Renee Hobbs tells teacher-librarians in Rhode Island about her work in a Philadelphia elementary school, demonstrating how media analysis and production activities support the acquisition of digital and media literacy competencies among the youngest learners.

1. Beyond Drill and Kill
Renee Hobbs
Professor and Founding Director
Harrington School of Communication and Media
University of Rhode Island USA
Email: hobbs@uri.edu
Twitter: reneehobbs
Web: http://mediaeducationlab.com

2. ACCESS
ANALYZEE
CREATE ACT
REFLECT
ACCESS
expanding the concept of literacy

3. Powerful Voices for Kids is a
curriculum and professional
development program for digital
and media literacy education in K-
6 and informal learning.

4. www.powerfulvoicesforkids.com

5. Who is an Author?

6. What is a Text?

7. What is an Author’s Purpose?

8. What is an Author’s Purpose?

9. How Does an Author
Express a Point of View?

10. Authors construct meaning
using symbols and media

11. SYMBOLS MEDIA
Language
Image
Sound
Interactivity
Print --books, magazines, newspapers
Visual --television, movies
Sound --radio, recorded music
Digital --video games, Internet, social media
expression communication

12. How do authors accomplish
their goals?
An Author’s Purpose

13. LINK

14. What steps are involved in
creating a message?
The Authorship Process

15. Brainstorming
VIDEO

16. Creative Collaboration
VIDEO

17. How does composition
connect people across time and space?
Authorship as a
Social Practice

18. When we create, we respond to the work of others
LINK
VIDEO VIDEO

19. Media Literacy
Smartphone
A Resource to
Support Critical
Thinking
Get the Smartphone for your students:
http://mediaeducationlab.com/media-literacy-smartphone

20. Screencasting Tools are Simple to Use
www.jing.com
www.screencast-o-matic.com

21. How do we create learning environments
where creative composition can flourish?
Authorship as
Messy Engagement

22. Both teachers and school leaders have concerns about mayhem
and loss of control that may interfere with digital literacy projects
“unpredictable” and “exhausting”

23.  They develop a well-structured activity with a clear audience and
purpose
 Activate creative & independent thinking from learners
 Carefully monitor small groups
 Learn basics of technology use
 Dedicate an appropriate amount of time
When teachers see the value of creating with media and
technology in school…

24. They tap into student knowledge
They take advantage of
unpredictable moments in social
interactions
They address relational and
social issues among members of
the class
When teachers see the value of talking about media and
technology in school…
For student creativity to be
authentic, high levels of
interpersonal trust and respect
are required.

25. Digital and media literacy supports
learning by:
 encouraging complex interactions
between learners and texts
 supporting intellectual curiosity,
critical analysis and reflection
 using reasoning and evidence to
support independent thinking
 building confidence and a sense of
agency in purposeful self-expression
 ensuring relevance by connecting
classroom and culture

26. www.powerfulvoicesforkids.com
www.mediaeducationlab.com

27. www.mediaeducationlab.com

28. Hobbs, R. & Moore, D. (2013). Discovering media literacy: Teaching digital media and popular culture in elementary
school. Thousand Oaks: Corwin/Sage.
Hobbs, R. (2013). Improvization and strategic risk taking in informal learning with digital media literacy. Learning,
Media and Technology, 38(2), 1 – 28.
Hobbs, R. & RobbGrieco, M. (2012). African-American children’s active reasoning about media texts as a precursor
to media literacy. Journal of Children and Media 6(4), 502 - 519.
Grafe, S., Hobbs, R., Boos, M., Bergey, B. (2012). Teachers´ motivations for media education in Germany and in the
United States. Paper presentation at Digital Media and Learning(DML) Conference, Los Angeles.
Hobbs, R., Ebrahimi, A., Cabral, N., Yoon, J., & Al-Humaidan, R. (2011). Field-based teacher education in elementary
media literacy as a means to promote global understanding. Action for Teacher Education 33, 144 – 156.
Hobbs, R., Yoon, J., Al-Humaidan, R., Ebrahimi, A. & Cabral, N. (2011). Online digital media in elementary school.
Journal of Middle East Media 7(1), 1 – 23.
“Messy Engagement and Strategic Risk Taking as an Instructional Strategy in Informal Learning,” Paper
presentation, International Communication Association (ICA), Phoenix, AZ. May 28, 2012.
Hobbs, R. , Cohn-Geltner, H. & Landis, J. (2011). Views on the news: Media literacy empowerment competencies in
the elementary grades. In C. Von Feilitzen, U. Carlsson & C. Bucht (Eds.). New questions, new insights, new
approaches. The International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media. NORDICOM. University of
Gothenburg, Sweden (pp. 43 – 56).

29. Renee Hobbs
Professor and Founding Director
Harrington School of Communication and Media
University of Rhode Island USA
Email: hobbs@uri.edu
Twitter: reneehobbs
Web: http://mediaeducationlab.com