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 21st Century, 2nd 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 ABCs?

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 entertainingbut not just entertainment Media content is everywherewe 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 McLuhan: 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 YouTube

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
-- DouglasRushkoff 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 McLuhan, Sister Bede Sullivan, Fr. John Culkin (1960s 1980s) Second wave: early conferences in Canada, 1990s Today: Global movement

Globalocal: Media Literacy for the Global Village

Media Literacy Skills

Content mastery no longer king of learning Now whats 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 dont 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:

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 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

Teachers 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

Framework: Core Concepts of Media Literacy: Canada uses eight CML adapted for U.S. to five Based on media studies/academic work internationally

Five Core Concepts of

Media Literacy:
1. 2. All media messages are constructed. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Different people experience the same media message differently. Media have embedded values and points of view. Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

3. 4. 5.

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 MediaLit Kit, based on questioning media Questions are more engaging for students

CMLs FIVE CORE CONCEPTS AND KEY QUESTIONS

Media Deconstruction/Construction Framework

CMLs Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS)

2002-2007 Center for Media Literacy, www.medialit.org

Key Words
# 1 2 Authorship Format

Deconstruction: CMLs 5 Key Questions (Consumer)

Who created this message? What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? How might different people understand this message differently?

CMLs 5 Core Concepts

Construction: CMLs 5 Key Questions (Producer)

What am I authoring? Does my message reflect understanding in format, creativity and technology?

All media messages are constructed. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Different people experience the same media message differently.

Audience

Is my message engaging and compelling for my target audience?

Content

What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message?
Why is this message being sent?

Media have embedded values and points of view.

Have I clearly and consistently framed values, lifestyles and points of view in my content?
Have I communicated my purpose effectively?

Purpose

Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

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

21st 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