Media Denial in a Digital World

I recently read Teach Media Literacy, a special report published in The Atlantic Magazine (June 2010) about the urgency to teach media literacy in public schools. Given this digital generation is more immersed in media, it seems to be a no brainer to integrate this subject in the school curriculum. Integration of media education is key as teachers’ plates are already full with standardized testing, core subjects teaching and administrative duties. It is unrealistic to expect that media literacy will get a fair share in daily classroom instructions. On the other hand, media literacy is as important as learning mathematics and English. Although I’ve always been interested in media and popular culture as a teenager, I formally learned media literacy in college because I was concerned about the excess of ads in print and on television that were targeted at teenagers, particularly girls. The closest class to media literacy was journalism class even then you will not learn about news analysis. It’s not enough to simply learn to analyze the news and know its source. Media literacy goes beyond analysis and criticism. It is a powerful tool that can address a range of issues and topics through critical lens.
In comparison a decade ago, we have more than enough research highlighting the relevance of media and recommending teaching media to students. In addition, there are plenty of educators, practitioners and specialists who have been promoting and teaching media education in various settings. In preparation to enter the classroom, teachers are trained in specific subjects while learning about educational theories, research and other relevant topics. How many teacher education programs in this country make it a requirement for teachers in training to be media literate or critical thinkers? Perhaps, some teachers have now taken an elective course offered at their college or a professional development seminar. Beyond that, media literacy is not viewed or treated as an important area of teaching. In most programs, the emphasis is on teacher performance; classroom management and ensuring students can pass whatever standardized testing mechanism their district has in place. I’m aware that teachers are often blamed for what’s not working in our education system but not integrating media literacy should start with teacher programs (Jared’s article did not make this claim). Furthermore, media education has to be mandatory and prioritized as a core subject nationally. It is not guaranteed that individual school and state will voluntary choose to integrate media literacy in the curriculum.
In today’s educational climate, the purpose of education remains as ancient as some of the textbooks the students are still reading when the masses have transitioned to a digital lifestyle. Clearly, there is a disconnect between the wired world of students and that of school administrators and educators. As usual, we’ll play catch up when we realize another country is taking the lead in this area and we’re in lowest percentile. We’re now a nation at risk of media denial.

For those who are interested in media education, reach out to those who are at the forefront of this movement. NAMLE is a great resource and will lead you to more.