March 28th marked the beginning of the Spring Program.This semester our theme is Media Literacy. Our goal is to help students develop critical thinking and bilingual literacy skills through the deconstruction of verbal, visual and auditory messages in the media. At the end of this semester the students will be infocritical consumers and producers of media messages. This spring the students will also develop a web page, and in the process of developing their web pages, they will gain other essential computer skills such as basic file management, word processing, computer graphics and research. During the next seven weeks we will cover the following topics:

Week One March 28
Overview
Introduction to Media Literacy
Surftime
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Week Two April 4
Overview
Web Page Design & Production
Surftime
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Week Three April 18
Journals
Types of Programs and the “Nielson Fasmily"
Nielson.com
Nielson Media Research

Week Four April 25
Deconstructing Advertising

Week Five May 2
Overview
Review/Brainstorming/Webbing
Surftime
Basic Web Page Design
Graphics Warehouse

Week Six May 9
Media Production

Week Seven May 16
Production & Wrap up

I. Media Literacy

The skills that students learn in this particular course can be generalized to other areas such as language arts, social studies, economics, and even art and music. Students will learn how to:

• analyze material
• interpret messages (direct and hidden)
• note details
• understand sequencing
• integrate aural and visual elements
• identify fact, opinion
• identify emotional appeals, reactions and motives
• draw inferences, predictions, and conclusions.

Introduction
What You Watch and Why
Who Creates Programs? What are These Programs?
The Aesthetics of TV - Illusion and Reality
Commercials
News, Information and Commentary
Stereotypes
Action, Aggression, and Violence
Ethics and Morality
Health Issues and Safety
Environmental Issues and Television
Appendix - The Technical Side of TV

II. Media Literacy lesson Plans

Advertising|Drugs and Media|Media and Culture|Media Production|News:
Broadcast|News Reporting|Photo and Visual Arts|Radio Production||Web Page
Design: Lessons|Writing and Scripting|Lesson Plan Collections|

III. Technology in Our World

Ergonomics - What is Ergonomics and Why is it Important?
How Do the Bar-codes at the Grocery Store Work?
How Do CD's Work?
How Does a Refrigerator Make Things Cold?
How TV Works
Jumbo Jets - How Do they Get Off the Ground?
Make Your Own Burglar Alarm
Making a Steam-Powered "Rocket Boat"
Medical Quackeries - Can this Machine Cure Me?
The "Minimum" Solar Box Coaster
Omnimax - How is a Giant Screen Movie Made and Projected?
Satellite Technology - What Will Future Satellite Technology Bring?
Simulator Rides - How are Amusement Park Rides Designed to Create
Illusions?
Taking Apart Electrical Appliances
Traffic Control - How Can Technology Help Alleviate Traffic Jams?
Web Training - Learning to Use the Internet

IV. Advertising

Introduction: Ads around us
Advertising strategies
Exploring and deconstructing advertisements
Advertising & consumer culture
Ad creation techniques
Creating your own ads

V. Technology Education

The prescribed learning outcomes for technology education are grouped into the following five curriculum organizers:

• Self and Society
• Communications
• Production
• Control
• Energy and Power

Self and Society

Technology touches our lives every day. Students need to understand how humans shape technology and the impact that current and future technologies will have on our society, culture, and environment. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize:

• learning to solve design problems involving technology the personal relevance of problems involving technology and the discovery that there may be several solutions to a problem
• developing positive attitudes toward lifelong learning and the integration and application of skills across areas of learning and technologies
• developing appropriate interpersonal skills and attitudes for working both independently and co-operatively within a group
• exploring careers and lifestyles associated with technology
• discovering how technology has changed society and the workplace

Communications

Images and messages can be sent instantly almost anywhere in the world, adding a global perspective to our lives. At home and in the workplace, students will need to use technology to process and share information and to communicate ideas using language and graphic forms. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize:

• using technology to access, store, and retrieve information (although information technology is a separate curriculum, it is a major part of technology education)
• developing knowledge and skills related to accessing, storing, retrieving, and using information
• using manual and computer-assisted processes to present models and simulations in 2-D and 3-D forms to explain design ideas
• developing and using criteria to create and revise design presentations
• making use of skills, knowledge, and technologies from various curriculum areas to solve problems
• making responsible choices about the use of technology

Production

The introduction of new technologies has influenced the way we create and make things. Students need to know about the safe use of tools and materials. They acquire skills by designing and developing products and systems that satisfy human needs and wants. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize:

• applying the processes of combining, forming, separating, and finishing to the development and improvement of products at home and in the industrial world
• evaluating and selecting materials to meet specific design requirements
• constructing models, prototypes, and products to detailed specifications
• investigating the effects of technological changes on the production and use of materials
• examining processes and procedures used to minimize waste and to reuse products
• developing appropriate attitudes and practices about working safely, whether in the workplace, at home, or in the school laboratory

Energy and Power

Energy and Power refers to devices and processes that convert, transmit, and conserve forms of energy. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize the analysis, design, and construction of systems that apply the following principles:

• Conversion: when energy is changed from one form to another (e.g., energy stored in a battery is converted into mechanical energy by an electric motor).
• Transmission: using devices and systems to transfer energy from one location to another (e.g., energy is transmitted from an electric motor through gears that turn the wheels of a model car, causing it to move).
• Conservation: using existing energy efficiently and finding alternative energy forms (e.g.,aerodynamically designed vehicles; using solar energy to toast bread).