EDUC 6810 Weekly Reading #8

1.  What do you think about the concept of relocalization?

I think it is a great idea, because change can start with one person.  Every person could focus on how
they can work with their community to make it better and more productive.  Tap into the resources and skills that come from your own community.  Start from the bottom and work your way up; improvements in your local community can spread to the next town, the next county, the entire state, and so on.

2.  Where do you stand on neoliberal policies for education reform?

I think it sounds like an awful idea.  While I absolutely agree that there are a lot of people who take advantage of government assistance, there are also people who truly need help.  We shouldn't punish honest, hardworking people who find themselves in hard times.  I think the solution is not to take it away completely, but change how it is used. 

3.  How did using a public relations firm create tension between the goals of critical media literacy and having students create promotional videos?

The goals of critical media literacy are to break down and analyze media so that you can understand the message behind it.  The goal of the promotional video was the opposite; the firm wanted the students to create media to sell something; to take the persuasive techniques they have learned about and turn around and use them to sell their own product.  While it did go against everything they had learned about critical media literacy, I think it is a good idea because now they can really see media from both sides.

4.  Do you agree with the researcher that Ellen's PV should be consider an example of critical media literacy? Why? Why not?

Yes, I believe it is an example of media literacy because she is using persuasive techniques to speak to her target audience, artistic students like herself.  This is media literacy because she knows who she is trying to appeal to and is gearing the video towards them.  The media we see does this all the time; toys are marketed to children, beauty products to women, etc.

Source

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc .