Hard Times Media Education and the New Nineteenth Century Curriculum MEA Annual Conference 2012
Hard Times ���Media Education and the New
Nineteenth Century Curriculum
MEA Annual Conference 2012
The three Mr. Gs
The return of ‘tradition’
‘a traditional education, sitting in rows, learning the kings and queens of England, the great works of literature, proper mental arithmetic, algebra by the age of eleven, modern foreign languages – that’s the best training of the mind, and that’s how children will be able to compete’ (2011 Curriculum Review)
The fetish of Facts
‘Exams matter because motivation matters… Memorisation is a necessary precondition of understanding. Only when facts and concepts are committed securely to the working memory… do we really have a secure hold on knowledge. Facts alone are what is wanted in life. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon facts.’ (2012/1854)
The discourse of derision
Tories to tackle Media Studies menace The Independent
Gove: “The increase [in students taking Media Studies] has been almost entirely in state schools. At the same time as independent schools are shunning subjects like Media Studies their students are pursuing the hard academic subjects universities and employers value.”
The new illiteracy
From the literacy strategy to Jolly Phonics Inc.
The end of media literacy
I believe that in the modern world media literacy will become as important a skill as maths or science. Decoding our media will be as important to our lives as citizens as understanding great literature is to our cultural lives. Tessa Jowell, 2004
[Media literacy] is a technocratic and specialist term, understood by policy makers but not really part of everyday language. Digital Britain 2009
Now it’s about internet safety and getting grannies online. Robin Blake, former head of Media Literacy at Ofcom, 2010
That’s all, folks?
Literacy without media The NC for English The EBacc
A-level Media in decline? HE Media in decline?
The bigger picture
Continuing Thatcher’s work Government versus teachers? Deprofessionalisation – the end of teacher
training Or the rise of the market… And the return of selection?
Market logic
‘Commercialisation of childhood’ Welfare, health, leisure, public
space, broadcasting…. and education
The issue is not ‘materialism’ but inequality: markets exacerbate inequalities
Commercialisation
Sponsorship, teaching materials, advertising, market research, vouchers, electronic marketing, awards…
Privatisation, marketisation
Outsourcing education services School management, training,
examinations, consultancy…
‘Free market’ competition between schools – PR
Segregation and polarisation The new managerialism,
corporate entrepreneurs
Unequal opportunities
Choice? Selection Segregation
Sure Start EMA Inequality
Public understanding
The Manufactured Crisis
Celebritisation Apostasy of the ‘lefties’
Anedcote not evidence The problem is discipline Media and public knowledge
Reasons to be cheerful? Market chaos and DFE cutbacks! New spaces opening up? Reduced prescription
Ofsted – Improving English The Cultural Alliance Film education…
The long view
Forward to the past? The success and failure of
Media Studies
Can education continue to ignore modern culture?
Celebrating practice
Celebrating practice
Mapping media learning
CONCEPTS Language
Representation Institutions Audiences
PRACTICES READING – WRITING Constructing meaning Selecting – Combining TEXT IN CONTEXT Intertexts Paratexts
Contexts
PROCESSES Collaboration
Creativity Argument/debate
Finding out Reflection/evaluation
Confidence
On the offensive
Arguing our corner Reasserting the comprehensive ideal
Critiquing marketisation Challenging technology Engaging the debate