Multiliteracies in ELA Classrooms

Wow. This has been an instance of getting lost on the World Wide Web. (But also a fine example of how we must examine our sources, critically.) I start with the article we are supposed to read, and end up doing searches for “Google images pro-life signs”. How? Here we go…

The Farmer article led me to the Centre for Media Literacy website; which is a fabulous resource for educators. For those of you who haven’t checked it out, there are some useful tools for us.

Their definition of Media Literacy is important, as it pertains to us, as educators. But they also share a Canadian definition, as published in Media Literacy Resource Guide:

“Media Literacy is concerned with helping students develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of mass media, the techniques used by them and the impact of these techniques. More specifically, it is education that aims to increase students’ understanding and enjoyment of how the media work, how they produce meaning, how they are organized, and how they construct reality. Media literacy also aims to provide students with the ability to create media products.” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 1989).

Ok. That is what I expected to see on this site. But then I started looking at their archives…

Their site hosts articles from their previous incarnation as a print journal Media and Values. I started reading an article from 1977, “Are We Afraid of Media Technology” and realized that the “we” was the voice of Catholics and that the “moral” in the title was one of Christian morality. The article was interesting, in terms of the timely call to their readership to use technology to help in their “education”. The author asks: “Do media manipulate? Of course they do. All the more reason for us to get involved. Our pro-life apostolate should include sensitivity to how media manipulate humankind. How can we protect ourselves and others from this manipulation if we don’t have the data? We must be media-aware.” (Forde-Plude, Frances, 1977.)

So interesting; right? When you think of the highly influential and “successful” pro-life print campaigns that commenced during this period of social and political perspective shifts on this topic during this era. (Roe v. Wade in 1973, and the first March for Life in 1974.) I then did a Google search to see just how successful media “education” on this subject has been, and found hundreds of images and sites dedicated to this political/religious stance online. So, their call to use media technology for “educating” was definitely heard and acted upon.

The author ends with this proclamation: “Media are at the very core of learning systems today; they’re not “extras.” Encourage visual literacy programs in our schools. This doesn’t mean that we downgrade reading books. We must be aware, though, that people also “read” visually. A vigorous national communications thrust is needed in the Church. However, grass roots media use is vital.” (Forde-Plude, Frances, 1977.)

Back I went to their website. The “About Us” tab doesn’t link to any information mentioning their Christian background and influence to the organization, however, a “is the Centre for Media Literacy Christian?” Google search gives multiple websites for Christian organizations who site the CML as a resource for information on faith-based media literacy.

It’s so very interesting how organizations choose to represent themselves through their online presence. And very critial that students know how to ask questions about their sources of information.