First definition - Dr. Peter DeBenedittis defines media literacy as being able to dissect television and mass media (2009).
Second definition - Media literacy can describe how proficiently someone uses technology.
Can both definitions be used in the classroom? We already know that students know how to use technology, especially when it allows them to create something they are interested in. I have seen several videos on YouTube created by students that I see in the hallway everyday. We have to create new rules or change old ones to keep up with the technology they are bringing to school. They understand how to use it but do they understand what is being said?
Getting students to understand what they see everyday on TV or the Internet is another matter. Being a government teacher, I think that it is important for students to question what they hear and to conduct research and form their own opinions. The same technology they use for entertainment can be used to help them find messages in what they are using. By teaching students to find these messages, it helps develop important cognitive abilities (Scharrer 2003).
How do we combine the two definitions? Viewing news podcasts from two different channels and allowing the students to identify the differences could be a way to not only get the students watching news but also help them realize that there is a difference in what each station carries. In my classes, I use songs that have political or moral messages. The students listen to the songs then try to figure out what the message is and we discuss why the author wrote the song for this reason. Having students use the technology that they are familiar with to deconstruct information that they see and encounter everyday can open eyes and help prepare them for whatever lies ahead after high school.
DeBenedittis, P. (2009). Media literacy for prevention, critical thinking, self-esteem. Retrieved on August 12, 2009 from http://www.medialiteracy.net/index.shtml
Scharrer, E. (2002/2003, December/January). Making a case for media literacy in the curriculum: Outcomes and assessment. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(4). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/jaal/12-02_column/index.html Retrieved August 12, 2009 from http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/jaal/12-02_column/
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