Hi there! I’m Emily Cook, and I teach at Westside Collaborative. Today, we’re diving into an exciting lesson about digital media and how we use it every day. This lesson will help us think critically, write, discuss, and even do a bit of math, like graphing!
Let’s start by exploring what digital media means. Imagine you’re sitting with your friends and sharing your thoughts. What comes to mind when you hear “digital media”? Maybe it’s technology, like Kenny said. Or perhaps it’s electronics like cameras, cell phones, and laptops, as Alayia mentioned. You’re right! Digital media includes all these things and more, like the internet and computer software.
Now, let’s talk about how we use digital media. Last night, you logged all the media you used in a day. Today, we’ll look at how much time you spent on each activity. First, add up your total hours. Remember, if you have minutes, convert them to hours by dividing by 60. For example, 15 minutes is 0.25 hours.
Once you’ve calculated your time, pair up with a classmate and combine your hours. This will help us see how much media each pair uses. It’s a bit of math, but it’s fun!
Next, we’ll create a bar graph to visualize our media use. This graph will show how much time we spend on activities like using cell phones, watching TV, and surfing the internet. For example, if you spent 2 hours and 44 minutes on your phone, 5 hours and 9 minutes watching TV, and 1 hour and 30 minutes online, you’ll see it all clearly on your graph.
It’s surprising to see how much time we actually spend on electronics. Sometimes, we don’t even realize it! This exercise helps us become more aware of our media habits. Maybe you’ll decide to spend less time on devices and more time reading or doing other activities.
Now that you’ve finished your graphs, let’s share our findings. Alayia, for example, found that she uses her cell phone for almost 5 hours a day, mostly for texting, calling, and games. She also spends about 6 hours watching TV. It’s interesting to see how much time we dedicate to different media!
What do you think? Were you surprised by your results? Many of us are online a lot more than we realize. It’s important to be aware of our media use because it can add up quickly!
By understanding our media habits, we can make better choices about how we spend our time. Remember, it’s all about balance!
Think about what digital media means to you. Write down all the devices and platforms you use daily. Then, share your list with a partner and discuss any similarities or differences. This will help you understand the variety of digital media we interact with.
Keep a diary of your digital media use for one day. Record the time spent on each activity, such as using your phone, watching TV, or browsing the internet. This will help you track your habits and see where most of your time goes.
Using the data from your media use diary, create a bar graph. Label each bar with the type of media and the time spent. This visual representation will help you see your media habits clearly and understand which activities take up the most time.
Reflect on your media use by discussing with your classmates. Share your bar graph and talk about any surprises or patterns you noticed. Consider how you might adjust your media habits for a more balanced lifestyle.
Create a short presentation about your media use findings. Include your bar graph and any reflections or changes you plan to make. Present your findings to the class to practice public speaking and share insights with your peers.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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[Music]
I’m Emily Cook, and I teach at Westside Collaborative in the sixth and eighth grades. The first thing I want you to do is take out your reader notebooks and a pen or pencil. I want you to pull out the media logs that you have been working on. Today, we are going to do a lesson on media and the students’ use of media. This lesson will align with the Common Core standards in many ways. The students will engage in critical thinking, writing, discussion, and collaboration with each other, and they will even do a little math today, specifically graphing.
The question we will explore is: What does digital media mean? What does it mean to you? I usually start with a quick warm-up brainstorm, which is how we begin our class. At your tables, many of you are in pairs or small groups, so go ahead and share with each other what digital media means to you.
What do you think, Kenny?
The use of technology, right?
Yes, Alayia?
Electronics like cameras, cell phones, and laptops.
Exactly! So, anything electronic. What about you?
Digital media includes the internet, right?
Yes, that’s often what comes to mind.
And software, like using a computer.
Excellent! You all pretty much nailed it. Now, we will talk about how you use digital media. You had homework from the night before where you logged all of your media use for an entire day.
Here’s what we’re going to do: I want to know how much media you all use. We will compile the data individually, looking at your own usage. How many hours do you spend on each of these activities? Then, in pairs, you will combine your hours to see how much media and what types of media each pair is using.
You will need to add up all your total time spent in each section. Since we are working in hours, you will need to do a little math. It’s a bit tricky. To convert minutes to hours, you divide the number of minutes by 60. For example, 15 minutes equals 0.25 hours.
Take a moment to add yours up.
That’s interesting! I got 1.8 hours, and you got 6.25 hours. Perfect!
So, what is 0.5 plus 5?
30 minutes plus 30 minutes equals 1 hour.
We need to add all our time from cell phones to TV to the internet. This exercise helps us see how much time we spend on watching TV or doing other things.
Now, this is where it gets interesting: you will create a bar graph. This visual representation of media use is valuable because it makes a bigger impact for you.
Okay, are you ready?
For cell phones, you spent 2 hours and 44 minutes. For TV, it was 5 hours and 9 minutes, and for the internet, it was 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Every time I say I don’t use that much electronics, I realize how much I actually do. It’s a lot! My mom knows it, but I didn’t think it was that much. I try to lay off electronics sometimes and read more.
Alright, you all are done! Please come up and explain your media use, Alayia.
We use cell phones for about 4 hours and 66 minutes, which is almost 5 hours, mostly for texting, calling, and games. For TV, it’s about 6 hours.
I thought the internet would be the longest, but it turned out to be the second shortest. I watch about five hours of TV and DVDs.
What do you all think? Is there anything surprising about this?
Most of us are online people.
I couldn’t agree more. Why is this a big deal, Alayia?
Because you use it a lot, and sometimes you don’t even realize it.
It’s amazing to see them have that “wow” moment when they realize they’ve spent so many hours on their devices. Even if you think you’re just using it a little, it adds up quickly.
Right, before you know it, you’re off the chart!
I feel like they are constantly bombarded with media, and it’s such a part of their lives. Bringing this awareness to them and having them discuss and think about it is incredibly valuable.
[Music]
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This version removes any informal language, filler words, and personal identifiers while maintaining the essence of the original content.
Digital – Related to numbers or data that are represented in a numerical format, often using computers or electronic devices. – The digital clock in our classroom helps us learn how to tell time accurately.
Media – Tools or platforms used to store and deliver information or data, often including digital formats like videos or online articles. – We used educational media to watch a math video that explained fractions.
Time – A measurable period during which events occur, often represented in hours and minutes. – We need to manage our time wisely to complete all our math homework.
Hours – Units of time equal to 60 minutes, used to measure durations or intervals. – Our math class lasts for two hours every Monday.
Graph – A visual representation of data that shows relationships between different sets of information, often using lines, bars, or points. – We created a bar graph to display the results of our math survey.
Math – The study of numbers, quantities, shapes, and patterns, and how they relate to each other. – Math helps us solve problems and understand the world around us.
Activities – Tasks or actions that are done for a specific purpose, often involving learning or practicing skills. – Our teacher gave us fun math activities to practice multiplication.
Habits – Regular practices or routines that are repeated often, sometimes without thinking. – Developing good study habits can help improve our math skills.
Choices – Decisions made between different options or possibilities. – We have choices in how we solve math problems, like using addition or multiplication.
Balance – A state where different elements are in the correct proportions, often leading to stability or harmony. – It’s important to balance our time between math homework and other activities.
