Media Literacy and Pop Culture Curriculum Policies:Students Learning and Living in a Highly technological and Mediated World

Abstract

This paper discusses digital content and digital use policies as modern teachers and administrators are forced to grapple with sometimes contradictory recommendations from local, state and national organizations in terms of whether to embrace new media technologies in schools or to guard students from them. For example, the National Council for Teachers of English (2007), whose standards to promote 21st Century literacies and digital media use differ greatly from the thinking of some traditionalists who seek to protect students from popular content, or to limit use of popular devices. While some organizations embrace various media technologies as tools for learning, other individuals and organizations reject new pedagogical approaches that attempt to harness digital media technologies.These protectionists believe that media technologies often affect youth populations negatively because the media messages channeled by popular technologies often promote harmful, illegal or illicit activities. gender differences.