To thrive and not just simply survive in a digital society, media literacy is a must. People of all ages need to be able to digest and analyze vast amounts of information from various sources. It is critical educators help students effectively create, access, analyze, and evaluate messages in a variety of forms. This resource list can help teachers help their students navigate this process. The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)--which boasts free membership--has resources,...
At an almost alarming rate, students these days are unable to determine news writing from opinion writing. In my two Journalism I classes, I conducted a pre-assessment experiment where students evaluated a news article and opinion article from the local newspaper. I asked students to read both pieces, underline the facts and opinions in each article and then decide which piece was from the news section and which piece was from the opinion section. Students were able to accurately identify facts...
One of the most exciting aspects of weaving media literacy instruction into the classroom is the rich source material that we are able to glean from news and entertainment media, pop culture and social media. It can also feel overwhelming to try to keep our instruction on pace. When Beyoncé dropped “Formation” on Feb. 6, 2016, and the next day gave a Black Panther-inspired performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, there was backlash on social media and from political pundits. I quickly...
Michigan native Jeffrey M. Smith is a photojournalist based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. His client includes (just to name a few) Rolling Stone, Duke University, and Google. Jeffrey recently shared his thoughts on photojournalism with SchoolJournalism.org. SJ: How did you first get interested in this career? Jeffrey: "I had an interest in photography from a young age, delivered the Ann Arbor News on my bicycle for seven years, and always enjoyed chatting with the dozens of people on my newspaper route. I think all these factors, paired with an innate curiosity to constantly learn new things and better understand the world around me, led me to discovering photojournalism and visual communication...
For the first time this year our Homecoming featured fire pits, which gave my yearbook students a unique opportunity to learn how to photograph fire, a bit of a tricky task if you have never practiced before. Below, check out some tips for photographing fires. Shutter Speed. To capture all of the lights in the fire and to accommodate for the dark setting where you will most likely photograph a fire, shoot with a low shutter speed. We practiced at 1/10 sec. Tripod. If you are photographing at a low shutter speed, you will need a tripod. If you do not have a tripod, you can use a table or any type of stable standing structure. You don’t want it to easily wobble. Manual Focus....
Teaching the basics of Photography can be challenging. Here are a few resources to assist you with the process. HANDOUTS Joshua Nistas has taken some of the “challenge” out of teaching photography by sharing his handouts with SchoolJournalism. Nistas started as a photographer in the Navy for six and a half years, then attended the University of Arizona to study photography. He is now a photography educator in Tucson, AZ. All three documents are PDF files that can be downloaded for use. Shutter Speed handout: Shutter Speed Photo Handout Aperture handout: Aperture Handout (1) ISO handout: ISO Handout copy VIDEO CLIPS These videos have been highly recommended to SchoolJournalism...
Multiple surveys and studies have shown that Americans remain unaware of the five freedoms the First Amendment guarantees. When more Americans can name characters from an...
MIPA is a state organization working in association with the Missouri School of Journalism; Journalism Educators Association, JEA; and the National Scholastic Press Association,...
January 14, 2017
