Media Literacy

Taking a Step Back From High Technology

Introduction

Hello readers,

Today's focus will be on media literacy and its impacts. Specifically, I would like to discuss, “How can educators prepare students for 21st-century literacy without the use of high technology in the classroom?" I know that there is a concern with this on how to effectively teach students media literacy without the use of high technology. However, media literacy is not something that is considered new but through 21st-century technology, how we approach it has changed. What then can we do with 21st-century technology that we can also do with traditional literacy? Though there is a strive for 21st-century technology, this should not take away from traditional forms of literacy as these can also be effectively utilized within the classroom. 

How this relates to the curriculum 

The Ontario language arts curriculum, grades 1-8 states that "To develop their media literacy skills, students should have opportunities to view, analyze, and discuss a wide variety of media texts and relate them to their own experience. They should also have opportunities to use available technologies to create media of different types (e.g., computer graphics, cartoons, graphic designs, and layouts, radio plays, short videos, web pages)" (Ontario, 2006, p. 13). What this does not explicitly state is the definitive use of technology in teaching media literacy. As such, educators need to be able to 

A look into the 4C's

Educators must know how to effectively teach media literacy and ensure that they are utilizing available resources. The 4C's video below discusses how critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration are necessary 21st-century skills for students today to know. Critical thinking refers to students' abilities to interpret, analyze, evaluate, make decisions and problem solve. Concerning communication, this is where students are to hone their skills in areas such as listening, speaking, reading, presenting, and writing. Collaboration refers to the student's ability to work with others to accomplish a set goal. Creativity includes abilities such as brainstorming, refining ideas, being responsive to ideas, and making these ideas useful and tangible. Though these skills are labeled as being essential for 21st-century skills they are timeless skills that are highly valued in and out of the classroom. The four skills discussed in the 4C model - critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity are still possible to teach in a traditional classroom as all these skills can be taught effectively without the use of technology. Students have been learning these skills before the use of high technology and students can still learn them without them.

Are we too reliant on technology? 

The increase in digital technology has come to impact literacy practices within the classroom. There has been an increase in acknowledgment with regards to how digital literacies and the use of digital technologies are an essential part of school learning. With this in mind, educators have to take into account the digital divide – that is the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not. There is not always an exact need for technological use to explore media literacy or the online realm. The video below, Ipad vs Paper showcases how there is not always a need for technology and much of what we need can be easily accessed through non-technological resources. Though exaggerated, it does provide insight into how reliant we are on technology and how it is not necessarily needed to advance one’s learning. There are still benefits to paper and pencil tasks and the use of non-technological resources. An example of this can be seen through the grade 8 expectation M1.3 Responding to and Evaluating texts wherein students have to “evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media texts” (Ontario, 2006, p. 147). Though the use of online media texts could be used, the use of a paper newspaper could also work to showcase this. This inspires me as a future educator to be flexible in my teaching.

(The Logonauts, 2014)

What is paper blogging? 

The article, We are Bloggers provides a great example of one method for teaching media literacy within low SES schools. The use of blogs has become quite beneficial in education today and as such many educators have started to implement this within their classrooms. Kathleen Morris discusses "Why Teachers and Students Should Blog" and looks at the many benefits to education it can provide. However, without the use of technology blogging may seem like it is inconceivable. Yet, through the use of paper blogging, the same can be achieved offline as it can online as showcased in the image off to the side. Paper blogging allows students to gain a sense of a variety of different media texts, while also teaching them respectful and meaningful commenting. In doing so, this directly translates to online behaviour expectations while also meeting curriculum expectations like M2.2 Conventions and Techniques and M3.4 Producing Media Texts. 

How can we use Plickers in our classrooms? 

Plickers works as a low-tech response app that educators can use in the classroom. Students are given four different paper clickers labeled A, B, C, D while teachers use their phone or tablet to scan the room for answers. Here is a link to a set of Plicker cards that are ready for you to print and use in your classroom. All you have to do is create an account to create your questions. Follow this link to reach their site. This app is a better and easier alternative to apps like Kahoot. There is no need for expensive equipment as it only requires one tech tool, unlike Kahoot which requires each student to have their device to participate. By using this app, it ensures that no student is left out. For more information on Plickers, the video below gives you a little more insight into the benefits of using it. A tool like Plickers is a great method for retrieving student responses as it provides educators with automatic feedback. This tool ties well with curriculum expectations as it can work to meet expectations like  M4.1 Metacognition and M4.2 Interconnected Skills. In this section of the grade 8 specific expectations, it works to showcase how students will reflect on media literacy skills and strategies. 

Conclusion 

Overall, it is important to teach students media literacy but this is not solely reliant on the use of technology as there are other non-technological resources available to effectively teach students To accommodate all students, educators must find ways to work around this. The use of technology is not a must but it is one method of infusing this knowledge. However, with regards to students in low SES schools and those who come from low SES backgrounds, there are other ways to meet their curriculum expectations. 

Thanks for reading! If you have any comments or concerns, please feel free to comment down below and let us further this discussion. 

- Miss Imam