Media Literacy Education

This week in EDUC 504 we learned a lot of valuable information.  More specifically, we discussed  information regarding the purpose of media literacy in education.   We used the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) as a framework to converse about the purpose of media literacy education.  According to the article the main purpose of media literacy education is to "help students develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression needed by critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today's world."  Some of the goals of media literacy education that I found particularly informative was the idea that it is important for students to ask their own questions about the media, as opposed to just responding to what the teacher asks.  This is important for students to become good critical thinkers of the modern world.

            It is also imperative that teachers teach students to ask questions when they are both, making and using media.  Asking questions is key in all academic disciplines so that students develop a deeper understanding of various concepts and ideas.  It is also encouraged that teachers push students to use multiple means of expression including sound, images, and words.  This helps students further decide which mean of expression will best allow them to achieve their goals.  Furthermore, students must justify all opinions and interpretations with apparent, document based evidence.  This statement holds very true in all other academic disciplines as well.  For something to be taken as credible it must have evidence supporting itself. 

            I also found the point, "includes media representing diverse points of view( e.g. , does not reduce complex debates to only two sides and/or actively seeks alternative media sources)."  When gathering information one must make it a point to collect a diverse array of thoughts, concepts, and ideas before fully developing one's own opinion or point of view.  I felt that this reading, mixed with a great class full of good examples and information will be very beneficial for me as a future educator of the twenty-first century.  Furthermore, class these week provided me with two great new programs in drop box, and xmarks.  These two sites will really help me in organizing my digital life.