The teaching of media texts as a form of textual construction is embedded in the assumption that audiences bring individual preexisting dispositions even though the media may contribute to their shaping of basic attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavior. As summed up by D. Lusted, at the core of such textual construction are basic assumptions that…

Four different principles of visual manipulation constitute a minimal list of what a visually "literate" viewer should know about, but certain problems exist which are inherent in measuring viewers' awareness of each of them. The four principles are: (1) paraproxemics, or camera work which derives its effectiveness from an analogy to the…

What is the value and what are the consequences of students gaining access to "critical" academic discourses about the media? Ideally, the acquisition of an academic discourse should make it possible for students to reflect on their own experience in a systematic and rigorous way. Nevertheless, a critical discourse about the media may…

Students in a "Literature and Ideas" introductory literature course at the University of Pittsburgh gathered a wide variety of interviews, articles, and other texts that circulated around the film "Dangerous Liaisons" to build a shared text on the popular reception of the film. One student, in particular, made sense of the work…

Composition instructors need to emphasize to their students that persuasion is not always announced--it can be forcefully present in so-called "objective" forms of discourse like textbooks and news. News photographs can be successfully used in the composition classroom as a unit of study in visual rhetoric to introduce students to the…

This video workshop introduces teachers to ethnically diverse American writers and offers dynamic instructional strategies and resources to make works meaningful for students. It includes eight one-hour videos in which teachers model effective approaches--based on reader response, critical inquiry, cultural studies, and critical pedagogy--for…

The essays collected in this book highlight the important links among home, school, and global society that will help students understand one another and contribute to a cohesive community. They describe the work of educators and children, and the materials and strategies they use to explore values such as compassion, caring, sharing, respect, and…

Describes efforts in various communities to teach media literacy to students. Although networks are becoming more aware of ethnic stereotypes, other forms of stereotyping continue. Teaching students to view television with some skepticism strengthens their critical skills and reduces the idea that stereotyped certain patterns of behavior are…

A study of 150 preschoolers suggests that systematic teacher mediation can enhance children's interpretive skills of television material, such as the ability to: identify fantasy in relation to special effects; bridge temporal and logical gaps; identify elements of camera work and their visual implications; and make intelligent predictions based…

Television is a pervasive part of American culture and has the potential to make significant contributions to children's development. The quality of children's programming is the responsibility of the television industry, parents, educators, and society, all of whom must work together to control violence on television. (SM)

Discusses how to teach critical thinking about television and describes methods used in a college class on television analysis. Two approaches are examined: television content analysis, with an example of sports commentary; and analyzing television viewing, including a questionnaire developed by students. (five references) (LRW)

Examined types of counterarguments generated by Anglo and Latino adolescents exposed to television beer ads, noting counterargument differences based on demographic and behavioral variables. Questionnaires and comments from the students indicated that without any cues, they responded with counterarguments, though counterarguments represented only…

Pacey, a likable and literate eighth-grader, saw school as "a place that kills your reading." With this alarming condemnation in mind, the author uses literacy narrative--a short, concise, digital video in which students meld still images, motion, print text, and soundtrack (both narration and music) in communicating ideas/insights/discoveries…

This study used self-report and observational methods to examine associations between depressive symptoms and patterns of emotional experience and expression during late adolescence. Fifty-one male and 49 female first and second year college students completed questionnaires on emotion experience and were videotaped while completing a frustrating…

This paper discusses the role of media in presenting information to society and emphasizes the need for English teachers to incorporate critical media awareness into education. Four postulations are identified that are at the core of teaching media as a form of textual construction: (1) all media are a construction, which represents conscious and…