The subject of Media literacy should be a compulsory subject at elementary school and junior high school in Japan.
Thesis Statement:
The Japanese government should create new compulsory subject to teach media literacy focusing on critical analysis skills which conducted once a week in elementary school and junior high school.
I. Introduction
A. (Hook) The Japanese government and most media have forced us to believe that nuclear power plants were “totally safe” for more than 40 years.
B. (Background) The Japanese Constitution recognizes the right-to-know. Definition of “media literacy”. It means the ability to interpret information critically, detect whether it is true or not and make active use of it.
C. Thesis Statement
II. Reasons why the Japanese government should improve Japanese’s media literacy.
A. To protect and enrich life of students in the future
B. To be related to strengthen national power of Japan
III. Reasons why the Japanese government should create the subject of media literacy in elementary school and junior high school.
A. To foster zest for life of students
B. To learn media literacy more effectively from a childhood
IV. Ways to improve students’ media literacy
A. To learn the case examples about media literacy education in foreign countries
B. To found organization to instruct teachers
C. To design concrete contents about subject of media literacy
V. Conclusion
A. Repeat thesis and main points
B. Put forward a proposal on how to start the reform a curriculum to start the subject of media literacy
When Japanese saw the nuclear accident in Fukushima accompanying the Great East earthquake (Fig 1), most Japanese found out that the Japanese government and electronic companies have forced us to believe that nuclear power plants were totally safe for more than 40 years by using information manipulation through media (Further Research Needed). The one of main reasons why Japanese was easily controlled with information manipulation is related to the lack of media literacy (Further Research Needed).
The media literacy here means the ability to critically interpret information from media, such as TV, newspaper, radio and internet, detect whether it is true or not and make active use of it as a final receiver. The media literacy is a necessary prerequisite to make a correct decision and even the Japanese Constitution recognizes the right-to-know. However, the Japanese have not received important information necessary to make a correct decision as shown by the case of the myth of nuclear power plant’s security. Japanese got to drown in much information in around 1990 according to the NHK research showing that the average time for Japanese to watch TV was about three and half hours per day in Japan (9). As it was recognized that Media was strongly related to our life, the study how to pursue media literacy started in 1990’s (Further Research Needed). In 2002 the subject of Technology and Home Economics began to deal with information in junior high and in 2003 the information subject became a compulsory subject in high school. The each class dealt with a little bit media literacy but did not focus on the consistent compulsory education to teach media literacy defined above. In comparison, Canada has already started to teach media literacy as a part of English class in primary education and as one subject in higher education since 1989. Thus, even though some approaches to enhance media literacy started in Japan, the level of education about media literacy has not reached the level to acquire the media literacy enough to make a correct decision.
Therefore, the Japanese government should create new compulsory subject to teach media literacy focusing on critical analysis skills which conducted once a week in elementary school and junior high school.
The Japanese government should improve Japanese’s media literacy at any age, because 1) it protect Japanese life and enrich our life in the future and 2) it may be useful for Japanese to conquer global information warfare, which strengthens national power of Japan.
The improvement of media literacy is helpful to protect Japanese life and enrich our life in the future. First, the ability to critically interpret information and detect the authenticity enables Japanese to protect their life. For example, at the Great East earthquake most Japanese could not obtain information about meltdown in real time, so they could not judge how we should protect our life. This means that the Japanese government and media jeopardized our right-to-live. If much Japanese had have media literacy enough to interpret critically and look for correct information including expertise’s opinion or foreign countries news, we may have acted more effectively. Second, we need to construct our knowledge structure by using information which is true and really useful for us (Potter 283). For example few years ago Japanese government tried to start the project to increase the number of Master and doctor course students unless the government took care their future job. The government and university said that master and doctor course was useful for under graduate students’ future and promoted them to enter master and doctor course. Some students just controlled by the information finally failed to find a job. The students who assessed the feasibility of the project and started to look for a job when they are graduate students could find a job easier than former students (Further Research Needed). In conclusion, the ability of media literacy is a strong tool to make Japanese lives better.
The media literacy helps Japanese to conquer global information warfare, which might result in the consolidation of national power of Japan. The global information warfare now takes place in politics. For example, Kohara, the researcher of Japanese National Institute of Informatics, claims that it is required the ability to persuade people by using information to fight terrorism that uses information power (39-40). Terrorism may spread well-planned propaganda to all over the world, so the ability will be useful not only security specialists but also the ordinary people. The ordinary people can develop the ability through media literacy education. The more national security is enhanced, the more national power increases. Therefore in term of improvement of national power Japanese government Japanese government is worth to enhance media literacy education.
In conclusion, it is not only the obligation of the Japanese government based on right-to-know of Japanese Constitution law but also the advantage to the government that the government tries to develop Japanese’s media literacy at any age.
The Japanese government should undertake the education of students at first and create the subject of media literacy in elementary school and Junior high school, because 1) the improvement of media literacy is related to foster zest for life of students, and 2) it is much effective to start to teach media literacy from a childhood.
The process to attain the media literacy is effective to foster the ability to think and to make a decision which the 2008 primary and junior high school course of study emphasize on (Japan.MEXT). Leaning, a senior lecturer in the School of Film and Media at the University of Winchester, claims that “a critical multimedia literacy approach is concerned with learning critical literacy skills” (44-45). For example, students can learn how to think critically and what the process to make decision is like by thinking about why they become to like specific products through advertisement, why they buy the product and how they are controlled by the company (Uesugi 58). Therefore, the Japanese government can enjoy the fruit by introducing the media literacy subject into the curriculum in terms of goal achievement of the curriculum guidelines.
The student should start to learn media literacy from 1st grade at the elementary school and continue to study media literacy until 3rd grade at junior high school. There are three reasons to support the idea. First, the 1st grade, the beginning grade compulsory education is appropriate grade to start to learn media literacy (Further Research Needed). Doing so makes it possible that students and their parents recognize that media literacy is an important subject to learn. Second, younger child has more flexibility comparing to adult. The media literacy is not common idea for both younger children and adults, but children tends to accept new things easier than adults. For instance, Nishi, the graduate student of Hyogo University of Teacher Education, and, NIWASE, the undergraduate student of the University, claim that lower grade students have more flexibility than higher grade students in elementary school. Third, it should take much time to form a habit to make use of media literacy. The reason is why “it takes a long time to get the habit after the ideas are taught” (Rowe 64). As a result, if there are students to start to work after graduation from junior high school, they can learn media literacy through compulsory education period.
In conclusion, the Japanese government should try to start media literacy education in elementary school and junior high school; because media literacy education meets the purpose of Course of study and the education to the students should be done more effectively.
The three steps are needed to start the subject of media literacy, learning from advanced examples in foreign countries, founding an organization for teachers, and designing concrete classes of media literacy in elementary school and junior high school.
The Japanese government is able to learn the education system about media literacy in Canada Ontario state: 1) how to foster teachers and 2) how to create educational materials and conduct a class. First, Toronto University offers special certification course for media literacy education. Through the course teachers who want to get the certification can learn the way to analyze a wide variety of media and to compare other countries approach to media literacy (Uesugi 123-124). Second, a wide range of media such as literature media, movie media, digital media, life media etc., are used as educational subjects (Canada Ministry of Education 18, 95-97) At first year of elementary education students start to deal with TV, web site, video game which are included in life media as the target of critical analysis, because these media is infinitely familiar to them even when they are at first grade.
The Japanese government lets International Christian University take as same role as Toronto University undertakes. As the Toronto University plays an important role with a spirit of critical attitude as highly-professional teacher training institution (Evidence), the organization to instruct teachers to teach media literacy is needed to have two requirements. One is the accumulated know-how which is related to teacher-training course. Another is that the organization admits critical attitude. ICU not only has the accumulated know-how about teacher training but also runs lectures to foster critical behavior through the lectures such as ELP. Therefore ICU is appropriate organization to instruct teachers.
The subject of media literacy should deal with a wide range of media familiar with students and train students to think critically by using media and a class of media literacy independent form other subject should be held once a week. First, students should get used to analyze all kinds of media resources, because they should be taught whichever kind of media could be used to control people (Further Research Needed). By getting familiar with various media they more likely become to apply analyzing skill to treat new media which will appear in the future. Second, teachers promote students to say criticism and try to praise them at every class. Students become to assume that they analyze and think critically. Third, the media literacy class should be held once a week to form a habit. It should be independent class, because it is necessary skill as zest for life and students need to focus on studying it. In elementary school and junior high school students have many contents to have to learn, so it is not permitted to spend much time to teach only media literacy. However it takes much time to form a habit or an attitude about media literacy. Therefore one a week is the best choice. As a result, students can for a habit and will be able to apply the habit in the future.
Thus, by incorporating good experience about media literacy education of foreign countries to one of Japan and making used of existing organization like ICU, the Japanese government can prepare to start to the subject of media literacy.
In conclusion, the development of media literacy not only enhances individual zest for life but also increases national competitiveness, so there is significant value for the Japanese government to establish new media literacy subject as an important project. The government is required careful planning from the long-term view to achieve the project. Specifically it is important element fostering teachers to have an expertise about teaching and making the clear time schedule to put the subject of media literacy to the curriculum in the elementary school and junior high school. The opposition from within one part of the government may be expected, but as showing strong will, explicit plan and the largeness of merit we Japanese must encourage the government to address the plan to establish the plan.
