The Connected Classroom

Stephanie taught Integrating Media Literacy Across the Curriculum yesterday in the tele. It got me thinking about various videoconferences that touch upon media literacy as part of their presentation. I immediately thought about the Paley Center for the Media and their fabulous programs! The videoconferences include clips from the center’s collection that provide information, stimulate conversation, and encourage active viewing and critical thinking.  Here’s a sampling of some of the Paley Center’s videoconferences on television in America- to see the full list, click here.

Portrayals of Women on Television: Students will examine how portrayals of women on television have evolved from the 1950s to the present. This class encourages participants to think about women they admire and to compare them to these fictional portrayals. All classes are interactive, with guided discussion designed to encourage active observation and critical thinking.

The Fine Art of Persuasion: Television and Advertising: What is advertising, what is its goal, and what are its methods? How do images and sounds combine to make a point or sell a product, and how have these changed over time? Through careful analysis, students will discover the persuasive techniques developed to capture a viewer’s attention in order to promote a product or idea.

Get Up! Stand Up! The Civil Rights Movement and Television: In the years between 1954 and 1965, more legislation was passed, more court decisions were rendered, and more social change was effected in the name of civil rights than ever before. The rise of the Civil Rights Movement paralleled the growing use of television in the United States. In 1950 television was still in its infancy, but by 1960, televisions were present in 90 percent of American homes. Television provided the American public with a means to witness the struggle for civil rights nearly in real time and led a more informed society to enact social change.

The Living Room War: Television & Vietnam: From 1965 to 1975, television played an unprecedented role in shaping American perceptions of the Vietnam War. New technology and unlimited access to the battlefields of Southeast Asia invested field reporters with the ability to broadcast what became known as “bang-bang” coverage. The carnage of the war and the consequences for American morale, both on the battlefield and at home, led to deep divisions in how Americans viewed the role of government, the military, social change, and war itself. Students will analyze documentaries, news, and fictional programming that depict the Vietnam War period from multiple perspectives.

Tags: Civil Rights Movement, Creative Commons, Flickr, media literacy, Paley Center for the Media, videoconference, Vietnam