載着資訊的「媒體」(包括電視、報章、政府文件、課本、網絡等等)往往會因應其特質而提供他們詮釋的資訊,這個資訊再表述的過程涉及很多值得我們深思的問題。媒體素養(Media Literacy泛指個人在各類通訊處境中取用資訊理解信息表達意念的能力。這門知識能為通識教育提供一些實用指引,涵蓋學生在處理各類當代議題時需要展示的能力。本網誌旨在匯聚這方面的資料,以供教育工作者參考。

2009年6月20日星期六

Making claims for school media: a study of teachers’ beliefs about media in Hong Kong

Donna Chu
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. Hong Kong

Introduction: the idea of school media
In the past decade, more and more schools in Hong Kong have set up their own school media (Chu, 2003). The notable increase in their numbers is closely related to advances in communication technologies. Desktop publishing improves editing work for school newspapers. Electronic media, which were once seen as expensive ventures, are becoming more affordable. Technologies have become more user-friendly, with easy-to-follow interfaces. Today, even primary school students are able to master the production of a video on their own (Gauntlett, 1996). School media, in print, electronic and digital forms, have now become commonplace in Hong Kong.

In this study, school media refers to schools’ attempts at modelling after mainstream media institutions by producing their own media works. The idea of school media has close associations with two other terms, namely “educational media” and “media education”. In the former case, schools have been looking for opportunities to make use of new media in education. In a review of the history on teaching with technology in American K-12 schools, for example, Cassidy (1998) found that generations of educators had been working to integrate new media into classrooms in the past century. On the other hand, the increasing prominence of media in the everyday lives of students has prompted calls to introduce media education into the formal curriculum, in the hope of equipping students with the skills and abilities to live in the media age.

What do school media, educational media and media education have in common? In all three instances, various “media” are brought into schools. As a result, educators are presented with the task of understanding and managing the media so that they can use it to achieve various objectives. The task often involves substantial planning and resources. In a discussion on student television in the United States, Silvia and Kaplan (1998) warned that students have to be prepared for budgetary, staffing as well as administrative problems, as any media organization would. Unlike small-scale and infrequent productions undertaken by individual teachers, school media requires school-wide planning and participation.

Experiential Model of Media Education: Primary School Reporters in Hong Kong

Donna Chu
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. Hong Kong

Media education initiatives have been on the increase in the Asia-Pacific region in the past decade.Although they face similar curriculum and pedagogy challenges to their Western counterparts, Asianeducators also have other local and culturally specific factors to consider. In this study, the endeavorsof a retired media professional to identify and develop a sustainable model of media education arechronicled and discussed. The insights of the novice teacher offer critical and meaningful reflectionsfor practicing teachers in the design and implementation of media education. An experiential modelof media education that encourages the full use of “experience” in the learning process is discussed.This model also raises fundamental questions about teachers’ beliefs, school culture, and their implicationsfor media educators operating in a school context.

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