Media Literacy vs. Print Literacy

Wikipedia defines media literacy as the process of analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres and forms. It defines print literacy as the ability to read, write, speak and listen in meaningful or socially-recognized ways. One question that comes to mind when reading these two definitions is how a student would be able to comprehend media literacy without print literacy? Media literacy is a form of print literacy it seems. I think that both are very important, especially in this day and age. However, it seems that as technology improves, society thinks that we are going to get rid of the old ways. I remember when I was in college and professors and students would sometimes say that we were all going to be replaced by computers anyway. Now we have come to realize that is not going to happen. While computers are very important, teachers will not be replaced by them. Same goes with print literacy versus media literacy. Media literacy is very important, it provides people with amplitude of ways to communicate and process information, but none of this will be possible without the ability to read and write.

Tip Model Phase 2- Determining the Relative Advantage

I don't think the issue is that teachers did not see the advantage of the technology at hand. I think the issue is the time to implement the new technology. Even with something as simple as the internet, you have to teach responsibility, how to search the internet, where to get real and valuable information. Teachers are required to teach so much, in so little time, and make sure the students are ready for TAKS. If you are concerned that your students are not doing so well in reading, and the reading TAKS is comping up, you are going to focus on reading, anything extra is pushed to the backburner. Lack of training would also be a problem. If teachers are not comfortable with any new technology chances are they are not going to learn how to use it on their own unless they learn about new technology on their own free time. If the superintendent would have sent over someone to train the teachers on how to instruct using the internet, then it probable would have been used more appropriately.
If I was responsible for integrating technology into instructional activities, I would provide lesson plans for the teachers to start out using in a way that would benefit them so that a needed lesson was taught, and the students so that they learned about new technology and what their teacher needed to teach. Once teachers are exposed and feel at ease, then it will become more regular to use the technology and easier for them to see how to use it. As long as the technology can cover an academic area that a teacher needs to focus on, then it will be a