This semester I am working on helping my undergraduates become more aware of the messages that they receive from the media. My goal is to equip them with tools to help their future students think about what they see and hear. Yes, I do believe this is part of an art teacher’s responsibility. AND, I believe it might be at the top of the list of responsibilities. Here is part of an activity we are going to do tomorrow:
We watched four clips and considered the following questions. The questions have been promoted by the Media Education Foundation.
1) Who created this message (Concept: all messages are ‘constructed.’)
2) What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? (Concept: Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules)
3) How might different people understand this message differently? (Concept: Different people experience the same media message differently.)
4) What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message? (Concept: Media have embedded values and points of view).
5) Why is this message being sent? (Concept: Media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.)
http://www.hulu.com/embed/pCtVEtIISeHV6Ub0dstdmQ
http://www.hulu.com/embed/s56flA0INAiIj7QzeWdm0A
Leslie Gates 
That is one broad selection of clips! (I love hulu) That one with sesame street and marriage is very interesting in what it doesn’t say!
I know…when I was student teaching an African American student told my cooperating teacher that his girlfriend was pregnant. She asked if he thought they would ever get married. His response? “Miss, black people don’t get married.” I will never forget that…
The Sesame Street one is… hhhmmmm, how should I say this…well, what lindsay michele said…very interesting in what it doesn’t say!That sounds like a cool class leslie!