In Regards

I noticed various things throughout the third chapter of Renee Hobbs book Reading the Media: Media Literacy in High School English and began to formulate my own perceptions of the classrooms discussed. In teaching students to read and write through media I noticed something that really struck a chord with me. I was quite impressed with the thorough dissection of texts and encouragement to formulate independent ideas.

I feel like the class was morphed from just a normal classroom into a newsroom. Every student was encouraged to become a journalist in a sense. The classroom was focused both on media literacy and core issues in an English classroom. The collaboration was incerdibly thorough and defined. It sets rules in concrete for students to become self-learners, giving them definite aspects to focus on, but too vague to give them a definite answer. All of my life I have been told there is no right answer in an english classroom. The Concord High School has not just made that another statement of a teacher in which students debate the plausibility of, but rather a fact.

Students in these classrooms are to find their own means of media and decipher it in their own opinions. The papers in which they were to right were subjective to each and every student. There was finally no "right" answer. So many educators say these words but don't understand the meaning. They say this for purposes of consolement and false empathy. Every student detecting the slightest interpretation of teacher's opinion on a text they are reading will influence their writing. High school, especially, is a place where students can't really feel their independence in fear that bad grades will directly impact their future. The impact of a teacher's opinion and a student's input on that opinion will, in thought, help them achieve a better grade.

The critical criticisms students are encouraged to formulate totally and completely free their slates of any other influences other than their own. Even if a teacher voices their opinion on the matter I feel that a forum in this format will still make students formulate their own opinions even if they are contrary due to the fact they are so indulged with details and facets to get such things.

Finally, I would also like to say that the impact of the sparking event will also make or break this entire scenario. By introducing a project with such vitalizing subjects that students are interested with will further their interest in the rest of the project. The content also has to be interesting so students participation does not level off. Using an incredibly current event such as the Clinton scandal was a brilliant idea because at the time the news was still breaking and could keep interest peaked.