Message from Telemedium

From the desk of Karen Ambrose, president of the National Telemedia Council

Dear Assembly Members,
We know you have been waiting for an issue of Telemedium , The Journal of Media Literacy, as one of the benefits of Assembly membership. The winter/spring issue is behind schedule and we are truly sorry for that. As you might know, the National Telemedia Council is a small, all-volunteer operation that takes on big ideas. Taking these big ideas to publication is always a complex process, a small miracle, and a major event. So while we do not always make our deadlines, we believe it is worth the wait. We hope you will see that also. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Assembly members who have a “basic membership” will receive the upcoming spring issue and those with “dual membership” will receive all three upcoming issues prior to their renewal of AMA memberships in November.

Here is a sneak peek at the focus for this issue, as well as the themes for the next two issues for this year:
SPRING 2006 ISSUE – Expected to be published in June
"A Significant Sampler: Perusing a Decade of Thinking in The Journal of Media Literacy "
This issue will be a conversation between the past and present, a dialogue in print, exploring how contributors to The Journal of Media Literacy have defined and shaped media literacy education through the years. Using articles published in previous issues, editors for each section will pull together significant ideas from past authors, and both update and provide new perspectives.

1. Defining the realm of media literacy – focuses on "What is Media Literacy?" and attempts to coordinate the thinking of some of the key authors at the forefront of the field of media literacy who have contributed their ideas to Telemedium in the past. Edited by Marieli Rowe and Belinha DeAbreu – key authors include David Considine, Barry Duncan, Renee Hobbs and others

2. Media Education Pedagogy - examines the basic and key educational principles developed by pioneering educators throughout the evolution of the field. Edited by Karen Ambrosh and Bill Kist. Key authors include Len Masterman, David Buckingham, Neil Andersen, and others

3. Practical Teacher Idea Exchanges - focuses on relevant applications in media literacy education -- from in-depth lessons to "teachable moments" -- that engage students in real and meaningful media literacy experiences. Edited by Barry Duncan. Key authors include Barry Duncan, Carolyn Wilson, Alan Teasley and others.

4. New and Converging Connections - showcases the expanding realm of education in the twenty-first century, through understanding the ever-growing importance of being media literate in a technological world and the information society of multi-layered instant global interconnections. Edited by Dr. Martin Rayala. Key authors include Julian Sefton-Green, Henry Jenkins and Neil Andersen and others.

THE OTHER TWO ISSUES FOR 2006:
SUMMER 2006 ISSUE: "Media Literacy in English Language Arts" --guest edited by a Committee of English Language and Media Education teachers and made available especially for the attendees at the Fall NCTE Convention

FALL 2006 ISSUE: A Fresh Look at Diversity in Media Education, guest edited by Carlos Cortes

Which media literacy resource do you recommend?

Please share with your fellow assembly members a resource, print or nonprint, that you feel has been an essential text in your personal exploration of media and media literacy as well as in your teaching. Provide the rudimentary bibliographic information as well as a small testimony about the book, article, video, etc.

National Telemedia Council

The National Telemedia Council and the Assembly for Media Arts at NCTE have joined forces at the most recent NCTE Annual Conference in Pittsburgh to create a more powerful voice in Media Literacy for English teachers.

The National Telemedia Council, NTC, is the oldest media literacy related organization in the United States. From the NTC website:

"The National Telemedia Council is a national nonprofit organization that has been promoting the concept of media literacy for five decades. From the beginning, we have taken a positive, non-judgmental attitude and embraced a philosophy that values reflective judgment and cooperation rather than confrontation with the media industry."

Check out their website at www.nationaltelemediacouncil.org

One of the Premier Media Literacy Resource Websites: The Media Literacy Clearinghouse

One of the best media literacy websites, from a guy who knows the field in the United States inside and out, is Frank Baker's Media Literacy Warehouse. http://medialit.med.sc.edu/

Why is it so excellent? Frank is ravenous collector of media related materials. He creates units and lesson plans that incorporate media literacy in a wide variety of ways. He's broken down topics, disciplines, formats, and every other media literacy related tidbits than you can count. Book reviews, teacher resources, video clips, you name it, The Media Literacy Clearinghouse has everything you need to begin your career in Media Literacy.