Media arts

In a culture that is rich in media and technologies, it is important that our students develop the skills necessary to engage critically and effectively with these. Media arts provides students with the chance to create representations of the world around them, and respond to others' representations, using a wide range of media (ACARA, 2013). For students to be able to do this effectively, they need to develop a level of competency regarding both the use of media, and the language of media arts (Gibson & Ewing, 2011).

Using a photo of a place which has meaning
and then adding a one-word caption to create
a media arts piece

Throughout the implementation of the media arts curriculum, students need to be presented with opportunities to make and respond. In essence, students are immersing themselves in media culture through exploring, viewing, analysing and participating (ACARA, 2013). Experiencing this within the primary classroom is giving our students a head start for the other areas in their lives, now and in the future, where they will need to engage with media and technologies (Gibson & Ewing, 2011; Anderson, 2009).  This can be achieved on both a local and a global scale, exposing students to the world of communication through media.

References

Anderson, N. (2009).  Media Remix: Digital Projects for Students. Screen Education: 55.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013). Revised Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts Foundation to Year 10. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/draft_arts_curriculum_22_february_2013.pdf