Visual messages

the long version

"A resource for media and visual literacy. With the assertion 'it's not what they watch, it's how they watch, ' authors Considine and Haley offer a strong rationale for 'visual literacy' programs in which students can develop the cognitive and viewing skills necessary in our media-dominated society. In this fascinating and astute examination of mass media and its effect on our culture, the authors offer a profound assessment of the problems and issues surrounding the communication revolution and give sound, practical solutions to those problems -- solutions for parents, for teachers, administrators, librarians, media specialists, and especially, solutions for children. Ideas, strategies, and activities that can be easily integrated into diverse areas of the existing curriculum promote critical thinking about the information students receive in a multimedia world and the daily decisions they make as consumers, whether selecting a product or a politician. Only when they have developed these abilities are they prepared for the world they live in. Some of the chapter titles are: Making the Living Room a Learning Room by Using TV (Television) Effectively; Advertising: Exploring the Consumer Culture in the Classroom; Reading the News: Interpreting Form and Content; and Movies as Mentors: Teaching with Motion Pictures.