Universities and colleges provide a unique opportunity for students to access sophisticated media production infrastructure. While the explosion of consumer media-making technologies (video-enabled phones, accessible editing software like iMovie, sharing platforms from YouTube to Periscope) has dramatically democratized opportunities for media production, higher education is still a leading site where non-professionals are exposed to professional level media production tools. Teaching Media Quarterly wants to know how instructors are leveraging these resources to help students engage with civic life. What are some opportunities provided by our institutions’ investments in media production technology? How can media scholars use the privilege of our access to professional level equipment to help students cultivate meaningful modes of intervention in their communities?
We seek lesson plan submissions that explore pedagogical strategies and opportunities associated with media production. We are looking for well developed classroom or studio or field activities that ask students to produce media as a means of thinking through themes of inequality and social justice. We are especially interested in lesson plans that are informed by the following questions:
• How can the insights of media studies scholarship shape strategies for teaching production?
• What are some possibilities for helping students use media production to advance media literacy? To effect social change?
• What are the possibilities for transforming students’ existing commitments to media production and social networking into politicized community engagement? How can students share their media productions in ways that develop their notion of themselves as citizens and political actors?
All lesson plan submissions must include: 1) a title, 2) an overview and comprehensive rationale (using accessible language explain the purpose of the assignment(s), define key terms, and situate in relevant literature) (250-500 words), 3) a general timeline, 4) a detailed lesson plan and assignment instructions, 5) teaching materials (handouts, rubrics, discussion prompts, viewing guides, etc.), 6) a full bibliography of readings, links, and/or media examples, and 7) a short biography (100-150 words).
Teaching Media Quarterly Submission Guidelines
Contact: toteachingmedia.contact@gmail.com
Call for Lesson Plans: Share your media production classroom activities in Teaching Media Quarterly
“Teaching Media Production” Teaching Media Quarterly 3(3): Fall 2015