Contemporary society is an "information society" where much of the information has a visual nature. This text uses semiotic and psychological concepts to help students gain understanding of how meaning is found in visual phenomena and how minds process images. Focus is upon mass media and popular culture. Theoretical discussions are…

This study in human communications ranges widely over scholarly work by Barthes, Bateson, Dewey, Richards, Peckham, Burke, and especially McLuhan, as well as art works by Warhol, Joyce, and various vodeo tape and film makers. In surveying the developments in art and advertising, the author finds that the arts (1) are now a kind of laboratory for…

Noting that humans are educated more by than about the mass media, this paper argues that modern society has produced an informal (mediated) ethics curriculum which may be more powerful than the formal (institutionally educational) curriculum developed by academics and administrators. It first examines the informal curriculum, listing statistics…

This collection of film program notes includes mixed commentary on some of the films held in the Anthology Film Archives (a film and book library in New York City). Some of the films are described by synopsis of the episodes and others by translation into English of the foreign language subtitles. However, each film noted is identified by full…

This book brings together British and U.S. contributions to the debate of a critical studies approach to art and design education. The approach links practice and appreciation. But critical differences exist in definitions of the term design, with the U.S. recognition of design as the use of principles and elements of art in works and a British…

Presentations at the International Visual Literacy Association conference are grouped under five topics, a prologue, and an epilogue: (1) Prologue--"Writing About Visual Literacy" (Roberts A. Braden); (2) Visible Language--four papers concerning picture books, the Macintosh and Laserwriter, the design of library signs, and visual literacy and…

Laments the lack of successful integration of current technological advances into American classrooms. Suggests that schools need to acknowledge the role, form, and function of the mass media in society, and that teachers should develop teaching strategies to help students cope with the iconic world in which they live. (SKC)

Each of the four annual issues of this publication explores a single topic through an interdisciplinary, multicultural approach. Science-based technologies and their impact on the lives of everyday citizens are the focus of this issue. Activities encourage students to think about the profound influence science-based technologies had on U.S.…

Summaries of trends and issues in the teaching of English that have been identified by four commissions of the National Council of Teachers of English are presented in this report. The first summary in the report, by P. Bryant of the Commission on Composition, stresses the need for prospective English teachers to be well-grounded in the techniques…

The need has been established for classroom study of mass media form and content. As this need becomes more widely recognized, high quality, cost effective, and systematic educational materials must be developed. Teachers who possess characteristics and backgrounds amenable to media teaching must be trained in the use of these materials and in…

This book argues that people live simultaneously in two different cultures. Values of the first culture are imparted to children through curriculum in the nation's public school classrooms. The second culture is the world of mass communication that promotes consumption, instant gratification, and impulse. The clash between these cultures confronts…

This document highlights the findings of a committee formed by The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to assess the status of film at all levels in American education. The introduction by the editor, William Costanzo, stresses that film is best understood in relation to the language arts--not as a "visual aid" but as an…

This document contains 59 selected papers from the 1996 International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA) conference. Topics include: learning to think visually; information design via the Internet; a program for inner-city at-risk children; dubbing versus subtitling television programs; connecting advertisements and classroom reading through…

The media constitute important sources and resources for development of critical thought about the media themselves and the reality they represent. The first theories of the media were based on the concept of unidirectional communication. Later, factors such as the increasing interest in audiences and development of cultural studies caused…