Initial thoughts on Beach's text: Intro & Ch. 1
Throughout the introduction and first chapter of Beach’s text Teaching Media Literacy.com, he presents several initial, convincing responses to the point that working with film and other media exercises “low skill" sets. Essentially, he argues that the limited training experience of teachers in working with these technologies has stood in the way of a more engaging, active, critical discussion among teachers and students. His most convincing justifications for teaching students how to critically respond to print, radio, film, blogs, etc. follow:
• Corporate ownership of media sources shape biased messages.
• These messages “construct reality" among students (e.g., the “self-perception and perception of others") (Beach, 8).
• Students need to develop successful analytical and “higher level" thinking skills that can be exercised through their lives.
• Students who use computers actively (with the presence of a computer in their own room, and without the presence of a TV set) tend to do well in Math.
Certain messages that may have been hinted upon, or that I inferred as other reasonable defenses for teaching media literacy studies include:
• Students participating in online discussions and digital productions have an audience of their peers (not just teachers), or people with similar interests – this makes the task more personally relevant to students.
• By working with texts familiar to students (popular culture artifacts, advertisements, etc.), they have more personal insights to contribute in critical discussions.
• Perhaps, critical studies of messages perpetuated by a mass media can tap into a perceived culture of teenage rebellion.
Personally, I absolutely agree that teaching higher level thinking skills is one of the primary goals of any legitimate educational system, so I’m eager to read more of Beach’s text.