Last week our class discussed the role of the media in activism. I found this topic particulary relevant to my role as a high school teacher as I see the influence of media messages on people every day. Media seek to evoke a desired response from their audience. On the surface, we think that we may merely be lured by the appeal of a shiny new product that would enhance our lives, but what the media is really trying to sell us is a lifetyle and a set of values. Activism is no different. Just as the mainstream media, including sitcoms and advertising executives, is trying to sell a way of life, activists are promoting a set of values that they deem to be a meaningful alternative. As a teacher, it is important for me to help my students navigate the media, identifying bias and competing ideals, to help them make informed and well-reasoned opinions.
In a conversation with some colleagues last week, one shared a YouTube video clip that a student had recommended about immigration. Upon viewing, the clip was a biased representation of immigration from the perspective of a right-winged American. One could argue that showing such a clip in class would contradict the message that we are trying to convey to our students about immigration. On the other hand, the clip could serve as an interesting talking point on diverse views on immigration and the motivators behind the publishing of certain media messages.
In an era of diverse and readily accessible media, one must know how to filter important information from the chaff. Much of the information produced through the Internet is biased personal opinion from people without authority in the field in which they are writing. As a consumer of news media, it is important to view diverse perspectives on current events, from different credible sources, to gain a thorough understanding of the issues. Skills to achieve this goal must be taught in the school system. Teachers must provide students with the skills and tools to analyze news media, access media from a variety of sources, and identify bias. Hopefully, if youth learn how to do this in school, they will continue to do the same once they graduate. A well-infomed citizenry is imperative to the operation of a healthy democracy.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What is activism?
I am currently pursuing my Master's in Education, but have been seeking a new adventure in my academic journey. Rather than taking an Education course this term, I have decided to take a graduate course in Geography and Environmental Studies titled, Shaking the Tree: Environmental Activism. I signed up for this course partly because I wanted to take a course that would challenge my beliefs about mankind's relationship with the world, as well as my interest in the need for people to accept personal responsibility for their actions to achieve real environmental change. Over the past six months, I've been thinking about doing my thesis on the role of curriculum documnets to promote personal responsibility in youth to act on behalf of the environment.
When I think of activism, images pop into my head of protests at this summer's G20 summit in Toronto, breaking windows and lighting police cars on fire, while the cops respond with batons and tear gas. Activism also brings to mind oppressed groups fighting for recognition of their rights, such as the Oka Crisis in Quebec in the 1990's. What could I, a simple farm boy know about activism. Afterall, us conservative-minded yokels tended to shy away for the radical politics promoted by those liberal fanatics. It wasn't until after my second class that I realized I had probably come from a family that had engaged in as much or more activist behaviour than anyone else in my class. My family and our neighbours waged a large-scale rally, including petitions, a town-hall meeting, a lawsuit and more against the establishment of hog barns in our municipality. My father attended rallies concerning the future of the Canadian Wheat Board, my mother walked the picket line for the Manitoba Nurses Union for four weeks one year, and my father was a councilor for a term for the local municipality. As a university student, I was on our student union, the president of our Education Students' Society and an active proponet of reflective practice within the Faculty of Education which reflected the needs and concerns of the students.
I see an activist as one who is committed to promoting tenents of their cause through a variety of means, such as letter writing, protesting, starting a citizens' group, or making conscious decisions when shopping. Such a definition makes activism seem more inclusive to people who might not typically consider themselves activists, such as myself. As a social studies teacher, I engage in a form of activism on a daily basis, making my students reflect upon their concept of citizenship and question their relationship with the environment. By taking this course I hope to understand different facets of activism, how it works in society, and how to engage in and plan activist events. Since activism is based upon people accepting the personal responsibility they have towards a cause, I want to explore how I could inspire my students to be activists for the envionment, thus promote environmentally sustainable behaviour.
When I think of activism, images pop into my head of protests at this summer's G20 summit in Toronto, breaking windows and lighting police cars on fire, while the cops respond with batons and tear gas. Activism also brings to mind oppressed groups fighting for recognition of their rights, such as the Oka Crisis in Quebec in the 1990's. What could I, a simple farm boy know about activism. Afterall, us conservative-minded yokels tended to shy away for the radical politics promoted by those liberal fanatics. It wasn't until after my second class that I realized I had probably come from a family that had engaged in as much or more activist behaviour than anyone else in my class. My family and our neighbours waged a large-scale rally, including petitions, a town-hall meeting, a lawsuit and more against the establishment of hog barns in our municipality. My father attended rallies concerning the future of the Canadian Wheat Board, my mother walked the picket line for the Manitoba Nurses Union for four weeks one year, and my father was a councilor for a term for the local municipality. As a university student, I was on our student union, the president of our Education Students' Society and an active proponet of reflective practice within the Faculty of Education which reflected the needs and concerns of the students.
I see an activist as one who is committed to promoting tenents of their cause through a variety of means, such as letter writing, protesting, starting a citizens' group, or making conscious decisions when shopping. Such a definition makes activism seem more inclusive to people who might not typically consider themselves activists, such as myself. As a social studies teacher, I engage in a form of activism on a daily basis, making my students reflect upon their concept of citizenship and question their relationship with the environment. By taking this course I hope to understand different facets of activism, how it works in society, and how to engage in and plan activist events. Since activism is based upon people accepting the personal responsibility they have towards a cause, I want to explore how I could inspire my students to be activists for the envionment, thus promote environmentally sustainable behaviour.
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