Globalocal Media Literacy for the Global Village International

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village International Media Literacy Research Forum, Inaugural Meeting May 14 -16, 2008 Tessa Jolls, President and CEO, Center for Media Literacy

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village © 2008, Barbara J. Walkosz, University of Colorado-Denver. Tessa Jolls, Center for Media Literacy, Mary Ann Sund, Director, Consortium for Media Literacy. © 2007, Center for Media Literacy, Q/TIPS, used with permission from Literacy for 21 st Century, 2 nd Edition. All materials used with permission. All rights reserved. Contact www. medialit. org for permission to reuse.

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Goals for Today • Global/Local: relationships in the Global Village • Globalization of media • The media as “superpeer” – youth socialization • A call for media literacy education • An approach to media literacy education: globalization at work

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Do we know our ABC’s?

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village What have we learned? • The global village is real and we live in it • Engagement with media means having a relationship with media and each other • All media are educational • All media are carefully manufactured technology-driven products • Media may be entertaining…but not “just entertainment” • Media content is everywhere…we need process skills (analysis/critical thinking) • Process skills take training and practice to learn

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village The Global Village H. Marshall Mc. Luhan: • Linking of electronic information would create an interconnected global village • Collapsing of space and time barriers • Interacting and living on global scale

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Youth Today • Average of 6. 5 – 8 hours per day interacting with multimedia • 93% of teens have been online • 63% have cellphones • 55% belong to social networking site • 59% create content • 57% watch You. Tube

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Youth Today SCREENAGERS • Multimedia IS their culture • Read and “write” using images, words and sounds • World is instant global network 24/7 -- Douglas. Rushkoff “Playing the Future” 1996

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Shift from local to global Filtering of values, lifestyles and points of view through parents and other known adults in local village > Global input on values, lifestyles and points of view with digital technology filters

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Digital Filtering is Inadequate • Discernment – judgment • Volume of messages • The local village is often overwhelmed by the global village: youth have more in common with each other than families • Solutions wanted and needed

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Glocalization “The interpretation of the global and the local resulting in unique outcomes in geographic areas” – Ritzer, 2003

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Early Globalocal (Video Clip)

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village The World Upside Down • Re-examine values, lifestyles, points of view • What should be valued? • What should be passed along? • Education and empowerment for audiences to gain understanding and agency • Global media environment blends global and local perspectives

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Glocalization of Media Local Interprets Global >

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Glocalization of Media Global Produces Local >

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Glocalization of Media Local Becomes Global

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Glocalization of Media Near yet far…

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Children are still children… Need guidance… Navigation skills

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Age-old process taught in new ways Learn what was once a given in local village, face-to-face: • Questioning • An internalized process for discernment • Critical autonomy in decision-making in accordance with personal and social values

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Grassroots… Early pioneers: • E. Marshall Mc. Luhan, Sister Bede Sullivan, Fr. John Culkin (1960’s – 1980’s) • Second wave: early conferences in Canada, 1990’s Today: • Global movement

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Media Literacy Skills Content mastery no longer “king” of learning… Now what’s needed is facility with: accessing analyzing evaluating responding and communicating involving and participating

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Process Skills “Most of what we have called formal education has been intended to imprint on the human mind all of the information that we might need for a lifetime. Education is geared toward information storage. “Today that is neither possible nor necessary. Rather, humankind needs to be taught how to process information that is stored through technology. Education needs to be geared toward the handling of data rather than the accumulation of data. ” -- David Berlo, Communication and Behavior, 1975

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Lifelong Media Relationship • Efficient information managers • Wise consumers • Responsible producers • Active participants

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Media Literacy More about education than it is about media “…expands literacy to include reading and writing through the use of new and emerging communication tools. It is learning that demands the critical, independent and creative use of information. ” – Kathleen Tyner, Literacy in a Digital World: Teaching and Learning in the Age of Information

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Media Literacy Process skills: • Not just a new subject to teach, but a new way to teach all subjects • Process skills apply to acquiring all content knowledge • Process skills are internalized through practice over time

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village What Media Literacy is NOT • Media bashing is not media literacy However, media literacy sometimes involves criticizing the media • Media production is not media literacy Although media literacy should include media production • Teaching with media is not media literacy One must also teach about media • Media literacy does not mean “don’t watch” It means “engage carefully, think critically”

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village EMPOWERMENT …through Education

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy 1. Explores media relationships: 2. Changing the dynamics challenges the status quo 3. Text 4. 5. 6. Production Source: Eddie Dick, Scottish Film Council, 1989 Audience

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy Rearrange this sentence to be more accurate: “This program is brought to you by the sponsor. ”

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy The “real” relationship: YOU are brought to the sponsor by this program.

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy The Power of the Audience Changing the dynamics challenges the status quo Text Production Source: Eddie Dick, Scottish Film Council, 1989 Audience

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy 2. Focus on process skills, not content: • Higher-order thinking skills, not memorization of facts • Lifelong learners

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy 3. Deconstruction (analysis) and construction (production) in any message form: • Visual • Verbal • Aural

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Common Characteristics: Media Literacy 4. Principle of Inquiry: Asking questions!

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village SKEPTICS! Cynics and “Pollyannas” assume… Skeptics question A methodology for learning and teaching critical thinking… MEDIA LITERACY

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Practice Over Time Learning to tie shoes or ride a bike or swim: Over and over again

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Teacher’s Role • From a “sage on the stage”… To a “guide on the side” • From a provider of content knowledge … To reinforcing process skills for lifelong learning

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village What is needed for teaching • Common understanding/philosophy of media literacy • Quality pedagogical approach linked to internationally developed set of concepts based on media studies • Methodology for critical thinking: analysis and production • Common vocabulary for users • Accessible tools and materials ready to use

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village What is needed for teaching • Before you can teach… First you must understand • Teachers need to internalize media literacy themselves before they can teach • Teachers need practice over time to experiment with changing their style • Teachers need consistent vocabulary and framework with which to develop curriculum

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village What is needed for teaching Five Core Concepts of Media Literacy: 1. All media messages are constructed. 2. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. • Canada uses eight 3. Different people experience the same media message differently. • CML adapted for U. S. to five 4. Media have embedded values and points of view. Based on media studies/academic work internationally 5. Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power. Framework: Core Concepts of Media Literacy:

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Process of Inquiry for Critical Thinking • Teachers are called upon to teach critical thinking but they are not given guidance on “how” • Project SMARTArt: saw the need for a “Toolkit” and developed CML Media. Lit Kit, based on questioning media • Questions are more engaging for students

CML’s FIVE CORE CONCEPTS AND KEY QUESTIONS Media Deconstruction/Construction Framework CML’s Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS) © 2002 -2007 Center for Media Literacy, www. medialit. org Key Words Deconstruction: CML’s 5 Key Questions (Consumer) CML’s 5 Core Concepts Construction: CML’s 5 Key Questions (Producer) 1 Authorship Who created this message? All media messages are constructed. What am I authoring? 2 Format What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Does my message reflect understanding in format, creativity and technology? 3 Audience How might different people understand this message differently? Different people experience the same media message differently. Is my message engaging and compelling for my target audience? 4 Content What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message? Media have embedded values and points of view. Have I clearly and consistently framed values, lifestyles and points of view in my content? 5 Purpose Why is this message being sent? Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power. Have I communicated my purpose effectively? #

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Process of Inquiry for Critical Thinking: Q/TIPS Consumers: No control over content Producers: Do control content Interaction and interplay between the two roles: Personal and social power… Personal and social responsibility

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Process of Inquiry for Critical Thinking: Q/TIPS Informs decision-making and behavior Decision-making/action process Note: though being media literate implies a broader skill set than simply evaluating a media product, evaluating a media product always involves the skills of media literacy

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village Empowerment Spiral: Participation Awareness… Analysis… Reflection… Action…

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village 21 st Century Skills World-wide Demand

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village The Spirit of the Village It is the spirit of the local village that we must pass along to raise each and every child. Media literacy gives our children the foundation they need for life in the global village.

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village International Media Literacy Research Forum, Inaugural Meeting May 14 -16, 2008