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Module 2 presents great various materials about media

We definitely should develop our students' awareness that we cannot believe everything we find out on the internet and what we learn from the media. So the basic thing is to analyze (-> analysis questions) and check the source of information.

Media influence how we think about culture, tell the stories of different people → racial, ethnic, cultural groups

We need to help our students to understand more about people around them ant themselves as well

Let's create our own media messages e. g. using social media platforms.

Karolina U.

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I found Module 2 especially interesting due to material that I'm discussing with my students at the moment. We are talking about advertisements, analysing them. I told students about the psychology of colours while creating ads. They these ideas when they were creating their own projects.
From this Module I like the best the CML questions which I used while discussing different advertisements.
What is more, according to me the topic about stereotype and diversity is crucial. We need to be aware of these aspects.
Sylwia B.

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These materials helped me organise the knowledge about how media influence our perception on particular topics, how they strenghten stereotypes and, unfortunately, how they can manitulate people. This is what we generally observe in today's world, but reading about it from a scientific point of view proved my observations, which is really sad because the more sources of information and the more various infarmation, the easier it is to provide chaos and the more difficult to recognise the true message, especially for young people. It really makes our work harder and much more complicated.

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I find the content of Module 2 very useful and surely I'll apply most of the presented tools in my classroom. As I'm not only a language teacher but also a class tutor I'll certainly use the materials for discussions and activities in my English classes as well in in advisory classes. I especially like the Bechdel Test. For my students being made to reflect on how women are presented in films may be a really eye-opening experience, for both boys and girls. I also like the test for analyzing media contents. I'm actually going to print the question out, palce them on the bulletin and regularly refer to them in class.

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Module 2 was about having a critical eye on any possible media: printed, broadcast, transit or digital. It is essential to read between lines and images and to ask appropriate questions and not to grow into a cynical person, but being able to say Yes and No to the message of media according to the opinion, feelings and previous knowledge. It has never been an issue for me but for my students it is important to get a habit of “double check”. I have tried the idea and distributed different ads to my students to practice the questions. Even though they were not over excited to do extra work rather than simply watch bright commercials, it was easier for them to answer speaking task questions about Media afterwards.  Also, when I create my own tasks on analysing media messages, I will share them with my English department colleagues. I also plan to make an escape room based on questions about media from Module 2.
Victoria Bulavkina

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Being a mother of a fantastic girl who looks different than 99% of Polish citizens makes me feel very special, sometimes chosen but most oftenly worried about my daughter's future and well-being. Thanks to MOOC's Module2 I realized that I am not alone even though our reality is quite different. I appreciate your making a difference in my life and raising awareness worldwide. BTW! I cannot wait for the new Ariel - the Mermaid in Polish cinemas. Will definitely watch it with my daughter!

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It is amazing and easy to find tool (adverticenent) to create interesting and engaging lessons.
Without making students learn some grammar or vocabulary, you can teach them easily in an interesting way. They might be involved in making their own ads using gadges!
Awesome!

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As I deeply care about global inequalities, especially women’s issues, so I was pleased to see this topic being discussed in Module 2. Gender inequality is deeply rooted in the fabric of our society and in my teaching practice I try to challenge outdated attitudes towards female roles. Therefore, I’ll definitely incorporate Media Q&A Routine into my practice to discuss the representation of women in the media. I believe that my colleagues will find this tool useful, too.
Olga
PS
The topic of the module made me think of young Meghan Markle ;)

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See Meghan Markle on ‘90s Nickelodeon Show After Protesting Sexist Commercial

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I enjoyed Module 2, expecially part 1. I think I might use 5 questions in class and teach my students to analyse the adverts. It's crucial we make them realise that we are often manipulated by ads and commercials. Part 2 was a bit too biased so it's not the place to discuss.

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I enjoyed Module 2, expecially part 1. I think I might use 5 questions in class and teach my students to analyse the adverts. It's crucial we make them realise that we are often manipulated by ads and commercials. Part 2 was a bit too biased so it's not the place to discuss.

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Kasia

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To be honest, I found the second lesson/module 2 more interesting. It contains a lot more useful information about how to analyse some specific media products. I am especially fond of the form, which can serve as both space to carry out a complete analysis of a given media product and a discussion starter. Both of these, of course, can help us understand media better.

Rafał

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Things I will definitely use, both at work and in my private life: Bechdel test, made me realize how women are placed in the movies. I analyzed some of my favourite movies, the result is quite sad...
I've already tried working with my 8th grade using Think Aloud Q&A Routine. Found it as a very useful tool, we practised reading comprehension and use of English before the final exams. What's more, my lesson's aim was also to try teaching media literacy and I hope that was just the first time.
Looking forward to next meeting.
Izabella S.

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What I liked most in this module was the fact that I can make my students work together while analysing a given piece of media, e.g. an ad. Given an interesting incentive, not only do they practice in a group, develop socially (share ideas, have fun), but they also improve their knowledge of the target language (provided with the grammatical frame). To me, it would be an ideal combination to take place in the classroom.
Agnieszka Radomska

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Module 2 reflection

This Module was exceptionally useful in terms of Media literacy. I really enjoyed psychological knowledge related part, which reviled the impact of Media on our perception and understanding of definite ads. I liked the list of questions to be shared with the students, which would help to recognize the source of news and the reason why the news do represent the definite viewpoint. I extremely enjoyed collaborative task in the chat room and discussion among educators, that was based on their experience and I am extremely grateful for the sources being shared. I will watch the videos mentioned and have in-class discussions with my students. Thanks.

Elina

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I was amazed to find so extremely useful materials while completing Module 2. I found a lot of activities I want to try with my students. In Video 1 part 1 I read a detailed framework that helped me to understand how any type of media may be analyzed. I wonder how perfectly this framework was used to explore the advertisement about Anderson Smith hospital in Video 1 part 2. I think here in Latvia we do not have so vast diversity as, in example, Americans have. Thus, it made me think and pay attention to this issue. I was glad to learn about special techniques that can add value and meaning to the objects and people placed in an ad. It was interesting for me to observe and ponder how a particular technic can grant favour or diminish something. I will definitely try to analyze the ad about Power Pink Cleaning Spray with my students. I think they will engage with ads and find other media to evaluate and even criticize. Undoubtedly, the materials in Module 2 are precious for me and my colleagues.
Jelena M.

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My reflection - I am so excited that I am here😊 and have access to all these great materials to use in class and to ponder on. The discussion of the two contrasting approaches in media literacy education has made  me realise that I have always been more into the protections than the empowerment approach. Time to change something about it. I constantly learn a great deal from the videos and articles. I am more and more convinced that I have made the right decision applying for the course. It all just convinces me that it is incredibly important to help our students become aware of how to properly analyse and critically approach every bit of information. To show them how to choose wisely, what to give attention to and what to ignore, to make them realise that there are always two (or even more!) sides of every story. NAMLE framework, key questions, the video on an ad analysis have given me so much food for thought. Bechdel test – so simple, yet so shocking! I am really looking forward to what’s coming next. 

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My reflection - I am so excited that I am here😊 and have access to all these great materials to use in class and to ponder on. The discussion of the two contrasting approaches in media literacy education has made  me realise that I have always been more into the protections than the empowerment approach. Time to change something about it. I constantly learn a great deal from the videos and articles. I am more and more convinced that I have made the right decision applying for the course. It all just convinces me that it is incredibly important to help our students become aware of how to properly analyse and critically approach every bit of information. To show them how to choose wisely, what to give attention to and what to ignore, to make them realise that there are always two (or even more!) sides of every story. NAMLE framework, key questions, the video on an ad analysis have given me so much food for thought. Bechdel test – so simple, yet so shocking! I am really looking forward to what’s coming next. 

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Agnieszka

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Unfortunately, my priorities shifted this week, I got late to do my homework and my reflection this time will be so very sketchy...
* I did some reflection on which, protectionist or empowerment attitude I am inclined to adopt, and decided that I am experiencing a shift from the former to the latter.
* Caught myself being naïve :) when blind guessed and marked as true the statement in the quiz that 'The purpose for most media messages is to help people in society live a better life'. Alas...
* Took a while to think about how sometimes diversifying our work or requirement to do so might feel unnatural, and how to avoid it.
* Personally, I found the material of both modules reassuring, that I am in the right place and spending my time well, for the sake of my students’ and my own media literacy. I am so happy not only to get to know about existing online tools, but try them out here and now, like flipgrid the previous week, and padlet now. That's such a smart way to incorporate practice into theory. Always loved learning by doing approach!
PS BECHDEL TEST! What an idea for the upcoming International Women's day lessons with my 17 - 18 yo!!

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To begin with, in Module 2 I learnt about two competing perspectives in the field of media literacy education: the protectionist approach and the empowerment approach. I have to admit that in my private life I tend to apply the first one, especially when letting my child use technology, but with students I definitely view the second one as worth-recommending. The material that I find particularly useful is Part 2 of Video 1 "Doing a Media Analysis - How to Use Key Questions" which can be treated as a guide through a detailed analysis of an advertisement. It clearly shows how to use questions from the NAMLE framework and explains how I could adapt them for my learners. I saved the script for the video, because I would like to share with my colleagues as well as a didactic resource.

Werona

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Module 2-very thought-provoking and inspiring.
I realy enjoyed the articles, packed with important social issues.
Women in the Media is a great topic for a vivid discussion in a girly class of mine. ( 25 girls and 2 boys :)
I am going to use Bechdel test-absolutely number one to raise awareness  on various topics.
The Q&A Routine is also a great idea to be used in the classroom-students will find it engaging.

Aneta

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The module was a useful summary of earlier info heard or read about media consumption, particularly on analyzing media, the importance of particular questions we need to ask to understand the point made by the author.  It confirmed my understanding that editors select photos with a scandalous undertone, because it sells better, but may not give an objective nature of an event. It is important to think about what choices were made and how it affects or changes the story we are told.  We should encourage, not discourage our students and children to ask more questions. Forming a question on a topic, particularly in a foreign language, is a great practicing tool, also helps them get closer to the point of the story or an image. Often teachers complain, that students don't ask when given an opportunity, so let's encourage them.
Tiiu

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I really enjoyed Module 2. The videos and articles were informative and inspiring. There were many useful things such as the CML questions, a Think Aloud activity or the Analyzing Media Messages activity called Media Question-and-Answer Routine.  However, I would say the most useful, to me personally, is Media Q&R Routine. This activity is my favourite. It is a fantastic tool not only to develop students' ability to analyze media messages but also to practice grammar (asking and answering questions as well as Passive Voice). In addition, both Question Starters and Sentence Frames, which can be adapted to the students' language levels, are of great help for students while developing their speaking skills. Three-in-one: grammar practice, excellent communicative practice and a media analysis in one activity! Thank you!
Anna R.

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Honestly, within each week I love MOOC even more, as I found a lot of interesting and useful information. Most importantly, I can use that information in my lessons! The tools and details with particular examples and illustrations show how they work practically.

Also, I found it really great that each important concept (e.g. value) or word is explained, defined in a simple language so that everyone understand it correctly, with no interpretations. I agree with other colleagues, that the used material - examples (e.g. pink spray) and things (e.g. Bechdel test) have very strong messages and discuss the great issues in today's society.

I love that the lecturers (I'll call them so) use the relevant material, interesting topics for us and (maybe) indirectly encourage us to stop, to analyse and answer the questions by ourselves for ourselves too.

Looking forward for the next week :)
Austėja M.

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My reflection on Module 2.
One more fantastic module, full of great ideas and ready to use in the classroom tools and assignments.
It introduces us, as media literacy educators, the ways to help our students, parents, and other teachers to understand the value of media literacy instruction.
Nowadays we can find lots of misinformation shared online which makes it essential for our students to learn how to analyze and evaluate online content.
I liked the Bechdel Test, the idea of “Think aloud” and Media Q&A routine tools most of all, and I definetely try to adapt them to my Classroom and share them with my colleagues.
All the tools  and techniques of analyzing media messages are beneficial for the learners as they develop “a more critical eye when consuming media”, make them think outside the box and break stereotypes.
Looking forward to more practical and effective tools and ideas in Module 3.
Inna

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Thank you for great videos and very informative materials about important concepts, approaches and strategies for MLE, represented in Module 2. I've found all of them extremely useful, and I am definitely going to use them in my classes, as well as to share them with my colleagues.

Here, in my reflection, I would like to talk about the application of media analysis frameworks for media consumption and, in particular, about using Media Q&A Routine for analysing media messages.

This ready-made assignment looks very practical and allows students to interpret media products more efficiently.  They can apply their own choices, express their own opinions and points of view, write down their initial thoughts about ads they chose. Questions provided can help them to understand overt and implied meanings of the ad. Frameworks given can be used as a writing assignment or as teamwork. Some adjustments might be made for various levels of students if necessary.

All these mentioned above are beneficial for my students' language capacity, and I think my lessons will be more vivid and efficient with such interesting materials. Thanks!

Alina P.

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I will definitely use Think Aloud, Q&A Routine (as seen in the cleaning product ad) and Bechdel Test to discuss the representation of women in media. This will be an excellent idea around International Women's Day which we celebrate on March, 8th. My colleagues and I can use this inspiration in language and form classes to teach about stereotypes and girls' empowerment. I can't wait to try it out with my students this week!
Gosia

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There are two ideas I found useful:
Bechdel test - such an easy and useful test at the same time, I've never thouhgt about it before in this way. Surely to share with students!
CML questions - critical thinking in an accessible way, also to use with students at school. Love it!
Alicja R
Poland

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"Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers." – Josef Albers. This statement from module 2 perfectly summarize what I learnt from the articles and videos included in the module. Module 2 gave me the tools to teach my students how to better understand media messages. I am planning to introduce the Key Questions in my classroom in order to help my students better understand and interpret media. I noticed that most of my students believe in everything they read - I think that it's high time for them to learn how to analyze and filter the media messages. The tools given in module 2 will def support my attempts to achieve that.
Paula M

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I found all the materials presented in Module 2 very interesting and I believe that they will be very helpful. I like the idea of  Media Q&A Routine: Analyzing Media Messages' and I think that I will definitely use Key Questions during my lessons to discuss different media products with my students.
What is more, I also think that Media Deconstruction/Construction framework is a great tool to analyze media messeges. I believe that asking and answering such questions can help my students to become more aware media consumers who would understand media better and who will be able to interpret  media messages more effectively.
I also think that my students will be very engaged in such discussions and I will try to find nice examples of adverts and different media products to make my lessons more interesting. I will also give my students the opportunity to find their own examples of media products. I'm sure that they will love it!
Thank You very much :)
Alicja

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I enjoyed the module 2 very much.
While watching the videos and reading the articles, I realized that I sometimes approach media products superficially.
With so much information out there, it seems to me that most people do. Therefore, it is important to ask yourself about this and approach the topic with questions that were discussed in the module. Thanks to this, developing a critical approach by asking the right questions seems to be the right way for my students too.

I use visual materials in almost every lesson, so I will try to adapt the Q&A Routine for some lessons.

Anna O

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While i was watching the videos and reading the articles, i reflected on all the information and knowledge that was kindly shared in this and previous module also. what i liked the most was the idea of using 5 NAMLE simple questions for various media. what is nice that the qustions are not complicated; therefore can be asked of the younger and older students. The next interesting thing was the Bechdel Test. i never used it before and now surely will include in my plan. Students have to be taught that all opinions and perceptions matter and everybody sees things differently. Finally, the Q and A routine is an excellent way to interract and be more engaged. I really enjoyed Module 2 and will use given suggestions to make my lessons more alive. I will teach the young and older to analyze the media and not just read and believe all that is there. Thank you MODULE2 for ssuch cool ideas to use.

MAŁGOSIA S.

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What I find really interesting in this module is the framework, an important tool for teaching. I have already started discussing advertisements and the media consumption with my students. We talked about the print ad about the hospital from our materials. We enjoyed discovering overt and implied messages in this ad. The framework gives us teachers a great opportunity to analyze different media with our students paying attention to different techniques….intentionally and unitentionally embedded values, lifestyles and various points of view. We talk about diversity, dominant versus minority groups, about stereotyping people, about what kind of influence media can have on our seeing ourselves. I do enjoy discovering this knowledge with all of you! Jola

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Module 2 was really interesting. I found it very informative and useful especially for my 8th grage students. I've learnt how to analyse media messages because, I must admit, I've never paid attention to this. The issue that interested me the most was the Bechdel Test. I've never heard about it before so I think it will be a good background to  create a lesson for my students. I do believe that thanks to the knowlegde I gained in this Module I'll raise the awarness of media among my students, increase their critical thinking and help them to analyse the messages they receive form adverts and other types of media as well. I'm working on the topic "Shopping" at the moment so I've already have a plan how to make it more attractive. Thank you for inspiration :)
Iza B.

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I find the suggested tools in Module 2 very practical. All the techniques of analyzing media messages in an advertisement are a great way of empowering our students with critical thinking skills. Going through the messages' content and identifying the overt and hidden meaning might be a new activity to most of our students. However, I am sure they will enjoy noticing the various layers of interpretation.

I will certainly try using the techniques of Think Aloud and Q&A Routine. They will also be of much help during the preparation for the oral final examination at secondary school.

Ewa

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Think aloud activity and Bechdel test were the ideas I paid my attention on really carefully and deeply.
I will definitely adapt them both to my personal teaching framework because they are powerfully  cut out for my image of Critical Thinking and Media Literacy tools.
Students do not even consider implied messages browsing different media, not to mention their unaware approach to the movies with a huge amount of the stereotypes about women.
Bogusława

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Module 2 presents a vital issue - conscious reading and understanding the information that is transmitted in the media, The techniques that are presented in this module will help students to see not only explicit and obvious information, but also assume a hidden message which is the key for their safety. I am planning to include practice of guesswork and speculation in my teaching in order to pump up students' ability to foresee all details and nuances, because it's a key for their safety. I also find a list of questions and answers beneficial for developing students' communicative skills.
Oksana

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I love the 2nd module. So many great ideas again to try with my students. I have planned to do Media Q&A Routine as a groupwork next week with my older students. This is a great way to start with the new trimester and to tune in to the study. Module 2 had some great material about media -  as we are surrounded by different types of media and so,  it´s quite interesting to focus on our behaviour using all the media. I like the article about diversity and stereotypes that have an impact on how differently we all understand various messages.
I would like to try to analyze some message with my student and see how differently they understand it or what are the aspects that influence their opinion. Are the opinions more similar when they analyze it as a groupwork and will they differ more when doing it individually ?These are my thoughts that I had during the second module and I can´t wait to try these things in my class.

All the best!
Kai

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Amazing module! I found it really interesting and useful. I love using pictures, ads, and other visual materials in my lessons. I’m sure they are wonderful to extend the vocabulary, point to some grammar aspects and develop speaking skills. This module helped me also to notice another crucial element which is the implied message. Everytime working with the visual materials I focus on the overt (direct) message, I’m afraid. I don’t analyze them enough and that’s the first thing I want to introduce to my teaching. Here comes the common media analysis questions, of course. They are brilliant, simple and easy to adjust to the students’ level. I'll share them with my colleagues as I perceive them extremmely helpful. Q&As help students in English language and also make them aware of some important things in life. It may also be a good life lesson for all of us.
Maja

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I really enjoyed this module.  It is very important to be able to analyze the messages that surround us, especially advertising ones. I'm sure that even young students will enjoy analyzing and discussing media messages.  I will use the Media Q&A Routine to analyze media with my students. In Module 2 I also like the article about diversity in media and women in media.  I'm going to share useful information with my colleagues.
Hanna H.

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I found this module really interesting and useful. As there is so much information on different types of media and sometimes, it is really difficult to tell which piece of information is true which is not. That is why it is really important to teach all people critical thinking skills. Not a lot of peope question themselves while they are reading articles or looking at ads. I believe that today we as teachers have to start doing it in our classroom as often as possible as we are surrounded by media everyday. I guess all we need to do is to just ask right questions. Young learners are susceptible to all kinds of information. It is our duty to help them not to get lost :)
Vaida

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I found all the information very useful as they clarified my knowledge about media especially these two approaches mentioned in the first video.
However the Media Question & Answer Routine occurred to be the most important for me and the most relevant for my students. The authentic media materials and the possibility of choosing the topic make this task quite involving for the students. As it can be linked with grammar lesson it would be a great opportunity to revise some structures in different and more attractive way.
I definitely try this activity beginning with question starters and simplify it due to the language skills of my students.
Aneta T.

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I have found the second module very informative and educational one. First of all the most useful for me is the Bechdel Test as I hadn't heard and read about it before. So I am going to share it with my English teachers at my school. Secondly I found CML questions very interesting and I will use them with my 8th graders soon. From the 2nd article I have learned how to analize media messages in English. Moreover, I have found what creative techniques are used to attract attention. On the other hand I would like to share some information with my students that „even two people see exactly the same message, they may understand it completely different. It is very important for teens as they should be tolerant and understand that each of us can have a different point of view analyzing media messages. To sum up Module 2 is very useful and it is a great source of information.

Małgorzata K.

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This whole module is so relevant to both students' and my life that it would be difficult to chose one single idea. It seems to me that I could build a framework for a couple of lessons using the ideas given this week.  I am particularly interested in the movies so I would use the ideas from the article about media diversity to provoke students to analyze the content of any movie they watch more consciously and critically. I was not familiar with Bechdel test before and now I watch movies thinking about it trying to find at least one movie it cannot be applied to. The idea of media Q&A routine is a great tool for teaching both media literacy and language skills so I am definitely going to use it with my students.
Agnieszka D.

Edit: I found an interesting follow-up article connected with female presence in the movies published in The Washington Post in 2016. It describes the project conducted by two researchers in which they analyzed the screenplays and checked how much dialogue female characters are given. It is well worth the read.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/12/the-problem-with-almost-all-movies/

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Rachel Orr / The Washington Post

By now, most people have heard of "the Bechdel test." To pass this famous three-part test, which measures whether female characters in a film are anything more than superficial, a movie has to (1) have at least two female characters (2) who talk to each other (3) about something other than a man.

It seems like a pretty low bar, but at least 40 percent of films fail, according to BechdelTest.com, a site that crowdsources these test results. "Birdman" fails. The "Lord of the Rings" movies all fail. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" fails. Even "Toy Story" fails. And it's hard to think of a movie that doesn't pass the Reverse Bechdel test -- where two male characters don't talk to each other about something other than a woman (according to the IMDB universe, some do exist).

The Bechdel test has its critics. Some films with prominent female roles, like Sandra Bullock in "Gravity," don't pass the test, while other films that are male dominated or sexist do. But, as Walter Hickey wrote for FiveThirtyEight.com in 2014, for a long time the crowd-sourced information on the Bechdel test was the best data on gender equity in film that we had.

Two years later, we're amassing more data that gives a clearer look at the real role of women in film. In a new project, Hanah Anderson and Matt Daniels at Polygraph analyzed screenplays for 2,000 popular movies, and broke down the number of words spoken by male and female characters -- "arguably the largest undertaking of script analysis, ever," they say.

To do the analysis, Anderson and Daniels mapped characters who have at least 100 words of dialogue in a movie from the screenplay to the actor's IMDB page. (They caution that their analysis is based on the screenplay, not the actual film - sometimes directors may cut or change lines from the screenplay, and or even change the name or sex of the characters. So there may be small variations between the screenplay and the final film, though the results should be fairly accurate.)

What they find isn't that pretty. As the Bechdel test suggested, most popular movie scripts are dominated by male characters.

The graphic below shows their analysis for 2,005 screenplays. The dots on the left, in blue, represent films where more than half of the dialogue is spoken by a man. The dots on the right, in red, represent films where more than half of the words are spoken by women. As you can see, there are few films where even half of the dialogue is spoken by women, and quite a few films where 100 percent of the lines are male. (The original graphic is interactive, so you can click on the dot so see the name of the film.)

Overall, a woman ended up having the most dialogue (i.e., being the lead) in 22 percent of the films they looked at. In about a third of the films, a woman was in second-place in terms of having the most dialogue. And only in about 18 percent of films did women occupy at least two of the top three speaking roles. In contrast, men occupied at least two of the top three speaking roles in 82 percent of films.

Men consistently have more lines than women across different genres of film. Perhaps predictably, men dominate action movies:

But men also dominate comedies:

And dramas:

And even horror films. In case you're wondering, the all-female horror film is 2005's "The Descent."

Another major critique of Hollywood's gender issues is that women can only obtain big roles when they're young -- which is why movies feature so many female scientists, astronauts and criminal defense lawyers who are somehow all in their 20s. While men can get leading roles into their 40s and 50s, women disappear from the screen.

Anderson and Daniels's data confirms this. The graphic below shows the percentage of total words spoken by male and female actors, broken down by age. For women, 22-to-31-year-old actresses have the most lines, speaking 20 million words; for men, 42-to-65-year-old actors speak the most, with nearly three times as many words as the most outspoken group of women.

The trouble with princesses

The project was inspired in part by an academic study that my colleague Jeff Guo wrote about in January, in which linguists analyzed speaking roles in Disney films. That research showed that men spoke more often than woman in most of Disney's princess films, like "The Little Mermaid" and "Mulan."

That might not seem like such a big deal, but the researchers pointed out that little boys and girls watch these movies on constant repeat, and learn a lot from them. And one of the things that kids might take away is that most of the people doing anything useful or entertaining in these films are male.

"There are no women leading the townspeople to go against the Beast, no women bonding in the tavern together singing drinking songs, women giving each other directions, or women inventing things," one of the researchers of that earlier study said. "Everybody who's doing anything else, other than finding a husband in the movie, pretty much, is a male."

Researchers have found a major problem with 'The Little Mermaid' and other Disney movies

Daniels and Anderson also looked at Disney movies, doubling the sample size from the original experiment. They found a similar result: In 22 of the 30 Disney films they looked at (the films listed on the left in the graphic below) men had most of the lines. In about five films (shown in the middle) the dialogue was relatively balanced, and only in the four films on the right did female characters have more than 60 percent of the lines.

As the Disney princess movies suggest, one of the most surprising results of this analysis is that men have more lines than women even in movies that are about women or made primarily for a female audience -- like "Pretty Woman" and "10 Things I Hate About You." Even in the romantic comedies in their data set, men had on average 58 percent of the dialogue, Anderson and Daniels said.

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Analysis | The problem with almost all movies

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By now, most people have heard of "the Bechdel test." To pass this famous three-part test, which measures whether female characters in a film are anything more than superficial, a movie has to (1) have at least two female characters (2) who talk to each other (3) about something other than a man.

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The videos and articles from Module 2 have given a good understanding of the basic “ ingredients” of Media literacy . To meet the requirements of the modern world the students should be equipped with this knowledge. I think I will implement an empowerment approach in my teaching, as I have been aware of the protectionist approach, because it has been widely discussed in Latvia. I particularly liked the method how to scaffold the students’ abilities to analyze media with the questions. Currently, some of my classes are working on the topic “Tourism” and I plan to try this technique and see how it is going to work.
Anzela

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What I liked the most was the idea of using 5 NAMLE simple questions for different media. The questions are easy enough to answer for younger and more advanced students.

I feel like the topic of diversity and stereotypes is very important, too. Our students grow up while consuming and producing media and they should be aware of both overt and implied messages. I'm quite sure not many of them think about how men or women, kids or adults are presented or what roles are they put into. Analysing media with them might help them look consciously on information.

I'm also attaching a link to a website dealing with the topic of Media Diversity. I've found it quite useful. I hope you'll like it ;)

Hania

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How can open source information and tools lead us to the truth? Read more It is a battle for trust, not facts. Read more Do graphic images raise awareness or cause compassion fatigue? Read more Media Diversity Institute gathers the latest guidelines, studies and other resources to help journalists, academics and civil society activists integrate a diversity perspective into their work.

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It is a full of ideas module which caught my attention straightaway. I myself perceive my style towards media usage as protectionist, however I try to empower my students with new ideas by using new media and available free websites like Kahoot, Wordwall etc. I will definitely use NAMLE questions with my classes to make them more aware and provoke to thinking critically of contents they see every day.

Anna

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I love this module! The topics covered in it have broadened my mind as to how to perceive the media myself - they reminded me of what I once knew, but then forgot. I found the 5 CML questions very useful and am certainly going to use them with my students. From the article on diversity in the media I remembered the words that 'to be media literate, we must be able to tell when we are hearing only part of the story, or an inaccurate story.' Moreover, the article drew my attention to the fact that messages about our own racial or social group can change the way we perceive ourselves. I'm going to make my students realise that 'they are not limited to what the media tells them they are or what they should be.' I also intend to use the NAMLE questions as well as the Media Q&A Routine in class.
The module is thought-provoking, encouraging critical thinking and a more thorough analysis of the messages surrounding us.
Thank you for that.
Magdalena Kamecka

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Module 2 pays attention to topics and problems which are so important these days. I really like The Media Q&A that may may be used in the classroom to elicit from students more information about the media than they would be able to mention by themselves. Another tool I am impressed by is the Bechdel test, which can be used during analyzing various media material. I believe it can increase students' awareness of lack of objectivity in the media.
I am sure that all these materials can be used in the classroom so I will be happy to share them with my colleagues.
Magda

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I really enjoyed reading the articles and watching the videos. For me personally this module is full of ideas for lessons with a difference. It was difficult for me to choose a single idea, resource or quote. I perceive this module as a whole.
I am sure it will be of relevance for my students as the questions discusses are related to  daily life situations. Learners can easily identify themselves as the target audience.
For my colleagues the module is a ready made source of ideas.
Things to keep in mind? Well, I discuss those issues with my students to rise their awareness. Now I will be able to do it in a much better way.
The coming week I am going to use the Media Q&A Routine handout (slightly modified). I am also going to have a lesson based on the Bechdel test and another one based on the article Top Films Include Record Numbers of Women, Minorities.

Katarzyna W.

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Module 2, my reflection. Fantastic Module, wonderful ideas how to teach my students to think about what they read/watch /follow. Great idea to discuss with my students the inner meaning of an ad. They may not be aware of it, but I will use the idea of framework and ask some questions. This would teach them critical thinking and analysing media messages. I love the idea of ThinkAloud. 

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Module 2, my reflection. Fantastic Module, wonderful ideas how to teach my students to think about what they read/watch /follow. Great idea to discuss with my students the inner meaning of an ad. They may not be aware of it, but I will use the idea of framework and ask some questions. This would teach them critical thinking and analysing media messages. I love the idea of ThinkAloud. 

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BasiaLS

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Ability to delve beyond the surface level description of any medium is what brings the learning value and benefits to the class. This module has scaffolded the teachers with some ideas that are ready to be brought into the class. The value of the ideas lies in the diverse scope that the suggested activities promote - be it analysis what is represented or what is being left out. This is the point when we open the world to the students what media does in order to sell their values and that those may surely be quite contrary to what we would be taking pride in. On top of it all, I am for the ideas that provoke discussions, and I am sure that the practical activities presented within the module do exactly that.
(Janis)

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I like the idea of the ThinkAloud routine, it seems like a great way (with a twist :) of getting students to think about how an ad (or any media) can have covert messages. I think they'd enjoy that both as an individual task or in pairs. After all, we usually pay no more than a couple of seconds of attention to an ad, and to truly analyse what may be implied to us can be a powerful tool - and with practice, students will become quicker at using this kind of thought process/analysis to be more critical of the media messages that surround us.
I also like the Bechdel test (I googled it and found many variations regarding race, sex, etc) - I think it would be a fun way of drawing attention to a serious problem. Representation of women is a topic that always pricks the ears of at least 50% of the audience ;)
Additionally, the Q&A routine seems like a useful tool, esp because of the scaffolding it offers and the grammar aspect that it entails. It's great to find a tool that not only addresses a topic, but also provides language support to actually implement it with learners.
I'll be sure to share these materials with my colleagues. (Kärt)

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Media Q&A Routine

It structures research
Students might see things behind the scenes (who is paying, what are the links, who wants it to be known)
Other teachers might like that there is a framework to work with
It will require consistency and time
Inguna

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Bechdel Test - this is number one for me in all of the materials I have read in this module.  I hope to share it with my colleagues as well as with my students.  The idea of framework is something I am familiar with, maybe not in the media context, but still I have been using it in different areas of teaching. Most of us need media for eveyday life situations, and being aware who creates certain messages and what are theri reasons for showing the particular point of view is also a good point for a  later  inclass dissusion.

Ania M.