Semiotics

Editor's Notes

• #2: Abstract: This paper promotes media literacy through media production in teacher education; provides activities and resources integrating media education into the curriculum; focuses on researching historical documents and deconstructing social studies materials and curricula using Semiotics Theory and Multicultural perspective; describes participants’ experience with documentary storytelling, showcases video projects and best practice; and focuses on unmasking the history in teacher education programs through the process of producing video documentaries. The study is based on the participatory research conducted on teaching online course called, “Rediscovering History through Media Education.” Participants deconstructed and assessed national and local social studies curriculum and standards; documented their stories in order to articulate the realities of conditions in schools through their research, analysis, and dialog. Through the rediscovery process, the teachers redesigned their curricula for improving student outcomes, gained alternative point of view on historical events, and renewed interest and commitment to multiculturalism. This paper promotes media production in teacher education through the process of producing video documentaries; provides resources integrating media education into the curriculum; focuses on researching historical documents and deconstructing social studies materials and curricula using Semiotics Theory and Multicultural perspective; describes participants’ experience with documentary storytelling; and showcases video projects. The study is based on the participatory research conducted during an online course called, “Rediscovering History through Media Education.” Participants deconstructed and assessed social studies curriculum and standards; documented their stories in order to articulate the realities of conditions in schools through their research, analysis, and dialog. Through the rediscovery process, the teachers redesigned their curricula for improving student outcomes, gained alternative point of view on historical events, and renewed interest and commitment to multiculturalism. This paper promotes media literacy through media production in teacher education; provides activities and resources integrating media education into the curriculum, focuses on researching historical documents and deconstructing social studies materials and curricula using Semiotics Theory and Multicultural perspective; describes participants’ experience with documentary storytelling, showcases video projects and best practice; and focuses on unmasking the history in teacher education programs through the process of producing video documentaries. The study is based on the participatory research conducted on teaching online course called, “Rediscovering History through Media Education” and investigated over one hundred educators in seven different states. To date, few scholarly studies have investigated either the power of documentary storytelling in the classroom or the impact of media production on multicultural education. This study attempts to fill the gap by outlining the natural links between teacher education and communication. Methodology included analysis of media surveys, process papers, questionnaires, electronic journals and reflection papers, responses to online activities and the process of producing documentaries, transcripts of interviews, and the content analysis of multimedia projects and presentations. The study explored the wide range of meanings participants associate with media education; the impact of video production activities in social studies curriculum; and the ways in which they integrated history and multicultural education in their documentaries. As Robert Penn Warren said, “History is not Truth, Truth is in the Telling.” If our goal is to prepare ourselves for the media -rich culture they live in, then we need to focus on the needs of the new generation. As they produce their own media projects, they develop media literacy skills, and become informed consumers and citizen of the world. By “Rethinking Curriculum,” participants deconstructed and assessed the national and local social studies curriculum and standards; documented their stories in order to articulate the realities of conditions in schools through their research, analysis, and dialog. Through the rediscovery process, the teachers redesigned their curricula for improving student outcomes, gained alternative point of view on historical events, and renewed interest and commitment to multiculturalism. This study provides a model for teaching and learning through media education. It involves researching online resources, deconstructing curriculum, and creating documentaries and oral history projects. It especially provides research based examples, resources and tools for integrating media production into social studies curriculum. Teachers in the study collaborated virtually among themselves but also participated listservs, online forums, and discussions online. Teachers had a chance to ask questions to the scholars and attended online conferences. I would work on building learning communities among NECC participants online before and after the conference. The format of the session will be showcase of teachers' selected video projects, interactive group discussion, deconstruction exercises, and a presentation of the study and the resources. The research paper and the results of the study will be provided as a handout. The presentation (PowerPoint) and the online course outline will be posted on the website. http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/faculty/yildizm/RH/ Objectives and Purposes The goals of this participatory presentation will discuss strategies for integrating media education into the social studies curriculum, offer creative suggestions for producing video in the classroom with minimal resources and equipment, outline participants’ online course experience with documentary storytelling, and showcase their video projects. This session will also focus on researching historical documents; deconstructing social studies history books and curricula using Semiotics Theory and Multicultural perspective; and exploring activities, exercises, and assessment strategies and tools that align with the local and national curriculum standards addressing Media Literacy and Social Studies curriculum. Significance Although media production is considered to be a time consuming, difficult, and expensive process, educators need to integrate media literacy and media production into their curriculum in order to prepare new generation for media-rich culture. Rather than just being technical or peripheral, media production must be simple and central to the learning process. This research promotes literacy through media production in teacher education, describes teacher candidates' reactions, discoveries, and experiences with media, and showcases their multimedia projects. Research Questions: Methods Some of the research questions and theoretical framework used in the study: 1. AUDIENCE-What are the participants’ personal experiences in media production? How can educators prepare students for the symbol-rich culture in which they live in and function as informed and productive citizens in a democratic society? 2. PROBLEMS- What common problems do the participants share in their media production activities? 3. SUGGESTIONS- What suggestions do participants make in order to improve teaching and learning history? 4. MEDIA LITERACY- What does it mean to be a literate person living in a media rich culture? Why study media? 5. DESIGN- How to design effective instruction integrating media education, semiotics theory and multicultural education into the social studies curriculum? Methodology included analysis of media surveys, process papers, questionnaires, electronic journals and reflection papers, responses to online activities and the process of producing documentaries, transcripts of interviews, and the content analysis of multimedia projects and presentations. The study used three theoretical framework; semiotics, media literacy, and multicultural education. The study explored the wide range of meanings participants associate with media education; the impact of video production activities in social studies curriculum; and the ways in which they integrated history and multicultural education in their documentaries. Conference participants will be able to: • argue the challenges and advantages of media production in social studies curriculum, • develop skills in deconstructing existing curricula in social studies and communicating media messages, • examine the process of producing documentaries as classroom tools for teaching and learning, • integrate the use of media in an instructional context, • explore lesson plans, assessment tools, and curriculum guides that incorporate new media and technologies across grades and subjects • evaluate the suitability of the medium to the material. In conclusion, the main goal of this presentation is to draw on the natural links between media literacy and teacher education. We will explore how a critical approach to the study of new media combines knowledge, reflection, and action; promotes educational equity; and prepares new generation to be socially responsible members of a multicultural, democratic society. Although media production is considered to be a time consuming, difficult, and expensive process, educators need to integrate media literacy and media production into their curriculum in order to prepare new generation for media-rich culture. Rather than just being technical or peripheral, media production must be simple and central to the learning process. This presentation will focus on reconstructing social studies curriculum in teacher education programs through the process of producing video documentaries. Teacher candidates researched, produced, and presented their video documentaries researching and reflecting on American History, People and their stories. Candidates deconstructed and assessed the national and local social studies curriculum and standards; interviewed k-12 educators; and documented their stories in order to articulate the realities of conditions in schools through their research, analysis, and dialog. Through the rediscovery process, the teacher candidates explored, designed, and created the strategies, curricula, and programs for improving student outcomes, also the candidates gained alternative point of view on historical events and renewed interest and commitment to multiculturalism. This presentation promotes literacy through media production in teacher education, describes teacher candidates' reactions, discoveries, and experiences with media, and showcases their multimedia projects. It is based on the qualitative research conducted on teaching online classes and investigated over one hundred educators in seven different states. To date, few scholarly studies have investigated either the power of documentary storytelling in the classroom or the impact of media production on multicultural education. This study attempts to fill the gap by outlining the natural links between multicultural education and communication. Methodology included analysis of media surveys, process papers, questionnaires, electronic journals and reflection papers, responses to online activities and the process of producing documentaries, transcripts of interviews, and the content analysis of multimedia projects and presentations. The study used three theoretical framework; semiotics, media literacy, and multicultural education. The study explored the wide range of meanings participants associate with media education; the impact of video production activities in social studies curriculum; and the ways in which they integrated history and multicultural education in their documentaries. Some of the research questions answered in the study: 1. AUDIENCE-What are the participants’ personal experiences in media production? How can educators prepare students for the symbol-rich culture in which they live in and function as informed and productive citizens in a democratic society? 2. PROBLEMS- What common problems do the participants share in their media production activities? 3. SUGGESTIONS- What suggestions do participants make in order to improve teaching and learning history? 4. MEDIA LITERACY- What does it mean to be a literate person living in a media rich culture? Why study media? 5. DESIGN- How to design effective instruction integrating media education into the multicultural curriculum? The goals of this participatory presentation will discuss strategies for integrating media education into the social studies curriculum, offer creative suggestions for producing video in the classroom with minimal resources and equipment, outline teacher candidates’ online course experience with documentary storytelling, and showcase the teacher candidates' multimedia projects. This session will also focus on researching historical documents; deconstructing social studies history books and curricula using Semiotics Theory and Multicultural perspective; and exploring activities, exercises, and assessment strategies and tools that align with the local and national curriculum standards addressing Media Literacy and Social Studies curriculum. This session will benefit teacher candidates, k-12 educators and students, parents, media specialists, and administrators who seek alternative strategies and tools in teaching and learning history. This session is especially designed for new or experienced teacher educators who would like to integrate new media and technologies into social studies curriculum. The format of the session will be a presentation of the study and the resources, showcase of teacher candidates’ selected video projects, and interactive group discussion. The research paper and the results of the study will be provided as a hand-out. The presentation (PowerPoint) and the online course outline will be posted on the website. http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/faculty/yildizm/Patterson2004 Conference participants will be able to: argue the challenges and advantages of media production in social studies curriculum, develop skills in deconstructing existing curricula in social studies and communicating media messages, examine the process of producing documentaries as classroom tools for teaching and learning, integrate the use of media in an instructional context, develop ideas for lesson plans, assessment tools, and curriculum guides that incorporate new media and technologies across grades and subjects. In conclusion, the main goal of this presentation is to draw on the natural links between media literacy and multicultural education. We will explore how a critical approach to the study of new media combines knowledge, reflection, and action; promotes educational equity; and prepares new generation to be socially responsible members of a multicultural, democratic society.