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