Many teachers have interactive whiteboards and many teachers don't. Available computer labs hardware and software vary from school district to school district across the globe. Add to that the fact that new technology is being developed faster than any school system can anticipate it begs the question how do you design an open ended curriculum/program based on a model that supports rapid change?
Currently, I'm in an graduate level Intro to Cinema Studies class with a strong focus on applied cinema theory. The text the professor selected for the class had to be an overview of the wide variety of theories starting from around the 1920's to the present - classifying and clarifying the ideologies or rather multiple critical theoretical models representing the body of work done on all aspects of cinema.
The novel organization of the text, Film Theory an introduction through the senses by Thomas Elsaesser and Malte Hagener relates what happens on the screen to an imaginary spectator and then bridges understanding the relationship created between the film and the mind and body of the viewer.
I think this model works in teaching. Your students are spectators and you are transmitting knowledge using tools and techniques to reach all of their senses in many ways. You can measure your effectiveness as a teacher by designing lessons that guide students in using critical thinking skills. Students need to be able to make sense of the multiple sensory messages they receive many hours every day.
Critical thinking skills help students determine main ideas, supporting details, fact verses opinion, the variety and reliability of source material, the importance of primary source material and obvious bias and these skills are the same skills that aid students in deconstructing the meaning of various media. Conversely, you should plan assignments that require students use these same organizational principals in presenting their findings.
However, one of the most important literacy skills students need to obtain is understanding how easy it is to manipulate what they see, hear, read and believe. Technology has advanced so that what we view is not reality. For a teachable moment use the DVR: Life of Pi and show the technical portion where we learn the secrets behind the CGI screen. Students will see how technology was instrumental in creating every aspect of this beautiful narrative. When they learn the truth is not strictly reliable until checked through multiple sources and perspectives, then they will be truly media literate.
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