Becoming an agent for change

While the introduction of new participatory culture technologies have been welcomed by many educators, they have also been a cause for concern for some educational authorities (Todd, 2008).  The risk of cyberbullying, issues of online safety, the unethical intellectual property practices of young people and the perceived  “frivolity [of] social networking” have all been cited as reasons to exclude new participatory culture technologies from the school environment  (Vasudevan, 2010, p44).  These are certainly genuine and justifiable concerns.  Stories of young people falling victim to new online ‘scams’, being targeted by bullies or engaging in ‘hacking’ and other illegal activities online, are rife in the news.  Surely then, that is even greater reason to bring these new technologies into the school context, in order to teach young people safe and responsible ways to use new media technologies.  The ‘ostrich mentality’ of burying your head in the sand and waiting for it all to go away, isn’t working.

 

Ostrich mentality

 It is also important to note that corporations are harnessing the power of new media technologies to increase efficiency and productivity in the workplace.  If our goal, as educators, is to prepare young people for life beyond school, then we have a responsibility to, first of all, learn how new technologies are being utilised in the broader social context, and then, to teach our students how to use them for purposes other than leisure or entertainment. 

However, it can be difficult to introduce the use of new technologies into the school context, particularly if educational policymakers do not recognise the educational potential of these tools.  Co-editor of the Teacher Librarian journal and part-time faculty member of the Information School at the University of Washington, Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Marcoux acknowledges the difficulties (2011a, p70).  However, she stresses that the key to introducing new technologies lies in effectively demonstrating how these tools will benefit teachers, both in planning and delivery of the curriculum, and in improvements in student engagement and learning outcomes (2011b, p66).  

One of the best ways to show how technology can be used effectively to support teaching and learning is to lead by example.  Dr Ross Todd  Associate Professor in Rutgers University’s  Department of Library & Information Science and Director of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISS)  advocates that teacher librarians should ‘get their hands dirty’; experimenting and playing with new technologies is the best way to learn what they can do and how they can be used for educational purposes (2008, p30). Although this may seem an overwhelming task, given the plethora of Web 2.0 tools available, the good news is, thanks to the capabilities of new communication technologies, there is no need to tackle it alone.  Educators all over the world are sharing their ideas on how to use new technologies to help students learn more effectively through blogs, wikis, online forums and e-groups.  

One of the most effective and time efficient ways to connect with these ideas is to utilise the power of Web 2.0 tools to bring information directly to you, rather than going and actively searching.  One of the tools I have found very useful is Diigo. Originally a ‘bookmarking’ tool to assist browsers to revisit favourite websites, it has developed into a collaborative community of users.  Using Diigo, I have been able to find groups providing useful and practical information for educators, and I receive email notifications whenever new information is posted.  From just one Diigo group, I have already collected a wealth of information on topics such as cyberbullying and copyright, as well as tools and resources for use in classrooms.

When I commence working in a school context, I plan to draw on this information to provide professional development to teachers on the use of new technologies.  However, Marcoux (2011a, p66) points out it is important to be seen as “the technologist ... not the technician”.  It is equally important therefore, that I lead by example, and utilise new technologies in my own practice.  While I will doubtless come up with new ideas of my own when I am in the role, I have been able to gather some very useful ideas already.

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to attend a teacher librarian seminar presented by the dynamic and inspirational Dr Joyce Valenza, teacher librarian at Springfield Township High School in Philadelphia, member of the Teacher Librarian Ning and author of the neverendingsearch, the School Library Journal blog.  

with Dr Joyce Valenza at the Information Landscapes for 21C Learners Seminar July 2011

Dr Valenza shared with the audience some of the methods she uses to encourage teachers to use new technologies.  She admitted that not all teachers are initially open to the idea, but rather than wait for them to invite her to collaborate, Dr Valenza sometimes indulges in a little ‘positive subversion’; collating information and resources for the teacher.  Dr Valenza confided that once teachers experience the benefits of collaboration, and see the improvements in student learning, they are usually more receptive to the idea. 

However, she doesn’t just confine her use of technology to supporting teaching and learning through providing resources.  She also actively engages students in using technology for real world purposes. 

The video above is an example of a project her students created – the library’s annual report; a highly effective way to showcase students’ creativity and demonstrate to school administrators the educational possibilities of new technologies.

I am looking forward to the challenge of being an agent for change; instrumental in introducing and implementing new ways to use emerging technologies to enhance teaching and maximise student learning. 

Images

Ostrich mentality by tropicalpete.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/12023825@N04/2898021822/

Video - Springfield School Library Annual report 2010 - 2011.

http://springfieldlibrary.wikispaces.com/

References

Marcoux, E. (2011a) Encourage Buy-in Using Technology for Learning. Teacher Librarian; Apr 2011; 38, 4; pg. 69-70.  http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/

Marcoux, E. (2011b) Technology and YOU. Teacher Librarian; Jun 2011; 38, 5; pg. 66. http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/

Todd, R. J. (2008). Youth and their Virtual Networked Words: Research Findings and Implications for School Libraries. School Libraries Worldwide , 14 (2), 19‐34. http://www.iasl-online.org/pubs/slw/

Vasudevan, L. (2010) Literacies in a Participatory, Multimodal World: The Arts and Aesthetics of Web 2.0  Language Arts . Vol. 88. No. 1. September 2010. http://www.ncte.org/journals/la

Unhealthy effects of children's viewing in Prime Time television

In the last few years, reality TV has shifted from some slightly stale neglected formats (Survivor 13 and Big Brother Season 57) to being the fresh and respectable centre of the Australian television landscape in shows such as Master Chef, Junior Master Chef and the Celebrity Apprentice (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2011). However, bringing child relevant programming into prime time viewing has had an unwanted consequence in keeping children awake later during school nights according to Sarah Blunden from the University of South Australia's Centre for Sleep Research (cited in Browne, 2011).

Child falling asleep eating
Creative Commons Photo by Lance Nishihira

In the article, Late programs keeping kids from a decent snooze, Blunden suggests that the thirty minutes or more of sleep lost per night to view these television shows can have a detrimental effect on a child's ability to perform well in class (cited in Browne, 2011). Blunden cautions that long term sleep deprivation in children can encourage aggressive behaviour and problems concentrating as well as discourage physical activity such as sport (cited in Browne, 2011). This negative effect contrasts with the many positive messages portrayed by Junior Master Chef about healthy eating, creativity and cultural awareness which gave it such popular and critical acclaim (Hardy, 2011).

As with the familiar messages given about healthy eating; education and moderation are the key take-home ideas from this article. Parents should be making sure that their primary school aged children's sleeping patterns are not too disrupted in becoming viewers of these television shows. The television shows also offer "catch up television" viewing options via their web sites, allowing more children friendly viewing times which parents could provide as alternatives.

References

Browne, R. (2011, October 23). Late programs keeping kids from a decent snooze, The Sydney Morning Herald, Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/

Hardy, C. (2011, October 5). Canberra's young chef, The Canberra Times, Retrieved from http://www.canberratimes.com.au/


The Sydney Morning Herald. (2011, October 23). Stars line up for a reality cheque, The Sydney Morning Herald, Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/

Applying critical interpretations to Reality TV

By Jenny

sj Miller,  endorses venturing into a Reality TV Project with English: Humanities Literature students in the journal article Demythologizing Reality TV: Critical Implications as a New Literacy . Of particular interest to me was its delivery to students of critical literacy using the multimodal text of Reality TV; a burgeoning, ubiquitous media genre (Burr & King, 2011, p. 4) frequenting free-to-air and cable/pay televisions.

When presenting the newly devised project to the students, despite this audio-visual text’s growth, obvious appeal and real-world application, Miller came up against obstacles from departmental heads questioning motives, methodology and the course objectives. Using Reality TV, looking beyond the heroic, star-struck façade, to actually critique this media form, was the objective. This removal of the face value, outer layer would enable students to determine the underlying meanings, themes and messages presented in Reality TV shows.

This goal, of setting socially and culturally relevant, student-centred lessons, is stated on sj’s personal webpage, and echoed in the opening paragraph of the article. Corroborating with this theme is the posting by Nicole, which advocates Media Literacy studies to ensure students become critical consumers of popular culture. Significant to me; however,  is the promotion of 21^st Century learning, in certain educational institutions, faces such an “unanticipated barrier” – particularly when in an arena where innovation and pedagogy should be at the forefront (Miller, 2011, p. 135). Conflicting with normative practices, Miller’s approach, while pedagogically sound, bucked the system… The usual course of action was not being followed – thus the “dissonance” towards this new approach as the departmental heads “argued against its (Reality TV’s) legitimacy as a visual literacy” (Miller, 2011, p. 135).

This dissonance placed Miller in the position of having to justify the legitimacy of the course. The process of doing so, to me, gives further clarity and conviction to Miller’s original objective – providing over the course of a semester, a student-centred, interest sustaining Reality TV project. Through the closer examination of the course design, Miller finds that not only are the Liberal Studies objectives met, but so are the National Council of Teachers of English Standards (Miller, 2011, p. 138). Highlighting the investigative aims of the project and meeting the set goals of high interest and engagement whilst exposing students to this genre saw the strategies of critical media literacy pedagogy evolve.

Just as Miller faced challenges, Livingstone, advocates, “what Lars Nyre, quoting McLuhan, calls the shift of academic interest from the Ivory Tower to the Control Tower”. Livingstone questions their “critical and reflexive commitments” noting how commonplace is disruption as opposed to building and reshaping. She questions empirically those not promoting a softly, softly approach. Further stating “support for the gradualists who identify evolutionary not revolutionary change, who emphasise the reconfiguration of identities more than their transformation… not (the likes of Miller who instigate) wholly new kinds of activity, (with) refashioned styles of learning and participating, but perhaps not or not yet new forms of relationship or institution” (2010, p. 14).

The promotion of critical literacies for students is also the theme of this social justice advocate author’s collaboration with colleague, David Kirkland, in the co-editing of Change Matters. Prudently noted within the book’s forward, Miller cites John Baldwin, almost as a mantra: “The paradox of education is precisely this – that as on begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he [sic] is being educated” (2010, p. xvi). Encapsulated within the title of the article, like the mantra, demythologizing is about removing mythological elements in order to trace underlying significance. This would allow tracking to elements of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, spiritual belief, social class, age, ability/disability, political affinities, marital status, education attainment; the paradigm of our individual and multiple identities and their embodiment. As Miller acknowledges, these Reality TV shows clearly have immense authority and persuasion over their audience’s sense of self and way of life (Miller, 2011, p. 137). This power, traced historically by Miller, utilises the appeal and availability of Reality TV, making it the ideal teaching tool for exploring critical literacies. Miller includes other educational researchers supporting this concept.

Among other educational researchers endorsing popular culture’s integration into the teaching environment, is Bach who suggests Reality TV programs such as The Amazing Race and Project Runway allow the negotiation and creation of authentic problem-solving challenges and activities, following the inclusion of these shows in the teaching practice of fourth-grade students (2011). Burr and King, along with their undergraduates, found Reality TV programs an engaging and effective way to teach and learn about research ethics. Their program of choice was Big Brother due to its “familiarity to students and… (because) it regularly pushes the boundaries of ethical acceptability” (2011, p. 1).

Unpacking Reality TV is an important stage in understanding its popularity and prevalence as a form of popular culture. Kirsten’s post acknowledges that parents and teachers are instrumental in using this media form in a positive way through its critical deconstruction. Promoting this same conclusion is Shelley’s post on Reality TV. It is acknowledged that this media form has breadth; “one can view almost any topic these days” and it has infiltrated or converged into other media forms such as chat rooms, blogs, internet sites and “even the fashion industry” (Miller, 2011, p. 136). Miller examines Reality TV’s beginnings, tracing back to Candid Camera in the US, The Family in the UK, and for Australian audiences, Sylvania Waters. He also gives credit to Real World, a high rating, multi-season plus Reality TV show, that he believes altered viewing dramatically in the US (Miller, 2011, p. 137).

Following the concept of the convergence of Reality TV shows, Miller notes many of the approaches used to market these shows to consumers. Strategies of cross promotion, advertising of other products, featuring on covers of magazines, merchandising of clothing, just to name a few, are as Miller suggests, testament to the “great power and influence over identities and lifestyle” these shows have (2011, p. 137). It is for these very reasons, Miller’s Reality TV project and others like it should be a priority in educating youth.

By using Reality TV, raising the awareness of how media audiences interpret and engage with the vast array of these shows, Miller encourages their dissection. Allowing for own choice of Reality TV show, after making observations, relevant to their criteria and reflecting on the whole series of episodes, the students were expected to critique it. Through analysing, then synthesising their findings, students would individually or collaboratively, develop a presentation via a media, again of their choice: either written or audio-visual of their hypotheses of the outcome for once the series had ended. These critical observations by the students as a result of their deconstruction, were as Miller described “stupendous” (Miller, 2011, p. 135).

Miller emphasises the importance of discourse, drawing upon the work of Gee to distinguish between what he notes as primary and secondary forms. The primary discourse he sees as what we come packaged with – our immediate identifiers of family, friends, culture and language – in essence our personal paradigms. Whereas, the secondary discourses he explains are organisational influences of religion, political affiliations, schools, clubs, employment and others. These perspectives, Miller believes, citing Tremmel, “are what good teaching tells us to build upon” and encourages students to acknowledge their identities. Miller maintains it is only when students have “the tools to negotiate their identities, by unpacking the hidden sociopolitical, gendered, capitalist, and heteronormative messages embedded in Reality TV, (do) students gain power to make informed decisions about their lives” (2011, p. 139).

Student responses to Reality TV as noted in the article were, for me, as expected. Their personal choice of Reality TV shows rose from reasons of: personal appeal, portrayal of particular ethnicity, popularity, were already fans of, came recommended or simply seemed interesting. Students also pigeonholed the target audience, finding Reality TV shows rarely market religion. Here, the students suggested, Reality TV imply morals that are basic to most religions. They noted audience appeal was due to a combination of features, or “meta-categories… (of): moralistic, competitive, family/relationship, improvement and moralistic/competitive”. Identification of the seductive powers of Reality TV, via audience manipulation and invitation to develop relationships with the characters, were ways the students believed viewers became more likely to watch the next episode (Miller, 2011, pp. 146-147). During the analyses, students also came to identify and question the way Reality TV shows maintain yet also confront stereotype expectations.

Overall, this article considers teaching theory while seeking to empower students through a classroom practice, to grow and increase student access and understanding of critical media literacy. This occurs through the scaffolded discovery of “how power is used and misused in literary practices and, provides… the tools to negotiate what is being fed to them through Reality TV” (Miller, 2011, p. 141).

References

Bach, J. (2011). How teachers negotiate the use of reality television in their pedagogy. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 6(2), 144-153.

Burr, V., & King, N. (2011). Teaching research ethics through reality TV.

Google. (n.d.). demythologize  Google Search. Google dictionary  Retrieved October, 17, 2011, from http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&rlz=1W1GGLL_en-GB&q=demythologize&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=Np2eTui8K5GtiQf9xcTJCQ&ved=0CBsQkQ4&fp=1&biw=1440&bih=676&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&cad=b

Kirkland, D. E. (2010). Change Matters: Critical Essays on Moving Social Justice Research from Theory to Policy: Peter Lang.

Livingstone, S. (2010). Youthful participation: what have we learned, what shall we ask next? Paper presented at the First Annual Digital Media and Learning Conference: Diversifying Participation. Retrieved from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/27219/1/Youthful_Participation_(LSERO_version).pdf

Miller, S. (2011). Demythologizing Reality TV: Critical Implications as a New Literacy. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3).

sj Miller. (n.d.). Welcome Dr. sj miller Indiana University of Pennsylvania.   Retrieved October, 20, 2011, from http://www.sjmiller.info/

Wikipedia®. (2011). Reality television: Subgenres. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  Retrieved October, 17, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_television#Subgenres

The National Film and Sound Archive

by Jenny

National Film and Sound Archive: Television

Organised into the sections of: News and Current Affairs, Television Drama and Television Partnerships, this website's usefulness is via historical snapshots of television and topical programming.

I find this site a place for my ideas to springboard... as it mentions shows I personally like or despise - my individual critiquing of these television shows modelled to students using the strategy of "think-alouds"... (Pearson Educational, 2011) considering the purpose, intended audience, messages, its possible appeal... empowering young people to become discerning viewers and articulating their enjoyment, cringe-factor or dismay (Media Education Foundation, 2005).

These days the power of the remote, ease of access to recordings and archived shows, encourages young people to view - not for the sake of viewing, but with purpose in mind. It is imperative educators encourage critical viewing of television! Life is too short for square eyes!

National Film and Sound Archive: Film

When teaching I was always keen to link the children's own experiences to new ones: particularly when setting the context for readings. An example of this was trying to explain the setting of the Coorong when reading Colin Thiele's Storm Boy. In particular young children need these hooks to help set the scene in their mind’s eye, or the characterisation - to encourage visualisation... what better way than through the use of film? At a more sophisticated level, this can link not only to setting and characterisation, but relationships, themes and symbolism (Cross, 1995).

This contextualisation aligns with Constructivist theories and Vygotsky (Richardson, 1997) and encourages critical literacy and media literacy. As Cross (1995, p. 85) espouses, it is about creating "visual realism" for students.

The National Film and Sound Archive contains an absolute plethora of films and images. It is easy to escape into this celluloid collection - to trigger personal memories and create new ones from the comfort of your viewing location. It doesn't have to be the whole movie - often a snippet is sufficient to whet the appetite and establish a known (but not necessarily first hand) setting or context prior to sharing reading.

This is only one small aspect of the educational usefulness of film: to take someone to a place not normally possible.

Brendan Smith's blog, currently on this website, sets the challenge to not find a favourite movie moment in The Great Aussie Montage. How interesting to discuss student’s own views of these Aussie greats as to whether or not they agree they belong on the list. Better still – students design their own criteria to decide what attributes are necessary to make it on this list!


References

Australian Government. (2008a). Film. National Film and Sound Archive, Australia. Retrieved October,19, 2011, from http://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/film/

Australian Government. (2008b). National Film and Sound Archive, Australia. Retrieved October,19, 2011, from http://www.nfsa.gov.au/

Australian Government. (2008c). Television. National Film and Sound Archive, Australia. Retrieved October,19, 2011, from http://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/television/

Australian Government. (2010). Television Partnerships. National Film and Sound Archive, Australia. Retrieved October,19, 2011, from http://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/television/television-partnerships/

Australian Government. (2011). Television Drama. National Film and Sound Archive, Australia. Retrieved October,19, 2011

Australian Government. (n.d). NFSA Title Details. National Film and Sound Archive: Australia Retrieved October, 19, 2011, from http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A5150;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10

Brendan Smith. (2010). Great Aussie film montage gets a refresh. National Film and Sound Archive, Australia. Retrieved October,19, 2011, from http://www.nfsa.gov.au/blog/2010/03/31/great-aussie-film-montage-gets-a-refresh/

Cross, S. M. (1995). Dead poets do tell tales. The English Journal, 84(7), 84-86.
Education.com Inc. (2006-2011). Critical Viewing Definition. education.com Retrieved October, 19, 2011, from http://www.education.com/definition/critical-viewing/

Media Education Foundation. (2005). How to become a critical media viewer. 2. Retrieved from http://www.mediaed.org/Handouts/CriticalViewing.pdf

Pearson Educational. (2011). Think Aloud Strategy: Teaching Method for Reading (Grades K-12) TeacherVision.com Retrieved October, 19, 2011, from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html

Richardson, V. (1997). Constructivist teaching and teacher education: Theory and practice. Constructivist teacher education: Building new understandings, 3-14.

Wikipedia®. (2011a). Critical literacy. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Retrieved October, 19, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_literacy

Wikipedia®. (2011b). Media literacy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Retrieved October, 19, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_literacy