http://punya.educ.msu.edu/2008/09/05/how-media-changes-things/ Punya Mishra's Web Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:57:00 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://punya.educ.msu.edu/2008/09/05/how-media-changes-things/comment-page-1/#comment-9463 Gilbert Halcrow Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:40:33 +0000 http://punya.educ.msu.edu/2008/09/05/how-media-changes-things/#comment-9463 The Medium is the Message I love Spike Milligan’s ‘The Goons’ scripts; he set the template for how to leverage the ‘lack of vision’ in radio and exploited its full comic potential. As well as being very funny they are an excellent way in for student to understand the uniqueness of radio as a medium and I often use then to set the terms of further enquiry as we explore print, broadcast and new media forms. You note that “Technology, pedagogy and content need to come together . . . “ - the only way to capitalize on this is to make students constantly aware of audience (purpose), form (medium) and content. But ‘heres the rub’ – pedagogy must shift first. If we are just delivering content – feeding brains to regurgitate in exams – then why waste time acquiring the skills to communicate beyond the needs of the exam paper? Oh we can play with collaboration, but why when we walk into an exam alone? We can use DV in the curriculum, but why when it is a very time consuming way to assess the content that has been absorb – just give then a test! Your reflections on the differentiated consumption of media are true; but leading students through such detailed analysis of media explicitly and/or planning resources based on the differences is a distant journey for the vast majority of teachers. Most importantly not a priority if you are hemmed in by a content driven curriculum. The technology is in place, a strong cannon media theory and practice exists, but they will remain in the wings until the pedagogic scene on stage changes. The Medium is the Message
I love Spike Milligan’s ‘The Goons’ scripts; he set the template for how to leverage the ‘lack of vision’ in radio and exploited its full comic potential. As well as being very funny they are an excellent way in for student to understand the uniqueness of radio as a medium and I often use then to set the terms of further enquiry as we explore print, broadcast and new media forms.
You note that “Technology, pedagogy and content need to come together . . . “ – the only way to capitalize on this is to make students constantly aware of audience (purpose), form (medium) and content. But ‘heres the rub’ – pedagogy must shift first.
If we are just delivering content – feeding brains to regurgitate in exams – then why waste time acquiring the skills to communicate beyond the needs of the exam paper? Oh we can play with collaboration, but why when we walk into an exam alone? We can use DV in the curriculum, but why when it is a very time consuming way to assess the content that has been absorb – just give then a test!
Your reflections on the differentiated consumption of media are true; but leading students through such detailed analysis of media explicitly and/or planning resources based on the differences is a distant journey for the vast majority of teachers. Most importantly not a priority if you are hemmed in by a content driven curriculum.
The technology is in place, a strong cannon media theory and practice exists, but they will remain in the wings until the pedagogic scene on stage changes.

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