Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Media focus

I asked students what's one thing that you think the news (or media in general) doesn't talk about enough? Here are some of the responses they gave me:

"They should talk more about endangered animals. They need help to, most people I know never talk about animals its like its not a big problem that more and more animals are becoming endangered. We need to maintain the world’s biodiversity. I mean like think about it, like maybe we may need these animals in the future, for food, or for information."

"They should talk more about developing countries and more individual people, like in Africa. They are talking about Africa as a whole and not really trying to help specific people or groups. For example there people that live normal, comfortable lives, and they are getting money from people who donate it, and there are children in broken down shacks with no food water and clothing and they don’t get anything. They should really target certain places instead of thinking they can do good by giving money to people who don’t even need it."

"One thing that the news does not report on enough is education decline. Education decline is a pretty big problem that most people don't even know about, or care about for that matter. I think society isn't discussing this because they just don't want to, it would be hard,  it's a big issue. A lot of schools are getting worse education every year. And with less people that have really good educations less jobs that need well-educated workers will be filled."

"I don’t think they talk enough about all the problems going on overseas. There is so much more we need to learn about the problems that they are going through. So we can try to help or at least know whats all going on. In Libya there is a civil war going on, and we put up a no fly zone (which in my opinion is dumb). It’s doing nothing but costing us billion of dollars. Every US citizen should know about this. With the no fly zone, it will mean we will have to pay more for taxes to pay for it. The news needs to tell us whats all going on, so we can understand it, on a day to day basis."

Questions? Thoughts? Comment!

18 comments:

  1. Awesome posts! I really like the idea of covering the decline of education. I think the media covers it all the time, but they still are not covering enough. I look forward to seeing more posts in the future.

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  2. I love the fact that you guys are thinking about what the greater media presents to the populace as a whole. However, you have to realize and let people know that there are other sources of news out there beyond the mainstream. It is up to the individual to seek out as many sources as possible and become familiar with the GLOBAL perspective. The you can start making informed and intelligent decisions.

    Blogs like these are really the first step. Way to go.

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  3. It's been a while since I've been a ninth grader, but I don't remember being nearly so aware about the world and the things in it when I was that age. It makes me proud to hear that those younger than me are getting a head start on caring about the world and others. It gives me hope. Thanks, guys!

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  4. I think this blog is a great idea - it's a terrific opportunity for students to observe the power of the internet. For example - I'm in Australia and found out about this from Ravelry. While the world is physically huge, the internet makes it possible to feel like you're so much closer to people at a distance. If you're really interested in what's happening overseas, you can read the local newspapers on line - for example, the newspaper I read every day is called The Age - here is the website: www.theage.com.au

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  5. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I think you all have excellent ideas. The internet is a great way for people in many places to learn about each other and share their thoughts. I am in Georgia, just south of Atlanta, and I heard about this project on another website. Keep up the great work!

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  6. I'm impressed by the insight these ninth graders appear tp posses. I look forward to the results these young people will bring about in adulthood.

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  7. I wanted to say something about the no-fly zone in Libya.
    I remember a few weeks ago when the UN voted to create the no fly zone, there was video on the news of Libyans holding up signs in different languages saying 'thankyou' to the nations who were committing resources to the no-fly zone. I remember the hostility that has greeted lots of other military interventions and it really made an impact on me.
    I'm personally not sure how much further internationals should go, weighing in on one side of a civil war rather than another, but I would be proud that my own people were prepared to help, by spending money and putting soldiers at risk, to prevent the wholesale slaughter of a people.
    I also think its fantastic that the international community isn't making the US do it alone. I think the US has had a reputation of being the 'world police' for too long, and I don't think that other nations think of it in a positive light.

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  8. This is a great way to get students interested in the material--great activity Kim!! Really insightful-especially the part about the Education decline. VERY important and it's good to know that students think about it, too.

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  9. Awesome thoughts so far. I totally agree with your position on education. The world is becoming flatter, and jobs can be done from anywhere where there is an internet connection. It is very important for you guys to learn as much as you can and get as much education as you can. Differentiating yourself from the masses will become very important in your lifetimes. You'll hopefully all be heading to college soon, take full advantage of all the educational opportunities that you can. Ask your professors questions, they have so much knowledge that they want to share with you.

    Good luck!!

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  10. Great entries! I'm very impressed about the knowledge your students have. They certainly do not seem to have tunnel vision.

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  11. I know Im not nearly half as knowledgeable as I should be. This is an awesome activity. I personally would like to hear more about the ongoing devastation and repair in places like Haiti, New Orleans, ect. One month of coverage doesnt seem like enough for places like this.

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  12. What insightful freshmen! When I was in 9th grade all I wanted to know was the next day's weather.

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  13. Re: endangered animals, I was right there with you until you decided that the main reason to be more aware of endangered animals is because we might need to exploit them for our own gain one day. How about a slightly more altruistic approach to global stewardship, hmm? Thinking only of ourselves is what got us here in the first place.

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  14. This is great! I teach in a school in the UK. I think the perception is that the BBC probably does have a good focus on international news and we have good coverage about Libya, for example. However, I'm not sure that many of my students have a clear ideas of what is going on there-it's really good to see students engaging with international issues. Perhaps some of my students take for granted the info that they receive?

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  15. @anon re: endangered animals- it might be a selfish approach to sell the story but it also might be the far more marketable one.

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  16. What a great idea! I'm in Massachusetts, in Hyannis, on Cape Cod. I heard about this on Ravelry.

    Your ideas are excellent - media attention focuses on the stories that will get the most attention from watchers, as you know. That usually means stories that take more time to understand get overlooked. My one suggestion is to look for news items that cover both sides of an issue. Of course, be cautious of opinionated pieces, which can be short on facts and long on argument.

    Most importantly, be an educated "news consumer." Be skeptical, look around for multiple sources, and be aware of the audience every story is aimed at. It is very interesting to see how the same story is reported in different sources.

    Great work! Keep it up!

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  17. This is a great forum, Kim! We tend to not listen to our children until they are children no longer. We need to be exposed to, appreciate and respect their opinions and ideas....often, they make more sense than those of the adults.

    Looking forward to reading more!

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  18. I would love to hear more positive and inspiring news. Like real life heroes that could inspire others watching them. This would be especially good for younger children and teenagers who are lacking real role models these days, heroes they can hold onto.

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