Powerful Voices for Kids Program Overview

Overview of the Week: July 6 - 10, 2009

Teacher Institute on Powerful Voices Wiki

Mornings include introduction to theoretical concepts in media literacy, demonstrations of model lessons, analysis of teaching and learning practices, and time for discussion and reflection. Afternoons provide opportunities to work collaboratively and individually, composing with multimedia tools, including video cameras and online media composition tools. 

• Day 1. Media Literacy as Literacy for the Information Age
• Day 2. Understanding Today's Learners
• Day 3. Authors and Audiences, Messages and Meanings
• Day 4. Representations and Realities
• Day 5. The Home-School Connection

Theory and Practice (with kids!): During the program, participants will have opportunities to engage directly with a group of children enrolled in  Philadelphia's Russell Byers Charter Elementary School media literacy summer camp.  Educators will learn directly about children'sout-of-school literacy practices and observe children's interpretation and analysis skills in engaging with images, film and television, videogames andthe Internet. Supported by a grant from the Verizon Foundation, the Powerful Voices for Kids summer media camp gives 100 children, aged 6 to 11, the change to learn media literacy concepts, strengthen engagement in literacy learning. and develop lifelong communication skills, including collaborative brainstorming, active listening, public speaking, and offering and using feedback.

Why it Works: Harnessing Engagement and Motivation.  Media literacy, integrated into the elementary curriculum, is one dimension that addresses the very real problems faced in urban education. Research shows that 50% of students enrolled in urban public schools do not graduate from high school. Many children are disillusioned with school by the time they reach Grade 3. Negative attitudes about school and learning often intensify during Grades 4 - 6 when students form beliefs and attitudes about school, teachers, and their own capabilities as readers and learners. 

Why it Works: The Home School Connection. Research shows that literacy skills develop at the intersection between school practices and the literacy practices outside of school. Unfortunately, most literacy programs for urban children ignore or trivialize students' out-of-school literacy practices, leading to disenfranchisement with school. We believe that teaching children how to use expression and communication for personal and community advocacy can strengthen literacy and problem-solving skills which contribute to academic success.

Why it Works: Technology Integration. Children who use the inquiry process along with technology tools become energized by the process of learning about the world around them. Parents can learn simple strategies for making screen activities like television viewing, videogame playing and online media use into opportunities to develop critical thinking and communication skills.

These skills can also help develop a love of learning and the sense of joy that results from mastering new knowledge. By making connections between the classroom and the culture, children become effective communicators. This helps transform a frustrated student into one who can have productive relationships with peers, family members, teachers, and the community at large.

Evidence-Based Curriculum. Teachers and Temple University graduate students are working collaboratively on the development and implementation of multimedia assessment tools to document student learning. We are also developing a parent-outreach component focused on using television and the Internet at home to promote literacy learning. The program will make extensive use of media and technology and be based on principles of inquiry-based learning.

Our History. This project is a partnership between Laurada Byers, Founder of the Russell Byers Charter Elementary School and Dr. Renee Hobbs of Temple's MediaEducation Lab. We started by learning more about the technology and media use patterns of children at the Byers Charter Elementary School.In the project's launch phase, the Powerful Voices for Kids Summer Institute includes a staff development program for elementary educatorsand a media literacy summer camp program designed to increase motivation and engagement in literacy learning among urban children, their parents, and their teachers.This program bridges the gap between school and culture with a focus on media literacy education, using mass media, popular culture and digital technology to engage urban children in literacy activities.