Seventeen, Self-Image, And Stereotypes
A high school teacher explains his unit on advertising and media literacy – and why some students wanted to cancel their subscriptions to Seventeen magazine.
English
Seventeen and Self-Image
A high school teacher explains his unit on advertising and media literacy – and why some students wanted to cancel their subscriptions to Seventeen.
Sweet Learning
Why life’s most important lessons are rarely taught in school.
Testing
A report from the National Education Summit, where governors and CEOs met this fall to press standards, high-stakes tests, and ‘rewards and consequences.’
The Jobs of Tomorrow
A “reality check” on some of the statements in IBM chief Louis Gerstner’s keynote speech to the National Education Summit.
Videos Mentioned In the Articles
Where to find videos mentioned in this special report on commercialism and media.
Websites on Media Literacy and Advertising
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What Do We Need to Know Now?
A look at issues of “race,” identity, and hegemony, and what they mean for education.
Why I Said No to Coca-Cola
A Colorado school board member explains why he opposed a lucrative contract between local schools and Coca-Cola.
“Aren’t There Any Poor Gay People Besides Me?”
A teacher redesigns her curriculum to support a gay student. As the classroom community strengthens, they confront the impact of poverty and geographic isolation.
500 Square Feet of Respect
Facing conflict fueled by racism and homophobia at his school, a teacher develops curriculum for the school-to-prison pipeline aimed at building bridges and academic skills.
An Open Letter to New Teach For America Recruits
A Chicago teacher urges TFA recruits to think twice before they sign up.
Aumentando la resistencia en contra de los exámenes estandarizados
El Secretario de Educación de Estados Unidos Arne Duncan desencadenó una torrente de críticas el noviembre pasado cuando le dijo a un grupo de superintendentes escolares que la oposición a […]
Civil Disobedience
When a substitute is insensitive to a fragile student, her classmates look to Thoreau for inspiration about how to respond.
Ed Alert: Military Teaches Our Kids
There’s a saying in the Army recruiting community: “First to contact, first to contract.” In the United States, you have to be at least 17 years old to enlist in […]
Advertising the Truth
Classroom exercises that help students explore the social and environmental consequences of endless consumption.
Advertising the Truth
A parent reflects on his fourth-grade daughter and California’s statewide testing.
Channel One Enters the Media Literacy Movement
Debate swirls as Channel One, renowned for bringing advertising into schools, enters the media literacy movement.
Vouchers: Church/State Complexities
A look at the contradictions that arise when public dollars are given to private religious schools.
Diseases Laud Kansas Decision
A satiric look at the Kansas Board Of Education’s decision to drop evolution from the state standards. The decision is applauded by one group sure to benefit: viral diseases happy to see fewer evolutionary biologists being prepared to go out there gunning for them.
Educators and the Fight for Public Media
A look at the historic struggle between public and private interests for control of the U.S. media, and why this fight has set the tone for ongoing battles over who will control our society.
In My Father’s Kitchen
In the second of two stories mentioned in “Sweet Learning,” the author recounts the life lessons she has learned as her father “makes magic” in their kitchen.
Legislation Calls for Access and Accountability
A bill introduced in October by state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee) seeks to increase access to the voucher schools by the public, including the media.
Masks of Global Exploitation
Teaching about advertising and the real world.
Mi abuelita
The first of two stories Linda Christensen discusses with students, as described in “Sweet Learning.” The author reflects on his arrival in the United States at age 6 and how his grandmother has helped him learn what it means to be a “real man.”