Course Description and Purpose

Media plays a central role in the socialization, acculturation, and intellectual formation of young people. It is a pedagogical force to be reckoned with, and we ignore it at our peril.

– Hoechsmann & Poyntz, 2012, p.59

In this course, teacher candidates will: explore theories of media education; varied literacies; current issues and themes within media education; analyze and produce various mediums. The course will be divided into three sections. Through the first section of the course we will trace the history of media education, analyze current debates in the field of media education, explore key concepts of media literacies, and produce pedagogical resources. In the second section of the course we will survey current issues and themes in media education relating to fake news and the dark side of the Internet, including consent, privacy, surveillance and ethics. Moreover, teacher candidates will develop “comic strip” imagery for media production considering the pedagogical and ethical implications of misinformation and disinformation. The third section is a studio practice. Teacher candidates will experience industry softwares for digital media production. Building upon theories of media education, that production is crucial to being media literate, teacher candidates will produce their own digital artworks towards environmental and social justice . In this third section, we will consider how meaning is created and manipulated throughout the process of media production.

Course Objectives

The readings, assignments, lessons, discussions, and class activities are designed to:

  • explore theories and debates in media education;
  • consider the pedagogical implications and possibilities of media literacies across curriculum;
  • engage with specific themes and issues that have arisen in the current media landscape;
  • make a case for popular culture and youth media production in formal educational spaces;
  • recognize the role of media and popular culture as a form of public pedagogy;
  • understand how meaning is created (and manipulated) in digital media;
  • engage in the production (and manipulation) of still images;
  • acknowledge the process of art making while contemplating the final product;
  • contribute to the course website by volunteering to showcase final productions.