How a Medium Changes Discourse
Overview
Overview
The medium we choose to communicate a message can affect how that message is conveyed and how well the message will be understood by the receiver of the message. This lesson gives the students a concrete way of seeing the effect a medium has on a message. This lesson is part of a media unit curated at our Digital Citizenship website, "Who Am I Online?"
Lesson Objective/Student Target
The students will be able to use different mediums to communicate knowledge on a topic.
ISTE Standard 6d: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Overarching Question:
How does a medium change discourse?
Key Vocabulary
Medium (a tool used to communicate a message, such as language, pictures, video, etc.)
Discourse (communication via some type of medium between two or more entities)
Materials
-Notebook paper
-An already completed essay or slide presentation on a given topic in class
Activity
- -Students have written an essay or created a slide presentation on a topic.
- -Before sharing their essay or slide deck, using the notebook paper, have students convert the content of their essay or slide deck to a Twitter audience using 280 characters and maybe a picture.
- -Have students share out their “Tweet.”
- -Have students share their essay or slide deck.
- -Discuss (either in small groups or as a large group) how this changed the content, and thus the discourse that was possible in the medium. Some things to consider: What choices did you need to make in order to convert to the Twitter medium? What was ultimately left out of the Twitter message? How might this change understanding of the message and its contexts? What does this reveal about the way we experience content in our day-to-day media environment?
Formative Assessment
Have students fill out an exit slip in the last few minutes of class giving their understanding of how a medium can change discourse.