A Guide To Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 To 6
A Guide to EffectiveLiteracy Instruction,Grades 4 to 6A Multi-volume Resource from the Ministry of EducationVOLUME SEVENMedia Literacy2008
C ONTENTSINTRODUCTION . 1The Organization of This Volume . 2Key Messages for Teachers and Students . 2Working Toward Equitable Outcomes for Diverse Students . 4Planning Language Programs for Students with Special Education Needs . 5CHAPTER 1: AN OVERVIEWOFMEDIA LITERACYIN THEJUNIOR GRADES . 7What Is Media Literacy? . 7The Power of Media Literacy . 10Conditions for Media Learning . 13Content of Media Literacy Instruction . 13Media Literacy Skills . 15Teaching Media Literacy Across the Curriculum . 16Media Literacy Assessment . 28CHAPTER 2: APPROACHESTOTEACHING MEDIA LITERACY . 33Introduction . 33The Five Key Concepts of Media Literacy . 34The Media Triangle . 38Media Mini-Lesson . 41Simulations . 42Comparing, Sorting, and Classifying . 43Surveys, Media Logs, and Historical Perspectives . 44Dealing with Sensitive News Items and Issues . 46CHAPTER 3: SAMPLE LESSONS . 47Detailed LessonsLesson #1 (Media Analysis): Deconstructing Movie Ads . 49Lesson #2 (Media Analysis): Detecting Bias in a Television Newscast . 54
Lesson #3 (Media Creation): Creating a Storyboard for a PublicService Announcement . 63Lesson #4 (Media Creation): Creating a Brochure . 74Lesson OutlinesLesson #5 (Media Analysis): Reading a Website . 85Lesson #6 (Media Analysis): Analysing Music Lyrics . 88Lesson #7 (Media Creation): Creating a Website . 91Lesson #8 (Media Creation): Designing a Movie Poster . 96RESOURCESANDSOURCES . 101
I NTRODUCTIONA Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6 is organized into several volumes.The first three volumes provide the foundation for effective literacy instruction and literacylearning in the junior grades. Subsequent volumes go more deeply into what to teach –and how to teach it – in order to help all students experience success.Volume 7, “Media Literacy”, builds on the research findings and best practices in Literacyfor Learning: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario. Itprovides a framework for the expectations in the Media Literacy strand of the Languagecurriculum (2006). It emphasizes the importance of developing a critical awareness ofthe media and describes effective ways of teaching about and using media. Media literacyinstruction can be woven into all areas of the curriculum not only the learning expectationsin all the Language strands (Reading, Writing, Oral Communication, and Media Literacy)but also other curriculum subject areas.In the junior grades, students look for relevance and meaning in what they are learning.In today’s media-saturated world, media literacy is highly relevant. Students need tolearn to view media messages with a critical and analytical eye as well as how to interactwith media responsibly. By exploring the hows and whys of the media, students developan increased understanding of the media’s unprecedented power to persuade and influence.The sample detailed lessons and lesson outlines in this volume involve students in theanalysis and creation of a variety of media texts. Students determine the intent of themessages (why were they created?), deconstruct the various elements of the messages(how were they developed and disseminated?), and examine the messages from a socialjustice point of view (who benefits from them and who might they hurt?). The activitiesare designed to respond to junior students’ growing awareness of the world and takeinto account their diverse needs and interests.1
THE ORGANIZATIONOFTHIS VOLUMEThis volume is organized into three chapters. The first chapter provides an overviewof media literacy in the junior grades and explains the importance of providing medialiteracy instruction in today’s world; the second chapter describes in detail several usefulframeworks and strategies for teaching media literacy in the junior classroom; and thethird chapter offers sample detailed lessons and lesson outlines covering a range of topics,from the analysis of movie advertisements and television newscasts to the creation of apublic service announcement and a simple website. Based on the needs and experiencesof their students, teachers can be selective in using the sample lessons as models or asresources. In each detailed lesson and lesson outline, teachers use modelling, demonstration,guided practice, and support, as needed, to release gradually responsibility to studentsfor using their newly learned strategies and skills.KEY MESSAGESFORTEACHERSANDSTUDENTSIn each volume of the Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, teachers are reminded ofthe key messages, listed in the chart on page 3, that are intended to help them addressthe goals of the junior literacy program. The key messages are fundamental ideas thatunderlie all the approaches, strategies, and tools described in this guide. They answerthe question: “Why am I teaching this material, in this way, to this group of students,at this time?” Teachers can use these key messages to guide their practice.2A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION, GRADES 4 TO 6 VOLUME SEVEN
Key Messages for Teachers and StudentsThe effective literacy teacher in Grades 4to 6 understands that:The successful student in Grades 4 to 6understands that:Literacy instruction must be driven by equitableongoing assessment.Assessments are a way for the teacher and forme to understand how well I am learning.Literacy instruction must be explicit and relevantto students’ lives.I learn best when I am reading and writing fora real purpose.Literacy instruction must be differentiated,inclusive, and respectful of all students.Some tasks will be difficult, but I can learn thestrategies that I need to succeed.Students’ unique identities and diverse experiences can contribute greatly to a rich learningenvironment.I have valuable knowledge and experiences thatI can share with my classmates.Oral language is the foundation for literacy.Accountable talk helps me to improve my reading,writing, and thinking.Reading, writing, talking, listening, thinking, viewing,and representing are reciprocal literacy processes.Reading will make me a better writer, and writingwill make me a better reader. Talking, listening, andthinking will make me a better reader and writer.Students need to become proficient in“multi-literacies”, involving texts of all types.I need to use my literacy skills to work with textsof all types.Students need to learn that their literacy skillsare transferable to all content areas.I can apply the strategies and skills that I learnin language to all subjects.Students learn best when they are motivatedand actively engaged in their learning.If I am actively involved in making meaning whenI read and write, I will improve my learning.Explicit feedback given immediately afterassessment leads to improved levels of studentachievement.The teacher’s feedback will help me to improvemy learning.By gradually releasing responsibility for learningto students, teachers help students improvetheir learning and develop a greater level ofindependence.The strategies I am learning will help me becomea proficient and independent reader, writer, andcommunicator.When students are encouraged to assess theirown work and set their own goals, they takeownership of their learning.I need to think about my learning and to set goals.Authentic literacy experiences help studentsdevelop skills and attitudes that will serve themthroughout their lives and improve the quality oftheir lives.Knowing how to read, write, and communicateeffectively will help me be successful during myschool years and in my future life.Metacognitive skills give students a growingawareness of themselves as learners andoffer them more independence.Thinking about my thinking will help me understandwhat I have learned, make decisions about mylearning, and become a more independent learner.Critical-thinking and critical-literacy skills aretools students need in order to develop intoactive, responsible participants in theglobal community.I need to think critically about all the texts Iencounter and to ask myself questions about theaccuracy and fairness of the stories or informationin these texts.Professional collaboration and ongoing learninghelp teachers develop a deeper, broader, morereflective understanding of effective instruction.Working with others gives me new ideas andhelps me to reflect on and expand my own thinkingand learning.INTRODUCTION3
WORKING TOWARDS EQUITABLE OUTCOMESDIVERSE STUDENTSFORAll students, whatever their socioeconomic, ethnocultural, or linguistic background,must have opportunities to learn and to grow both cognitively and socially. When studentssee themselves reflected in what they are learning and when they feel secure in theirlearning environment, their true potential will be reflected in their achievement. Acommitment to equity and inclusive instruction in Ontario classrooms is thereforecritical for enabling all students to succeed in school and, consequently, to becomeproductive and contributing members of society.To create the right conditions for learning, teachers must take care to avoid all formsof bias and stereotyping in resources and learning activities, which can quickly alienatestudents and limit their ability to learn. Teachers should be aware of the need to providea variety of experiences and multiple perspectives so that the diversity of the class isrecognized and all students feel respected and valued. Learning activities and resourcesfor teaching language should be inclusive, provide examples and illustrations, and useapproaches that reflect the range of experiences of students with diverse backgrounds,abilities, interests, and learning styles.The following are some strategies for creating a learning environment that recognizesand respects the diversity of students and allows them to participate fully in thelearning experience: providing opportunities for media analysis and creation that are meaingful toall students (e.g., using media texts that reflect students’ interests, home–lifeexperiences, and cultural backgrounds); using multimedia resources that reflect diverse ethnocultural groups, includingAboriginal Peoples; using media content that reflects various cultures and customs; respecting customs and adjusting teaching strategies, as necessary – for example, astudent may come from a culture in which it is considered inappropriate for a childto ask for help, express opinions openly, or make direct eye contact with an adult; considering the appropriateness of references to holidays, celebrations, and traditions; providing clarification as to whether the context of a learning activity is unfamiliarto students (e.g., describing or showing a food item that may be new to some students); evaluating the content of media texts (e.g., posters, advertisements, commercials,videos, website texts) for cultural bias; designing learning and assessment activities that allow students with various learningstyles (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile/kinaesthetic) to participate meaningfully;4A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION, GRADES 4 TO 6 VOLUME SEVEN
providing opportunities for students to work both independently and with others; providing opportunities for students to communicate orally and in writing in theirhome language (e.g., pairing English-language learners with a first-language peerwho also speaks English); using diagrams, pictures, manipulatives, and gestures to clarify vocabulary that maybe new to English-language learners.For a full discussion of equity and diversity in the classroom, as well as a detailed checklistfor providing inclusive language instruction, see pages 1 and 3–8 in Volume Three ofA Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction.PLANNING LANGUAGE PROGRAMSSPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDSFORSTUDENTSWITHPlanning language programs to provide differentiated instruction and assessment forstudents with special education needs is a fundamental aspect of inclusive instruction.For a detailed discussion of the considerations involved in planning programs forstudents with special education needs, including the provision of accommodationsand modified expectations, see the following: Volume Three of this guide, Planning and Classroom Management, pages 9–10; Education for All: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instructionfor Students with Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6, 2005, pages 117–122; The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Language, 2006, pages 24–26.INTRODUCTION5
1A N O VERVIEW OFM EDIA L ITERACY INTHE J UNIOR G RADESWHAT IS MEDIA LITERACY?Today’s junior students have grown up in the information age during a veritablecommunications explosion. Television, movies, the Internet, magazines, newspapers,books, radio, computer games, billboards, signs, and videos are all very much a partof their world. Because students obtain a significant amount of their knowledge of theworld from the media around them, they must learn how to interpret the messages thatinform, entertain, or seek to persuade them. The purpose of this volume is to exploremedia literacy instruction and the ways in which our junior students can be helped todevelop a critical and balanced perspective of mass media and popular culture.Key Words– “The media” (singular, “medium”) or “mass media” are all forms of communication – audio,visual, audio-visual, print, and electronic – designed to reach a very wide audience. Theyinclude (but are not limited to) radio, television, movies, newspapers, magazines, mass-marketpaperbacks, billboards, bus signs, direct mail, and the Internet.– “Media” can also refer to more personal means of communication (e.g., cellular phones,text messaging, and cell-phone images, as well as Internet chat-rooms, blogs, video-sharingwebsites, and social-networking websites).(adapted from the Oxford English Dictionary)Media literacy is defined by The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language, 2006, as“an informed and critical understanding of the nature of the media, the techniques usedby them, and the impact of these techniques. Also, the ability to understand and usethe mass media in an active, critical way.” (p. 156)Media literacy can also be defined in relation to what it is not: It is not media “bashing”. However, it does involve adopting a critical stance withrespect to the media. It is not just media production, although it includes media production.7
It is not just using videos, CD-ROMs, or other mediated media material. It alsoinvolves learning about media. It is not simply looking for political agendas, stereotypes, or misrepresentations. It isalso an exploration of the systems that make those representations appear “normal”. It is not looking at a media message or a mediated experience from one perspectiveonly. It involves examining media from multiple positions or perspectives. And finally, media literacy does not mean “don’t watch”. It means “watch carefully,think critically”.(Adapted from Anderson et al., 2003).The term literacy once meant the ability to read and write. Today, thedefinition of literacy is much broader. It takes into account the fact thatis more than reading andwe live in a multimedia environment in which most of our informationwriting. In order to be funcis delivered to us as a rich and intricate combination of words, images,tionally literate in our mediaand sounds. We need to be able to decode visual images and symbolssaturated world, children andyoung people – in fact, all of us(visual literacy) and recognize that all media communications are deliberate– have to be able to read theconstructions that occur within a context (critical and media literacy).messages that daily inform us,We need to know how to use current communication technologiesentertain us and sell to us. Asresponsibly (technological literacy) and understand and make wise usethe Internet becomes a fact ofof the mass media (media literacy). To be fully literate in today’s world,life, the critical thinking skillswe need to consider how and why media messages and images werethat help young people navicreated. We need to be aware of their impact on the viewer and theirgate through traditional mediaare even more important.”influence on society. Media literacy enables us to see how the media(Barry Duncan, retrievedshape our culture and our lives. It allows us to look beyond the literal2006)meaning of media messages in order to analyse them and evaluate theirauthor’s intent. It incorporates awareness of issues related to fairness,equity, and social justice. Media-literate students have these skills and are able toadopt a critical stance in considering the views put forward by media messages.“Today’s definition of literacy8A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION, GRADES 4 TO 6 VOLUME SEVEN
Key Words– Visual literacy is the ability to understand and interpret the representation and symbolism ofstatic or moving visual images (i.e., the ways in which images are organized and constructedto make meaning) and to understand the impact of images on viewers.– Critical literacy is a process of looking beyond the literal meaning of texts to observe whatis present and what is missing, and thereby to analyse and evaluate the meaning and theauthor’s intent. Critical literacy goes beyond conventional critical thinking because it focuseson issues related to fairness, equity, and social justice. Students take a critical attitude byasking what view of the world the text advances and whether they find this view acceptable.(Junior Expert Panel Report)– Technological literacy is the ability to use technology to access, assess, and produce meaningpurposefully and effectively.While students may navigate media messages nonchalantlyand with apparent ease, if they
Oral language is the foundation for literacy. Reading, writing, talking, listening, thinking, viewing, . pairing English-language learners with a first-language peer who also speaks English); using diagrams, pictures, manipulatives, and gestures to clarify vocabulary that may
Traditionally, Literacy means the ability to read and write. But there seems to be various types of literacy. Such as audiovisual literacy, print literacy, computer literacy, media literacy, web literacy, technical literacy, functional literacy, library literacy and information literacy etc. Nominal and active literacy too focuses on
Part VII. LIteracy 509 Chapter 16. A Primer on Literacy Assessment 511 Language Disorders and Literacy Problems 512 Emergent Literacy 514 Emergent Literacy Skill Acquisition 516 Assessment of Emergent Literacy Skills 520 Assessment of Reading and Writing 528 Integrated Language and Literacy Skill Assessment 536 Chapter Summary 537
Learning Pathways in Literacy P a g e 2 Early Literacy Pathways 2 Learning Pathways in Literacy A comprehensive document on Early Literacy Development: From Foundational Communication to Advanced Thinking, Reading and Writing Why we created this document The Early Literacy Pathway was created to support educators, caregivers and
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One of the remarkable frameworks that sheds light upon new media literacy was developed by Chen et al. (2011), Based on two continuums: functional media literacy to critical media literacy; and consuming media literacy to prosuming media literacy, new dimensions of media
Rainbow Park Baptist Church Community Learning Center Decatur GA Adult Literacy . YMCA of Metro New Orleans Metairie LA Adult Literacy Youth Empowerment Project New Orleans LA Adult Literacy Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester Worcester MA Adult Literacy UTEC, Inc. Lowell MA Adult Literacy
1.4 Children's digital literacy: policy landscape 1.5 Digital literacy frameworks 1.6 Snapshot of UNICEF's work in the field of digital literacy 1.7 Key takeaways Part 2 Towards a holistic vision for digital literacy 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Digital literacy as part of the broader skills for learning 2.3 Towards a UNICEF definition of digital .
Keywords: Health literacy, Digital literacy, eHealth literacy, Self-rated health, Nursing students, HLQ, eHLQ, eHLA . self-reported capability to navigate and act in the health-care sector. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) re-ported a positive correlation between self-rated health (SRH) and HL [25]. SRH is a reliable indicator of .
