New Media Literacy

New Media Literacy is the ability to understand as well as produce the meanings and messages transmitted to you through various forms of technology. These meanings can be found in T.V. shows, movies, advertisements (both on T.V. and online), videogames, and many other places where technology meets culture. It is very important to teach new media literacy in school, as no matter what, technology will inevitably advance, and it is highly important that new generations learn to interpret and produce what they see and use in those technologies.

It should have it's own classes, as well as be incorporated into regular classes. classes like video production, and various other classes like computer programming, should be available,but technology should be used and understood in other classes. English classes could have blogs, sciences classes could assign reading of online articles, students should become adept at understanding media, I guess I'm saying our media literacy rate should be high. At the same time it should be taught how to not become addicted to technology. English classes should assign some classic novels and have writing assignments that are, well, written. Science classes should keep in class experiments and history should stay relatively detached from media use. Teaching new media literacy is important but the media itself should not override academic and other priorities.

I often find that instead of taking the notes on the board in class I pull out my phone and respond to the text I have just received. It's exactly like the article, Unplugged: Technology Time Out, says, the more primitive parts of my made see the unread text as a high priority, a threat even, and all other tasks are overridden by the need to respond to that text. Even outside school, I find that, I want to do my homework, but I have an email that I haven't read that. It becomes my top priority and well, the email is about Facebook. Next thing I know I'm on Face book and Youtube and have completely disregarded my homework. Sometimes I even skip activities like hanging out with friends to stay on Youtube or watch T.V. or play a videogame, though this is very rare.

I think that no matter how one views it, media is inevitably going to expand, and at a relentless rate. It is important to teach new media literacy, as it may eventually be in the future what literacy is today. It is also a priority to teach good media habits, as not to completely lose ourselves to technology. Either way, media and technology are going to form a large part of our culture.