BP Media Literacy

Media Literacy

Literacy

The United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as being having the “ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy)

Media

Media is “In communication, media (singular medium) are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data. It is often referred to as synonymous with mass media or news media, but may refer to a single medium used to communicate any data for any purpose”

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_(communication).

Media literacy might be defined as one’s ability to identify the meaning of the symbols presented in the data, interpret those symbols, and create a new reality or modify an existing reality.

Reality

Reality is, “in everyday usage, means "the state of things as they actually exist."[1] Literally, the term denotes what is real; in its widest sense, this includes everything that is, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible.”

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality)

It appears rather easy until one focuses on the “whether it is observable or comprehensible.” Viterbo U. is about to launch its first course in Global Sustainability. There are those who do not believe in global warming. Is it that they have solid evidence to refute those who believe otherwise or is that they are media illiterate?

Metaphor

The usual definition for metaphor is. “Figure of Speech.” A metaphor is a figure of speech concisely expressed by comparing two things, saying that one is the other.[

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor)

Perhaps it is more than that. Media plus Metaphor might be defined as a, “Figure of Meaning.”

Global Warming has become a media metaphor. It is saying many things, comparing multiple things that have to do with the survival of our planet, the survival of the human species.

Media Literacy might also be considered a media metaphor. In order to be truly media literate, one might have to be competent in all the multi-intelligences.

This would mean that multi-intelligence is also a metaphor representing the holistic nature of intelligence. No one is mono-intelligent.

Here are a few sites I found interesting concerning media literacy.

Media literacy URL’s

http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/arti

cle540.html

Welcome!

The Media Literacy Online Project and

the Media Literacy Review are no

longer maintained as Internet sites.

Both served their purpose and now,

with so many excellent resources

online, it has come time to close both

projects. We are keeping this single

page updated as a gateway to

resources educators find of value.

A number of media education

organizations have become available

since the Media Literacy Online

Project was started in 1994. You are

encourage to visit and become

familiar with these organizations.

Action Coalition for Media Education

(ACME) ACME is a network of

educators, students, health

professionals, journalists, mediamakers,

parents, activists, and other

citizens joined as a member supported,

independent, nonprofit

continental educational coalition.

Alliance for a Media Literate America

(AMLA) The goal of the AMLA is to

stimulate growth in media literacy

education in the United States by

organizing and providing national

leadership, advocacy, networking,

and information exchange.

Center for Media Literacy (CML) A

pioneer in its field, the Center for

Media Literacy (CML) is a nonprofit

educational organization that provides

leadership, public education,

professional development and

educational resources nationally.

Jesuit Communication Project (JCP)

The Jesuit Communication Project

provides a variety of resources and

services for teachers, parents, church

groups, school boards, students, and

other interested groups. The goal is

to encourage, promote, and develop

Media Education across Canada

Media Awareness Network The Media

Awareness Network (MNet), home to

one of the world’s most

comprehensive collections of media

education and Internet literacy

resources.

Media Literacy Clearing House. A

comprehensive site with informational

resources of value to educators.

National Telemedia Council The

National Telemedia Council is a

national nonprofit organization that

has been promoting the concept of

media literacy for five decades.

http://www.mediaeducationweek.ca/downl

oads/Media_Education.pdf