Spring Saturday SAVY, Week 1, Media Mania: How We are Impacted by What We Watch (5th-6th)
Hello, parents and media maniacs!
I was so excited to get started with your children on Saturday as we began our journey into the world of media and its impact on how we think, behave, and feel! Before we dove in, however, we wanted to take time for everyone to get to know one another. We played the classic ice breaker, “two truths and a lie”. Everyone was so open to sharing some fun information about themselves to the point where it was hard to guess which answer was the lie! Then, the students shared what their favorite piece of media is, so we learned why they came to this course in the first place. Some answers included Dancing with the Stars, John Wick, and The Hunger Games.
Moving into the world of media, we asked big questions like what media is, whether it is always needed in life, and the differences between print and digital media. The students amazed us with their creative and thoughtful answers. We then discussed different areas of psychology, such as how we develop, how we behave towards others, and how we think and learn. We watched some videos about marshmallows and gorillas, as well as conducted a fun experiment that had us doing some multiplication! Lastly, we examined a specific area related to how we understand media: symbolic understanding. We talked about what the definition of a symbol exactly is, as well as how screens may be more difficult to interpret as symbolic than other kinds of symbols.
After lunch, we debated whether screen media was overall good or overall bad for the world. Every student got up and presented a speech, whether an intro, response, or conclusion. We had some lively discussions between each side that were incredibly respectful and insightful. I was very happy to see how quickly all the students engaged with their teammates to ensure they were able to respond to all their opponents’ points.
We ended the day by talking about the merits of Spongebob, as well as what criticisms of this children’s television show could be. Students really were passionate about this topic, and it ultimately led to everyone determining that Spongebob definitely may not fall into the category of educational television. However, it is very entertaining, and that, in and of itself, has merit in the world of media.
I am so thrilled to be able to keep working with these fantastic students next week, as we dive even deeper into how media of all kinds can play a role in the ways we interact with and perceive the world around us.