Media Deconstruction

1.    Who produced this document, and for what purpose?

Assistant editor Sharon Ambrose of The Blaze Magazine.  The article focuses on the history of the educational plan of Common Core and discusses the way it threatens America’s kids, freedom and future. 

2.    When was this produced, and what was it's historical context? 

April 2014 for the May Magazine issue.  Sharon explains what it will take to halt or change the federal school curriculum. 

3.    Who is the target audience?

Parents and educators

4.    What are the messages communicated?

The messages communicated explain how the common core curriculum provides students with less independent thinking and creative opportunities for growth.  It supports cookie cutter lesson plans that keep our minds inside the box rather than outside, as we as teachers want to encourage our students to become. 

5.    What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

The magazine cover itself provides key terms and simple illustrations to captivate our attention.  Using the word “collective” paired with the picture of all students in essence thinking the same thing really gives the viewer a sense of uneasiness because to me it makes us feel these students are all of one mind, like robots blindly following their puppet master. 

The article states that Common Core is progressively the greatest weapon against American freedom.  This is a very worrying statement and makes me question the direction of our societies collective future greatly. 

6.    How might people interpret this message differently?

Some people may be swayed into thinking this collaboration of same ideas is beneficial and uniting.  Instead of depriving us our freedoms to be independent, they may desire the outcome of cookie cutter mindsets.

If you value independence and creativity, like me you would be scared by this magazine cover and article sneak peak and want to scream in outrage and abhorrence. 

7.    Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message?

Higher ups in business and government would be the ones that benefit from this message because it means our educational system is building armies of brainless peons to do their bidding.  Students and teachers like me would be harmed by this message because we deeply value our current freedoms and want to move away from standardized testing to estimate worth and instead encourage and support risk takers, free thinkers and dreamers. 

8.    What information or perspective is left out of this message?

I believe the teacher is left out of this message.  Perhaps reasoning as to why “they” feel common core is effective or ineffective as a future for education and where we can imagine our educations system and students either benefitting or suffering because of it.

9.    Is this an accurate and credible representation?

I believe it is to a point.  One does have to do further research to discover the deeper creditable sources and sites.  I personally did not realize common core was so scary.  I have standards that guide my creative instruction, but common core is less of a concern for my art classroom than it is for English and other core subjects.  It looks that if this truly is the future of education, that there may be even less room for the creative disciplines in the curriculum, so I guess who knows if I would even have a job down the line if we were to go to such extreme forms of instruction.  I hope it doesn’t come to that obviously, as I feel the creative disciplines are vital to students growth and future happiness.

10.How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?

Obviously the creator is against common core, so it has not been painted in a desirable light.  But “independent thinkers” can make judgments for themselves based on the information and facts presented and gather their own conclusions without being brainwashed to feel the same.

11.Describe the text and subtext presented in this magazine cover. You can find a example of what this means on p.5 in this Intro to Media Literacy Project.

Text – Magazine title “The Blaze.” Truth Lives here, May 2014 edition with Vol. 4, No. 4 and www.theblaze.com.  Collective – Common Cores’ threat to our kids, our freedom and our future.  There is a picture with elementary aged students in a classroom facing a green chalkboard with their backs to the viewer.  The students are looking in the same direction, either at the board or at their desks on their work.  The chalkboard illustrates thought bubbles out of their heads that lead to one unified bubble, which is the title grab of the article the magazine is focused on here.  “collective” etc.   At the top of the page there are small explanations of teaser articles also included in the issue for the viewer to be further drawn in by. 

Possible Subtexts – Our children all think the same.  It is important for our childrens future to think the same.  Thinking the same is a good thing.  Like minded thinking is the only way to be.  This is how our classrooms across America look.  This is what we want. 

12.Starting on P.6 of the Intro to Media literacy document there are 40 persuasive techniques listed and described. Which ones are used in this magazine cover?

In my opinion Fear is the only evident technique.