Barry's Bulletin September 2001
"Unleashing Creativity" National Media Education Conference, June 23-25, 2001 held in Austin, Texas, hosted by AMLA (Alliance for a Media Literate America)
By most criteria, this year's national media education conference was a success. Attended by 400 participants, the conference had 48 workshops, 7 panels and 6 pre-conference workshops. The keynote speeches included Toronto's own Neil Andersen who offered a rich menu of media education, aided by plenty of experience, and, in spite of some technical glitzes, delivered in a relaxed manner that was engaging. Carlos Cortes, an expert on intercultural education, gave us some fine insights on teaching about diversity, although his presentation would have fared better as a workshop than as a keynote. The plenary on the last day focussed on youth media makers who had produced some videos in sessions concurrent with the conference. In addition to the fine dynamics of kids bonding on a production, " the show and tell" feature was exhilarating and showcased some exemplary pedagogy about the creative process.
The hotel in the suburbs ( The geography of nowhere) was rather alienating, but many of us were rescued from the wasteland by taking taxis downtown to soak up the incredibly vibrant, live - music scene in Austin.
The panels addressed topics such as evaluation and diversity in media literacy. I attended one entitled "Corporate connections- How do I decide ethical issues in media literacy ?" This latter panel was a good example of how contentious issues get played out. Most of the audience was suspicious of the ulterior motives of the corporate world. The chair tried - almost in vain- to steer the discussion from potentially acrimonious in-fighting as prominent players trotted out the usual arguments about corporate oppression.
At the risk of oversimplifying the range of perspectives around the table, I would offer the following characterizations: protectionists who see media literacy as away of counteracting the media's potential harmful messages; the prevention people who see media literacy as a way of addressing youth-at -risk, usually in the context of drug and alcohol reduction; the celebrationists who examine media texts uncritically and primarily for their many pleasures; the elitists who promote a discriminating response to superior media productions and finally a large group who find themselves somewhere in the middle of these conflicting approaches and ideologies. The most organized dissent centered around the arguments pro and con Channel One which were stirred up when Jim Metrock, the bete noire crusader of the big media lit chat line (Media-L ), rented a room at the hotel to present his unsanctioned view of the network's unmitigated horrors.
One of the key events was the launching of the newly formed AMLA (Alliance for a Media Literate America). AMLA intends to be run democratically and should become the one American organization which will push forward media literacy initiatives. There were good vibes at the founding meeting. However, besides working with the apparent dissent in the movement, AMLA will have to keep interest alive in their mandate since they don't have the advantage of face- to -face dialogue until the next conference in 2003 in Baltimore. The formation of caucuses to serve different regions of the United States as well as several addressing key issues such as research, commercialism and sexuality in the media bodes well.
On a positive note, there was a high degree of satisfaction in the organization of the conference. After four previous American conferences, media educators are now getting to know one another and some new leaders are emerging. Let's keep hope alive. We wish AMLA the best.
There were many good workshops throughout the conference although very few were at an advanced level or with the validation and participation of international media educators who could challenge the experienced media teacher and establish new directions for the movement. Those were accomplishments of Toronto's Summit 2000, a milestone in the short history of our world wide movement.
I was privileged last summer to teach a short, one week graduate media literacy course at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. During the last two years, David Considine, an important media education leader in the United States and the course director for this unique graduate degree program in media literacy, has made important breakthroughs in establishing the program's visibility and credibility.
While two of the people in my class of ten women had little media education experience, the rest had taken courses including "Introductory Media Literacy" and/ or "Digital Media" in which they shot and edited a video. My course focussed on global issues using sub-themes such as audience reception theory; teen identity and the marketing of cool; ideology and power in the media: focus on Noam Chomsky; media, globalization and citizenship; and finally the search for media alternatives. Many of the ideas were inspired by works such as Naomi's Klein's book "No Logo." One afternoon was devoted to a mall crawl. ( "Television proposes and the mall disposes."), a revealing cultural experience even in a small community such as Boone.
Three participants lived in the area and rest were from five different Amercian states, the Philippines and Cyprus. The collective experience of the group was amazing and after one day there was a palpable esprit de corps. One big highlight arose from Ugur Maner, a feisty woman from Cyprus who challenged the hostility of the class to the assertions of Noam Chomsky. She bluntly pointed out how oppression works in her country in which the media report only the government approved information. He had spoken the truth about state sponsored terrorism. Good old Noam was quickly reinstated!
The readings were challenging; the all day classes intense and the media projects to be submitted at the end of August were self-selected and demanding. Here are some examples:
Some class comments on the course included…"an incredible look at media education from a Canadian and a world view."… "Although I live in Boone and have gone to the mall many times, it was as if I had seen it for the first time."…"I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to attend this class. The experience has been challenging and most rewarding."
Next year it has been proposed that the advanced class spend a week in New York city and make use of its amazing media opportunities, from the television museum and the network studios to seminars with Neil Postman.! For more information contact David Considine considinedm@appstate
As Canadian media educators return to their classrooms, they might not realize it, but their role has been considerably enhanced through a successful three day think tank held in Toronto August 23-25. C.A.M.E.O. ( Canadian Association for Media Organizations) exists in all provinces except P.E.I., and media literacy is mandated in every province from K to grade 12. Besides the participants from the Ontario based Association for Media Literacy and from CHUM Television, the generous sponsor of this event, there were representatives from across the country, from Newfoundland to British Columbia. The goals of the think tank included i.) energizing provincial organizations ii.) examining best practices in media education; and iii.) recommending over 50 important national inititatives. Some of these included liaison with relevant subject associations and the council of ministries and publishing media studies material for the classroom. Above all, the think tank participants realized the need for a strategic plan as soon as possible so that they could effectively prioritize their needs.
Besides addressing practical organizational concerns, there were also fascinating academic presentations by Professor Bob Morgan on the impact on youth of cell phones and Professor Edmund O'Sullivan on the relevance to our mediated and globalized environment of transformative learning practices.
Participants worked dilgently over the three days and there was an amazing degree of consensus on the goals and implementation of media education, a feat that our American cousins with their hopeful but still badly fractured movement, would envy. It was no surprise that at the end of the think tank, the Chair of C.A.M.E.O., John Pungente SJ, was able to wax poetic about the group's convivial achievement. As a participant and member of the planning committee, I was also delighted with the results.
For more information, contact Barry Duncan at baduncan@interlog.com .
Madonna's major accomplishment as a pop diva is her ability to reinvent herself. Think about her many disguises: sexy virgin, Material girl, Blonde ambition, Bisexual artist Now at the age of 43, she is going to do it again with her sold out North American tour. While teen fans may be more devoted to Britney Spears and the hot boy bands, Madonna still manages to shed light on how to survive today's mercurial pop music trends. The following are some interesting excerpts from the Detroit concer t August 29 as found on the official HBO Madonna web site.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. by David Livingstone, Chicago Sun Times
They came in droves, by bus and stretch limo and sport utility vehicle, dressed in stiletto heels and thrift-store rags, in "Boy Toy" belt buckles and skimpy Bebe halter tops to greet their idol with a chorus of coos, gasps and screams: The wannabes and the wanna-wannabes gathered to welcome home Rochester Hills' prodigal daughter, Madonna Louise Ciccone. And Madonna, the media-made pop icon/diva, didn't disappoint.., the Drowned World spectacle raced through styles and genres at dizzying speed, with Ms. M seeming to change personas with every change of clothing. The five opening numbers, accompanied by Mohawk-shorn dancers, and set against a techno-trash backdrop were the show's high point: "Beautiful Stranger," "Candy Perfume Girl" and "Ray of Light" set a frenetic pace and energetic tone. The subsequent section, stylistically modeled on Japanese Butoh theater and Japanese anime--and complete with ultra-violent video imagery-- wandered into more surreal terrain; "Nobody's Perfect" was delivered in the context of a slow, menacing sequence wherein our heroine Madonna was threatened with decapitation by a samurai sword-wielding warrior.
In a particularly abrupt shift of gears, Manga Madonna was replaced by Cowpoke Madonna, toting an acoustic guitar and outfitted in Dixie Chicks-ish regalia, complete with fake country accent. "Y'all havin' a good time?" was, of course, met with thunderous approbation.
"Drowned World" flits lightly from style to style, adopting the affectations of multiple musical movements in a pattern which directly mirrored the Material Girl's career moves. Ever the expert at sensing emergent trends, riding each wave for all it was worth before jumping to the next, Madonna has always shown keen insight into the dynamics of pop culture. By refusing to commit to any style, including her own, she has managed to sidestep pigeonholing and consequent irrelevance, emerging as a sort of by-default diva through sheer endurance.
The attendant loyalists, attired in tribute wear reflecting various phases of Madonnarama, have come to enjoy the roller-coaster ride; having cast her musical net a mile wide and a mudpuddle deep, Madonna seems capable of representing everything while being nothing, singer as tabula rasa, a willing repository for the projections, illusions and visions of her fans. Making grand gestures while saying as little as possible, Madonna leaves herself open to being strongly identified with--each fan writes his or her private script, invents his private icon of Madonna starting with the raw materials of sound and spectacle, while she herself remains unknowable and unreachable.
After a ten year absence in running an AQ course in media through an Ontario faculty of education, the Association for Media Literacy is pleased to announce that a class of 16 teachers has completed the first phase of the York University, (Toronto) Media Part One held last August. This was a high powered, four day immersion, conducted by teachers Neil Andersen, Barry Duncan and Ian Esquivel When a sufficient number of grads from Part One courses emerge, we will be able to offer Part 2 and Part 3 for the attainment of the Media Specialist Certificate. The York University model is a good one. In addition to fours days in August, teachers will meet for evening sessions, every two weeks until February.
The August program included an introduction to key concepts of media and the ways of formulating a key research question to be investigated in the media classroom. The keen group of participants also learned how to do successful student video production and, surprise, surprise, how to conduct a successful mall crawl and deconstruction of the Queen Street village in Toronto. The process included studying the Toronto Eaton Centre and taking part in a tour of CITY-TV.
There is a great deal of media education territory to be covered in the course. Our special speakers for the Fall session are outstanding: Kathleen McDonnell, author of the invaluable, recently published book "Honey , we lost the Kids: Re-thinking Childhood in the Multi-media Age; " Geoff Pevere, the brilliant film critic for the Toronto Star and co- author of Mondo Canuck, and Dave Bidini, author, pop culture expert and leader of the Toronto alternative band the Rheostatics. You can E-Mail me if you wish more information on the course content.
With the arrival of 35 new digital TV channels in September, Canadians will have trouble coping with the free, two month communication bonanza until the cable companies ask us for financial commitment. So what looks good for the media teacher? The Independent Film and the Documentary channels as starters. Does this mean new NFB stuff? I hope so. The Scream Channel will appease the fans of the horrid and the unspeakable. And finally, Deja View will have reruns old TV chesnuts such as Barney Miller and Gilligan's Island. I have always wanted to write a thesis on the comic ironies and archetypes present in all episodes of Gilligan. I expect nothing less than an impressive Harvard doctorate.
Questions for multi- channel television buffs. It has been estimated that 50% of the new channels will fail. Which channels do you think will succeed? Which ones will fail? Why? How well served is the viewer with the proliferation of new channels?
Most of us know that the Australians are world leaders in media education. In spite of their small population relative to North America, the Aussies can showcase some major accomplishments: exemplary curriculum guidelines, text books, regularly scheduled conferences and some outstanding magazines for teachers such as Australian Screen Education, a publication that will blow you away. At 270 pages ( current issue) with four issues a year, it is a remarkable publication. The mission statement states: "Australian Screen Education is a joint venture between Cinemedia and the Australian Teachers of Media ( ATOM). Our mission is to publish a journal of excellence for the teaching of screen literacy across all curriculum levels of primary and secondary education. It will act as a guide, helping them choose and use different types of programs and technology in their classrooms. It will suggest activities to help them and their parents to view critically and bring more awareness to the hundreds of hours of television they will watch over the coming years."
The current edition includes the following: updates on activities from different groups of ATOM( Australian Teachers of Media) and the umbrella organization- CAMEO ( Council of Australian Media Organizations); lesson plans, study guides on recent Australian feature films, Teaching media, grades, 7-12; extensive reviews of videos CD's and books. Deciding to be more international, they have included in their recent issues media education material from Canada. Australian Screen Education is a handsome and very useful publication. It would be inspiring if there was a North American equivalent Possibly too expensive for overseas individual rate- $96.00, I would suggest that organiztions should take out an institutional membership at $88 +30.00 ( the $30.00 add -on price is for overseas orders) Order through ATOM Locked Bag 9, Collins St. East, Melbourne, Victoria, 80003 Australia E-Mail - damned@netspace.net.au
For demonstrating the technical codes of camera angles, it is always worthwhile to find a glaringly obvious example. .From the Edmonton games this past August is this photograph of Donovan Bailey, Canada's distinguished runner, his short athletic career now finished. The low angle shot gives him stature; at the same time his body language suggests defeat and rejection. Look for other examples from the sports world to show how athletes get ‘framed.'
Here is one of those cards one can buy at a souvenir store, in this case, an item I picked it up at the store in the Cherokee native museum in North Carolina. Here is the formula for success. Make the native woman proud but submissive and make her features ambiguously both native and white, sexualized and alluring. Light her effectively to create a romantic and exotic mood. This is the native woman as many whites would like her to be.
These are important books of special interest to media educators. Those of you familiar with my media bibliography for the Association for Media Literacy will know that I have listed approximately 50 key books; a small number are categorized as essential. In that category, "Honey, We Lost the Kids " rightfully belongs.
"Honey, We Lost the Kids: Re-Thinking Childhood in the Multimedia Age" by Kathleen McDonnell, Second Story Press, Toronto, 2001, 191 pages ( ISBN 1-896764-37-1) Those outside Canada can order this book from Theatre Books in Toronto (416) 922-7175
I highly recommend "Honey, We lost the Kids" a new, must-have book both for teachers and parents. It is relevant and up-to-date on the key pop culture items of today's teens and tweens and for that alone we can be grateful. While this constitutes the core content of the book, McDonnell, a Toronto based writer, gives us valuable background on the history of childhood and a realistic perspective on the adult media material which young people are exposed to.
Readers may be familiar with McDonnell's first book "Kid Culture" published in 1994 in which she looked at the nature and impact of popular culture directed at children. Written in an appealing journalistic style and taking a refreshingly positive view of the field focussing on such pop texts as "Teenage Ninja Turtles," "Honey, we lost the Kids" continues in a similar vein. "Pokemon," "South Park, " "Harry Potter," "Dawson's Creek," "Teletubbies," controversial web sites - all receive culturally astute interpretations. ( In several instances, the author sought advice from her young daughters about how their peers perceive and use such popular culture material.) Regrettably, the author missed a great opportunity to make the connections between her superbly explained examples and the techniques and resources for media literacy for classroom teachers and parents.
The concluding sections address teen rituals, including the role of mentors in "Buffy the Vampire" and "Power Rangers") followed by chapters on "The Great Parenting Debate" and the vital role of citizenship in "It takes a (global) village." It is the author's major achievement that throughout her lively cram course on popular culture, she wisely seeks a middle ground in the protectionist vs popular culture celebrationist debates.
2.) "Critical Studies in Media Commercialism" ed. by Robin Andersen and Lance Strate, Oxford University Press, 2001 ( ISBN- 0-19-874277-0) 336 pages.
The twenty-three essays in this collection range from advertising and corporate mergers to commercial media in the classroom and the controversial debates on Channel One . There have been individual studies of the impact of the media industries such as those written by Ken Bagdikian and Robert McChesney. What this collection offers is some of the more comprehensive and more recent perspectives on this growing field. The most useful essays for media teachers include Norman Cowie's "Media Literacy and the Commercialization of Culture;" Margaret Cassidy's "Commercial Media and the corporate presence in the K-12 classroom;" Lauren Tucker's "Talking Back to Calvin Klein" and Delicia Harvey's "Image Culture and the Supermodel." The 20 page introductory essay by Robin Andersen is arguably the best overview essay on media commercialism currently available.
"The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! Of Homer" ed. William Irwin et al, Open Court, 2001, 300 pages ) ISBN - 0-8126-9433-3
Continuing the series which began with "Seinfeld and Philosophy," the editors make it clear that "This is not the philosophy of the Simpsons; it's the Simpsons and Philosophy." The 18 essays are grouped by the following topics: The characters, Simpsonian Themes, Ethics and the Simpsons and the Simpsons and the Philosophers. Sample essays include: "Marge's Moral Motivation; The Simpsons, Hyper -irony and the meaning of life" and "Enjoying the so called "Ice Cream, Mr. Burns, Satan and Happiness." While some of writers spin their academic wheels too much e.g. "Homer and the Nietzschean ideal," generally, they are all loyal fans and obviously enjoy writing about their special perspectives on this favorite television show, a pop culture phenomenon still going strong since 1989.
Quote of the Month from Kathleen McDonnell's new book Honey, We lost the Kids: Re-Thinking Childhood in the Multimedia Age
"Still, in most of the fundamentals, kids today are the same as they've always been. They embrace change rather than fear it. They have boundless energy, and aren't weighed down by the need to cling to old ways of doing things. Meanwhile, many adults continue to insist that the world's going to hell, that things are worse than ever. We relentlessly communicate to young people that we have all but given up on their entire generation. In light of this widespread loss of faith in the future, I respectfully suggest that it it's the adults who are the real cynics."