Engage+and+Refrain

=**media type="youtube" key="-NGGLZP1asQ?version=3" height="315" width="420"__Engage and Refrain: Photo Lesson__ **=


 * The Instructor **

In this video clip of an engaging photo lesson the instructor exhibits different teaching techniques when interacting with various students. First she initially presents open ended questions such as “What do you think is happening here?”, and instead of just agreeing or disagreeing with the responses from the students she encourages them to elaborate, and give more ideas. The teacher engages in parroting which means she repeats what the students say back to them so they can hear their responses, tell that their teacher is listening and so the instructor can clarify the students’ answers.

I found it interesting how the instructor managed students who were not being orderly. She didn’t directly acknowledge their miss-behavior but instead publically praised good behavior from another student as a representation of the attention gained from raising your hand. The instructor also used the method of “cold-calling” when she called on a student who she realized was not paying attention and demanded an answer from her.

The instructor did not let minor miss-behaviors interfere with her encouragement of text analysis from the students. Questions such as “where is the girl if she is homeless” helps try and give the students to reframe the context of the text on their own. Once it is clear that they do not bite the bait, the teacher gives an example of a different context to reframe the story for them, later resulting in her point.


 * The Students **

It was great to watch the clip from the lesson and see how eager and engaged the students were in the activity. They were excited to give answers and predictions as to what was happening in the image based off of their previous knowledge and experiences.

It was interesting to see that they resorted to touching and pointing at the picture to communicate what in the image they were talking about, it seemed as though they were justifying their predictions through examples and evidence.

Finally, I found it very interesting that the majority of the students followed a similar story. Was this due to influence by their peers? Or are their life experiences and knowledge so similar that they would naturally come to such a similar conclusion?


 * Additional Questions **

- Was the instructor consciously ignoring the students who were talking out? Or did she not notice? - Are there other ways she could have gotten them so present their own different interpretations? – i.e. depending on their age and ability, had them each write down a bullet of what they thought the picture showed? - What are the other pictures for?


 * Relating to __Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom__ by Renee Hobbs, and other readings **

According to Thoman’s article “we are exposed to hundreds and even thousands of images and ideas” the importance of educating our youth in media literacy is ever-growing. This clip from a lesson portrays some ways that media literacy concepts are taught in a classroom.

The lesson teaches about text analysis and different interpretations of text to students using the theory mentioned in Chapter 5 of Renee Hobbs’ book, about the three phases of learning: Romance, Precision and Generalization. (pg. 89) <span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The Romance phase is executed by the instructor first striking the students’ interests with an image and developing their interest in the matter by asking them to figure out what the picture could be showing.

<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The instructor then transitions into the second phase of precision by raising new questions about the image the students are looking at, which naturally teaches them how to question and analyze an image. For example, “where is the girl?” In addition, the clip of the lesson ends during this phase after also introducing a new concept and vocabulary term of “interpretation” and there being different interpretations.

<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The Romance and interest of the subject, in addition to precision; understanding new knowledge and vocabulary needed to know how new ideas are created within the discipline, will both be needed for the students to exercise their analysis skills, and ability to think of various perspectives in the final phase of Generalization. <span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">All of these phases of learning are the introductory steps leading to a greater Media Literacy. The skills the students engaged in, of beginner analysis will easily allow them to progress to using Chapter 3’s “Five Critical Questions” used in media analysis.

<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**Try to imagine the ways in which this video intersects with concepts about ACCESS, ANALYSIS, CREATION, REFLECTION, and TAKING ACTION.**

<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">In chapter 1, Hobbs introduces the “Five Communication Competencies”: Access, Analyze, Create, Reflect, and Act. These are the main components of a process model for digital literacy. The sample lesson intersects with some aspects of these components. __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Access: __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> “Learning how to find, comprehend and use symbolic resources” (pg. 12). Through engagement, questions, and reframing, the students in the lesson learned how to derive meaning from the image presented. They also were challenged to comprehend different perspectives from peers and from their teacher. This comprehension skill was freshly introduced, making it necessary for students to learn more about other people in order to fully comprehend other people’s interpretations of an image. __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Analyze: __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> “The capacity to analyze messages, considering the author, purpose, and point of view to understand how they are constructed and the assumptions that underpin them” (pg. 14). Although the class does not go to the extent of considering the author and construction of the image, the instructor asks open ended questions that encourages the students to learn to question the meaning of the text by reflecting on the ideas they view as portrayed within a “social, political, historical, economic, and cultural context” (pg. 14) which helps them have access to the tools needed to gain the knowledge necessary for a proper analysis. __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Create: __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> “Composing or generating content using creativity and confidence in self-expression, with awareness of purpose, audience and composition techniques”(pg. 12). This component is omitted completely from the video. __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Reflect: __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> “Considering the impact of media messages and technology tools upon our thinking and actions in daily life and applying social responsibility and ethical principles to our own identity, communication behavior, and conduct” (pg. 12). In the lesson previewed in the video, partial reflection is exhibited. When students are asked about other possible meanings of the image, and encouraged to imagine the image from another’s perspective they are exercising Multiperspectival thinking. __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Act: __<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> “Working individually and collaboratively to share knowledge and solve problems in the family, the workplace, and the community, and participating as a member of a community at local, regional, national and international levels” (pg. 12). The students work individually and collaboratively to interpret the meaning of the text, where they then connect the text to the outside world. i.e. interpreting that the woman in the picture is poor and homeless because she is dirty and sad. However, no other action or connections with the outside world are made.

Thoman, Elizabeth. "Skills & Strategies for Media Education." //Center for Media Literacy//. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/skills-strategies-media-education>. Hobbs, Renee. //Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom//. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2011. Print "Engage and Reframe: Photo Lesson - YouTube." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.// Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NGGLZP1asQ>.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Bibliography **