New Media Literacy Project

Over the last week I designed and implemented a Media Literacy Project with Mr. Murphy's Info. Lit. Students as part of my Instructional Technology Practicum Program work. It was a very ambitious and detailed Project that I feel went very well. This interesting collaborative Technolgy Project included important aspects such as the use and understanding of: advertising, media messages, sexism, mysogyny, consumerism, commercials, parody, social networks and much more.

This interactive Project included 6 related sections.
Here is an excerpt from part 1 (without the student responses). Contact me or add comments if you're interested in getting more info. about this Project.


Intro. to Media Literacy

This is a short Project designed by Frontier Studio Production Teacher Mr. Merrick for Mr. Murphy's B1 and B2 Info. Lit. classes. This will be a 2-part (6 sections) Project during the first week of March, 2009.

Part 1 of this Media Literacy Project will be Analyzing Media. Watch the following video clips and answer the related discussion questions. These replies are Due: by Fri. March 6, 2009.

Part 2 of this Project will be Creating and Evaluating Media. You will be uploading, embedding or linking to Advertising Photos, Images and Videos. You will also be commenting on these Ads and/or creating your own Ad Parodies. These replies are Due: by Fri. March 13, 2009.

"What is Media Literacy?" An easy short answer is:

"The ability to analyze media and create effective media".

A longer answer is: developing the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in effective ways. It is an active engagement with media, just like web 2.0 refers to non-passive use of the internet. By examining and creating media we will no longer be just passive (brainwashed) consumers, but instead active media-makers and intelligent, informed consumers.

One of the many aspects of Media Literacy is to question and challenge mainstream media such as advertising. I want to start by analyzing some aspects of advertising such as pro-consumerism, the use of stereotypes and sexist images in ads.

Background info. for the following video clips. Adbusters is a non-profit group of technology experts, artists and writers who critique and make fun of corporations and mainstream media/advertising. Two events they promote each year are "Buy Nothing Day" (the day after Thanksgiving) to raise awareness about people buying too many unneccesary/wasteful luxury goods and "TV Turnoff Week"- to get people to occassionally take a break from TV media.

Watch the following short P.S.A.'s from Adbusters and answer the related discssion questions.

Here is the "The Product is You" video directly from Adbusters:


If that video is too slow, here is the same video on YouTube:


Adbusters' "Buy Nothing" Day PSA:


The same video on YouTube:


Abusters' "Unbrand America" PSA:


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS- For the Adbusters PSA's:

1.) Do you think these videos are effective? Why or why not? Do you think the messages are clear or confusing? Do you think the videos are thought-provoking? Why or why not?

2.) What do you think the messages are? How could these videos be more effective? Do you like (any of) these videos? Why or why not?

3.) How much more do Americans consume than other people in the world? Knowing that we need to buy some things to keep the economy going, does the idea of a "Buy Nothing Day" make sense?
(Not counting essential goods such as food and medicine)