Media Literacy Course for Middle and High School Parents and Teachers

with Caroline Cumming

Three Saturday mornings: November 10th and 17th and December 1st

9:15- 10:45

$30 for the series, $12 per session. Pay at the door. 
Location:
November 10th and 17th: SEATTLE WALDORF SCHOOL, 2725 NE 100th St., (Huckleberry Hall, East Entrance. )
December 1st:  ONE LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH ,3524 NE 95th St. ( via the west parking lot, through the glass doors.

 
Millions of American children and teens have Internet access in their homes and bedrooms, using it daily for their school projects, online gaming, sending instant messaging, facebooking with friends and tweeting like never before.  These same children go to movies, watch music videos, and are rarely unattached from their headphones and iPods. This series of workshops will explore how media literacy education helps to develop critical thinking and active participation in our media culture. Participants will explore how media literacy opens all of us up to greater freedom by empowering us to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Practical steps and resources for educators and parents of middle and high school students to be used in the home and classroom will be presented.
 
Week 1
How does the media affect us as active consumers? In the past our culture’s storytellers were people – our families, and friends and close community, today our most powerful storytellers are television, movies, music, video games and the Internet. Focusing on the “language of persuasion” and “point of view” we will explore how media messages effects our thoughts, attitudes and actions and how individuals construct their own meanings from media.
 
Week 2
How do we create meaning from media messages?  The human brain processes images differently than words. This week we will gain a deeper understanding of how media images trigger emotions and the subtle and complex effects of media. Exploring the skills needed to move from being passive consumers to critical listeners, viewers and producers of media we will deconstruct various media and then create our own media. We will discuss ways to begin media conversations within our families and develop family media plans.
 
Week 3
We will examine the interaction of media and society, and the role of media literacy education which is being used more and more frequently as an important tool in addressing  youth issues around alcohol and drug use; obesity and eating disorders; bullying and violence; gender identity and sexuality; racism and other forms of discrimination and oppression. Focusing on who owns the media we will explore how media literacy skills empower people and communities often without access to the media to tell their own stories.
Bio for Caroline Cumming