blog

06 Dec

Twitter: Media have Social and Political Implications

We're taking this brief hiatus to catch up on our posts from previous #K12Media chats. This post, written by Ms. Keats, reflects on our chat about Key Concept 6.

On October 31, we discussed the layers of social and political meaning found in twitter. As a newer medium, Twitter is both hailed and derided—just as other technologies and media have been in the past. What is so intriguing about Twitter is its flexibility; users are determining content, dialogues and networks are created. The social and political nature of Twitter becomes a plurality of meaning in ways that older, more traditional media forms can not be.

02 Dec

#K12Media: Holiday Topics #2

Our holiday-themed topics were a big hit last week, so we're continuing with a new batch of hot topic choices. This week's selections are based on ideas and events that came to our attention over the course of the last week. We have tried to include some links to get you started. The holidays offer many opportunities for discussions around rich and meaningful texts. We hope to use these "teachable moments" to think critically about our interactions with these texts so that we can better understand our relationship to them, their beauty, and why they mean so much to us. We also hope to examine how these qualities are used to persuade, convince and sell. Please share any links you find with us during the chat or any time using the #K12Media hashtag.

Last week's discussion was lively (and blog posts are coming soon) so we hope you'll vote and join us on Monday December 5 at 8pm on Twitter for #K12Media. Please choose from the topics below!

25 Nov

#K12 Media: Let the Holiday Season Begin!

Last week marked the end of our special series of Key Concept-themed #K12Media chats. We will have more special series to come, but today marks the beginning of the holiday season and believe us, there's lot to talk about! We believe in bringing current, relevant content into our classrooms. We hope that you'll join us for a stimulating chat on Monday November 28 at 8pm ET on Tiwtter, moreover, we hope you'll bring some of these questions and topics into your classroom. Let us know about it in the comments if you do and we can extend the conversation. Vote below for your choice for Monday's #K12Media Twitter Chat and we'll see you then!

25 Nov

Children's Television: Media Contain Ideological and Value Messages

We haven't forgotten about the blog posts for this special series, though we apologize for being a bit behind. October and November seem to have been very busy months. But we are focusing on catching up now. Here is the follow up to our chat a few weeks ago on Key Concept 5. We hope you'll continue the conversation in comments! Sincerely: Ms. Solomon & Ms. Keats

October 24th’s #K12Media chat began with an exploration of some of the messages in popular children’s television. We talked about Dora, and looked at her family (traditional, multi-generational, father plays an important role as well as the mother, extended family is often featured). We noted the fact that she is an “explorer”, that she leads the show. Ms. Keats pointed out that much of children’s television has an educational component (or at least a nod to education). She talked about the research and curricular connections that shows attempt to make when targeting the preschool set.

16 Nov

Key Concept 8: #K12Media

This week marks the end of our special “Key Concept” series of #K12Media chats; this week’s discussion will centre on Concept 8 from the 8 Key Concepts of Media Literacy: All Media Have Unique Aesthetic Forms. Last week we discussed the connection between form and content, examining tensions between photography and storytelling, truth and fiction, audience, producers, and subject.

For a refresher on the concepts: 
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/teachers/media_literacy/key_concept.cfm

8. Each Medium has a Unique Aesthetic Form

Individuals are drawn to a number of differing media for their enjoyment. Each medium should be understood, studied, and celebrated. Through understanding the aesthetics within each medium, a broader appreciation can be formed that can extend beyond personal opinion.