Assess the Value Content of a Visual Media |Chalk Talk PH

Visual Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of form. With high volume of information now at our fingertips thanks to smartphones and search engines, today’s learners will need to become more efficient at filtering what they see and hear. In other words, it’s more important now than ever before to learn visual media literacy. So where do we start?

1. Recognizing Fake News

A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that false news spreads faster, farther, and deeper than real news on Twitter. Learn to read past the headline, check the date and author credentials, gauge the tone and language, and identify biases. It will take more time, but ultimately it will save your time as you won’t have to double-check their sources or correct their views later on.

Always do a quick search for at least one other source that states the same thing. Most news- especially if it is momentous-gets coverage by more than one organization, so this should be a fairly clear indication.

At least in theory, Twitter is a great resource since you can follow multiple news channels and see how many sources are reporting the same information, compare differently phrased headlines for the same story, and easily navigate back and forth between full article and feed. Just be sure that you are not buying into a false story that has gone viral.

2. Using Multiple Sources

When trying to spot fake news the first thing you should do is check other sources for the same story. But this is about more than truth in numbers: since different sources report different details in varying levels of depth, students will gain a fuller, more accurate perspective on an issue when they read, listen, or view more widely.

You may create a poster or a mind map listing different kinds of sources, including which ones are reliable and which ones aren’t.

3. Gauging Tone and Language

There is a difference between credible and non-credible language, whether it’s written or spoken. You must develop an “ear” for it. People are especially likely to believe what they read or hear when it’s couched in language that sounds flowery or academic.

This means you need to be good writers and speakers, and to learn as soon as possible that clear communication- not fancy or abstract language- should be your number one goal. That way, when a politician is blowing a bunch of hot air into a camera, you will be able to tell.

4. Questioning Numbers and Figures

Evaluating words often requires evaluating numbers too. Say you come across an article that claims “Students perform better in school when they get at least eight hours of sleep” and share it on Facebook, but when you take a closer look at the cited study, you find that it was only performed at one school, in one class, on six students. It’s crucial that we learn to judge the math behind the message.

You may use infographics to illustrate how numbers can trick the mind into buying the whole message, even if those numbers are skewed. You may create infographics and catch misleading facts and figures. Then hold a discussion on how false figures influence your perception and lead you to believe some messages over others.

5. Developing Multimedia Skills

One important part of being media-savvy in the 21st century is knowing how to use different types of tools, both separately and together. We now have text, audio, video, augmented reality, and 3D printing. We have social media and interactive media. We have books, newspapers, film, and TV. We have blogs and vlogs. Today’s learners need to be well versed in all of these in order to navigate the world ahead.

Considering the rapid pace of 21st century technology, you need to prepare for types of media that don’t exist yet. This means becoming as comfortable as possible with the kinds of media that currently exist, since future technologies will be built off of them.

6. Recognizing Bias

It is imperative that you recognize which channels might highlight which kinds of facts, emphasize certain kinds of contexts or angles, and use different tones. At the same time, learn to recognize your own biases, which can influence perceptions of the media as well. It goes both ways.

Biases can be political as well as personal. In an episode of National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, journalist, fake news expert, and Buzzfeed media editor Chris Silverman reveals that the kind of news which performed best on Facebook during the Clinton-Trump election was fake news that confirmed biases viewers already had. In other words, if someone posted a false news story smearing Hillary, it would be believed and shared most by viewers who already held negative perceptions of her.

You may evaluate a few sources that exemplify these types of bias, then you may write a report on how to recognize bias in the media. Possible sources might include articles, blog posts, excerpts from books, speeches, podcasts, radio or TV programs, posters, ads and commercials, academic papers, Youtube videos, or short films.

7. Curating Information

By some measures, if you began reading the Internet today and continued for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would take you 57,000 years to reach the end. That’s a lot of information. Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately), most of us don’t have quite that much time on our hands.

With so much data to weigh through, how do we proceed as efficient consumers of media? Where do we start and stop looking, and what do we do with the information we receive? Is there a way to collect, organize, and use this data in a way that doesn’t leave us feeling like burnt toast, or wondering if we missed out on some better piece of information we didn’t manage to find?

It’s a challenge, but it’s an important one: learn how to effectively filter, select, organize, save, and use information gathered from media sources. You can turn it into a research project where you discover solutions on your own and share findings with the rest of the class.

8. Becoming Responsible Creators

It’s never been easier to create and spread a message, and to such a wide audience. You must be responsible creators of media as you will design and distribute information, on a daily basis for the rest of your lives.

Who are we affecting when we post updates on Facebook, or photos on Instagram? Is what we post an accurate reflection of we are and what our lives is really like? What’s the difference between visual material of value and visual junk? Learn how to be discerning creators of media, and explain why it matters. The world doesn’t need another selfie unless it means something.

Sources: Retrieved at https://www.canva.com/learn/10-creative-methods-to-teach-media-literacy/

Infer Meaning of Unfamiliar Blended Words Using Definitions |Chalk Talk PH

Blended Words

A word blend is formed by combining two separate words with different meanings to form a new one. These words are often created to describe a new invention or phenomenon that combines the definitions or traits of two existing things.

 

Word Blends and Their Parts

Word blends are also known as portmanteau (pronunciation port-MAN-toe), a French word meaning "trunk" or "suitcase." Author Lewis Carroll is credited with coining this term in "Through the Looking-Glass," published in 1871. In that book, Humpty Dumpty tells Alice about making up new words from parts of existing ones:

"You see it's like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word."

There are different ways of creating word blends. One way is to combine portions of two other words to make a new one. These word fragments are called morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language. The word "camcorder," for example," combines parts of "camera" and "recorder." Word blends can also be created by joining a full word with a portion of another word (called a splinter). For example, the word "motorcade" combines "motor" plus a portion of "cavalcade."

Word blends can also be formed by overlapping or combining phonemes, which are parts of two words that sound alike. One example of an overlapping word blend is "Spanglish," which is an informal mix of spoken English and Spanish. Blends can also be formed through the omission of phonemes. Geographers sometimes refer to "Eurasia," the landmass that combines Europe and Asia. This blend is formed by taking the first syllable of "Europe" and adding it to the word "Asia."

 

The Blend Trend

English is a dynamic language that is constantly evolving. Many of the words in the English language are derived from ancient Latin and Greek or from other European languages such as German or French. But starting in the 20th century, blended words began to emerge to describe new technologies or cultural phenomena. For instance, as dining out became more popular, many restaurants began serving a new weekend meal in the late morning. It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so someone decided to make a new word that described a meal that was a little bit of both. Thus, "brunch" was born.

As new inventions changed the way people lived and worked, the practice of combining parts of words to make new ones became popular. In the 1920s, as traveling by car became more common, a new kind of hotel that catered to drivers emerged. These "motor hotels" quickly proliferated and became known as "motels." In 1994, when a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel opened, connecting France and Great Britain, it quickly became known as the "Chunnel," a word blend of "Channel" and "tunnel."

New word blends are being created all the time as cultural and technological trends emerge. In 2018, Merriam-Webster added the word "mansplaining" to their dictionary. This blended word, which combines "man" and "explaining," was coined to describe the habit that some men have of explaining things in a condescending manner. 

Examples:

BLENDED WORD	ROOT WORD 1	ROOT WORD 2
agitprop	agitation	propaganda
bash	bat	mash
biopic	biography	picture
Breathalyzer	breath	analyzer
clash	clap	crash
docudrama	documentary	drama
electrocute	electricity	execute
emoticon	emotion	icon
Fanzine	fan	magazine
Frenemy	friend	enemy
Globish	global	English
infotainment	information	entertainment
Moped	motor	pedal
Pulsar	pulse	quasar
Sitcom	situation	comedy
sportscast	sports	broadcast
staycation	stay	vacation
telegenic	television	photogenic
workaholic	work	alcoholic

 

Using Definition Strategy to Get the Meaning of Blended Words

Sometimes a text directly states the definition or a restatement of the unknown word. The brief definition or restatement is signaled by a word or a punctuation mark. Consider the following example:

He encourages family members to use alphanumeric, or combination of letters and numbers, passwords with at least eight characters.

In this sentence, the word alphanumeric is defined by the phrase that follows the signal word or, which is combination of letters and numbers.

In other instances, the text may restate the meaning of the word in a different way, by using punctuation as a signal. Look at the following example:

It chops, blends, dices and purees, making dips, drinks and dinners in a spot that dominates the late-night infomercial- informative commercial.

Although informative commercial not a formal definition of the word infomercial, it does serve to define it.

These two examples use signals- the word or and the punctuation dashes- to indicate the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Other signals to look for are the words is, as, means, known as, and refers to.

Sources: Retrieved at https://www.thoughtco.com/blend-words-1689171

Retrieved at https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_writing-for-success/s08-06-using-context-clues.html

Get the Meaning of Words using Thesaurus |Chalk Talk PH

A thesaurus is a reference work that lists the synonyms and sometimes antonyms of words. Synonyms are words with similar meanings, and antonyms are words with opposite meanings. The word 'thesaurus' comes from Greek, and it means 'treasure,' so we can think of a thesaurus as a treasury of words that can help us better understand the meanings of those words and use them more effectively and efficiently in our writing.

The most common use of a thesaurus is to avoid word repetition, the potentially monotonous overuse of a term in writing or speech. Similarly, it is used to identify replacements for words that seem too common or dull, e.g., “see” might be replaced by “view.” The alternate vocabulary suggested by a thesaurus can be used to create texts that are more interesting because of the richer language that is used.

To illustrate how helpful this can be, consider the following example of a monotonous sentence; note how the vocabulary suggested by a thesaurus makes the subsequent revised version more interesting:

Original sentence: A thesaurus is used to find words that are interesting to use in place of other words and is used to make texts that are more interesting.

Revised with a thesaurus: A thesaurus is used to identify vocabulary that is interesting to utilize in place of other words and is employed to create texts that are more engaging.

            If you want to substitute a new word for one that you have used too much, simply look the word up in a thesaurus and find alternatives.

If you are using an online thesaurus, type your original word (or phrase) in the site’s search box. The results will include a list of alternative words with similar meanings. You will also see the word’s part(s) of speech and, in some cases, its definition and pronunciation. If the word has more than one part of speech, synonyms will be given for each of its functions. These synonyms are the alternatives that can be substituted in place of your original word or phrase.

Be careful! Sometimes the synonyms do not contain the same feeling or nuance as the original word. In order to make sure you are not using a word with a different feeling, do a "cross check" of the new word by checking its own definition to make sure it matches the feeling you want.

Whether you keep a printed copy on your desk, bookmark a website, or download an app to your smartphone, your writing will improve with frequent use of a thesaurus. In addition, you will learn new vocabulary in the process of looking up synonyms!

 

Thesaurus vs. dictionary

A thesaurus is used to group different words with the same meaning (synonyms) and similar words. On the other hand, a dictionary is meant to explain the definition of a word.

Example: looking up the word "computer"

Computer
Dictionary	Thesaurus
pronunciation: /kəmˈpyo͞odər/ part of speech: noun definition: an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.	PC CPU calculator abacus laptop

                                                                         

Sources: Retrieved at https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/t/thesauru.htm

Retrieved at https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-thesaurus-definition-use-history.html

Retrieved at http://myovient.com/business/self-study-business/how-to-use-a-thesaurus-to-become-a-better-writer-20072

Infer the Purpose of Visual Media |Chalk Talk PH

The Importance of Visual Media

A picture is worth 1,000 words, right? Wrong. Photographs, videos, GIFs, graphs and other forms of visual media are worth more, because without them, your 1,000 words may never be seen.

The integration of visual elements within articles, social media posts, web pages, newsletters, print materials, and other media formats is a sure way to capture the attention of consumers, make your content relatable and understandable to the consumer, and it allows information to be processed faster.

 

Why integrate visual media within your content and how you can get started?

CAPTURES ATTENTION

Picture this: You’re scrolling through Facebook, what makes you stop and look further into a post? Most likely, it’s the profile picture of an account you’re interested in, or the visual element they included in their post. Photographs break up the text on our feeds, guiding our eyes where to focus, and capturing our attention.

RELATABLE

Alright, now have you ever shared a video you saw scrolling through social media with a friend? If so, you’re not alone. The Interactive Advertising Bureau found that 95% of people say they share mobile video content with others. This is because visual media allows people to relate with the content. It may spark a memory or emotion in the viewer, and they are likely to remember the content much longer than a barren headline.

UNDERSTANDABLE

Visual media helps readers clarify and comprehend information because they are able to develop their own perception of the content and avoid misinterpretation. For example, a video of an interview would be more understandable than a written article because the viewers are able to see the subject’s body language and hear the intonations of their voice, where these details could be lost in a written article.

FAST

Did you know that humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text? In this fast-paced world, you are competing with millions of others for the attention of your target audience, so when you capture it, keep them engaged with content they can understand quickly.

 

How do you know what type of Visual Media to share?

This depends on what kind of content you have the budget for and permissions to use. Above all else, make sure that you have the rights to post the content and the permission of every individual/piece of art featured in the photo. Many companies use visual content created by their in-house employees, an agency, freelancers they work with, or they purchase it from stock companies like Envanto or Alamy. When deciding which piece of visual media is appropriate for your post, consider your brand budget, character, audience and the post’s content.

Research done on the communications industry is recognizing videos as “the biggest way to reach people today.” People may say that a photo is worth 1,000 words, but Forrester Research says that a 1-minute video is worth 1.8 million words. Videos are projected to make up 80% of consumer internet traffic in 2020 (Cisco), and 60% of people surveyed by MarTechSeries say they visit a publisher’s page or profile after viewing a social video, which is a key measurement used to evaluate campaigns.

However, don’t count photos out. The 2018 Industry Report by Social Media Examiner says 32% of marketers say visual images are the most important content for their business. Facebook Business advises that the strongest campaigns use a combination of static and moving imagery.

Examples:

 

John Ball Zoo on Twitter

The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids effectively incorporates photos on Twitter to engage with their audience. In this post, the photo catches attention and builds an emotional connection with the viewer. Scrolling through their timeline, one may notice the bonding between a child and its guardian, then desire the same for their own family or someone they know. They read that they can give these experiences as a gift and may click on the URL for more information, retweet it to their profile, favorite it, or comment/tag their friend. Boom. Successful and measurable engagement.

 

Target on Instagram

In this post, Target used a GIF to show a dog enjoying the holiday decorations while pushing a present around the room. This was a great visual media decision because it ties perfectly with the caption and brand character. The motion picture will catch user’s attention, then hold onto it for a few seconds because the GIF is on repeat, and who can resist watching a cute pup more than once?

 

Food Network on Facebook

The Food Network on Facebook provides a great example of when to incorporate video. In this post, they include a concise caption and a quick 1-minute video inspiring viewers to create a new version of the traditional gingerbread house, the “Candy Cane” house. Because this video showcases a simple activity that’s fun for children and adults, it encourages viewers to see more creative food activities by watching Holiday Baking Championship on Mondays at 9|8c. This video is also an effective use of visual media because it is purposeful when watched with or without the sound. Commonly, people will watch social media videos without the sound because they are in public or a quiet space. It is important to include text or subtitles so that the video remains captivating.

Next time you go to schedule your social media content or write a blog post, don’t forget the graphics! Every piece of visual media you share is an opportunity to catch your audience’s eye and build a stronger relationship with the viewer.

                                                                     

Sources: Retrieved at https://www.grand-pr.org/blog/the-importance-of-visual-media

Infer Meaning of Unfamiliar Affixed Words Using Word Parts |Chalk Talk PH

Root Word

A root word is a word or word part that can form the basis of new words through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Understanding the meanings of common roots can help you work out the meanings of new words as you encounter them.

Many of the words we use in our daily language come from a root word. Once you pull off any prefixes or suffixes, the root is usually what remains. For example, "egotist" has a root word of "ego" plus the suffix "-ist." "Acting" has the root word "act"; "-ing" is merely the suffix. In the examples of root words below, we'll examine the basic (root) word as well as its additions.

 

The Difference Between Base Words and Root Words

Root words come from Latin or Greek words. They can also be known as a "word root" or just a "root." While these may have been whole words in Latin and Greek, root words can't be used alone in English. For example, aud is a Latin root word that has to do with hearing. This is the root of common English words like auditorium, audio, and audition - all of which have to do with hearing someone or something. Aud doesn't mean anything on its own in English - that is, you can't use it as a stand-alone word - but understanding the meaning of the root makes it easier to figure out what the English words that use it mean.

Base words, on the other hand, are always words that can stand alone in English. These words have meaning on their own, but they can also have prefixes and suffixes added to them to make new words. For example, cycle is a full word in English, but it can also be added to, to make words like bicycle and cyclist. Cycle is the base word, or the simplest form of the word without any prefixes or suffixes added.

 

Prefixes

Prefixes are letters which we add to the beginning of a word to make a new word with a different meaning. Prefixes can, for example, create a new word opposite in meaning to the word the prefix is attached to. They can also make a word negative or express relations of time, place or manner. Here are some examples:

PREFIX	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE
anti-	against	anticlimax
de-	opposite	devalue
dis-	not; opposite of	discover
en-, em-	cause to	enact, empower
fore-	before; front of	foreshadow, forearm
in-, im-	in	income, impulse
in-, im-, il-, ir-	not	indirect, immoral,  illiterate, irreverent
inter-	between; among	interrupt
mid-	middle	midfield
mis-	wrongly	misspell
non-	not	nonviolent
over-	over; too much	overeat
pre-	before	preview
re-	again	rewrite
semi-	half; partly; not fully	semifinal
sub-	under	subway
super-	above; beyond	superhuman
trans-	across	transmit
un-	not; opposite of	unusual
under-	under; too little	underestimate

 

Suffixes

Suffixes are the letter/s which are added at the end of a stem to make new words. The affixes used in the suffixed words are different from the affixes used in the prefixed words, and they make different kinds of words. Most of the affixes that are used in the suffixed words have no meaning of their own.

SUFFIX	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE
-able, -ible	is; can be	affordable, sensible
-al, -ial	having characteristics of	universal, facial
-ed	past tense verbs; adjectives	the dog walked,  the walked dog
-en	made of	golden
-er, -or	one who;  person connected with	teacher, professor
-er	more	taller
-est	the most	tallest
-ful	full of	helpful
-ic	having characteristics of	poetic
-ing	verb forms; present participles	sleeping
-ion, -tion, -ation, -ition	act; process	submission, motion, relation, edition
-ity, -ty	state of	activity,society
-ive, -ative, -itive	adjective form of noun	active, comparative, sensitive
-less	without	hopeless
-ly	how something is	lovely
-ment	state of being; act of	contentment
-ness	state of; condition of	openness
-ous, -eous, -ious	having qualities of	riotous, courageous, gracious
-s, -es	more than one	trains, trenches
-y	characterized by	gloomy

 

Using Word Part Strategy to Get the Meaning of Affixed Words

One useful method for building vocabulary through word analysis; it is to first look at a root word and then look for familiar prefixes and suffixes that go with that base.

Let's try an example: the root word “struct-.” It comes from the Latin word meaning “build.” Any English word you hear containing “struct-” will relate to building, developing or creating something. By itself, “struct” is not a word, but it is the basis for more than 30 words in English. For example, the word “construct” is a verb that means “to build.” The prefix “con” means “together” or “with.” So, "construct" means to put things together to build or create something.

Adding suffixes to “struct-” creates additional words. For example, adding “-ion” in English makes verbs into nouns. When we add "-ion" to “construct," we get "construction," which means the process, or act, of building something.

Adding the suffix “-ing” to “construct” makes “constructing.” That is the gerund form and has a similar meaning as the noun "construction."

Adding the suffix “-ive” to make “constructive” gives us the adjective form, and means helpful in developing or improving something.

Now, let's build onto “constructive." Adding the suffix “ly” to "constructive" gives us the word “constructively” and produces an adverb. It means doing something in a way that is helpful.

There are many other words that the base word “struct” produces. For instance, “destruction” is the opposite of “construction.” "Destruction" is the act of taking apart or damaging something that was built. "Instruction" means the act of building knowledge and has a similar meaning to the gerund "teaching."

And, just like with "construct," you can add many suffixes to "destruct" or "instruct" to get several more words. The suffixes may include -ion, -ing, -ive, ing+ly or -ive+ly.

So, you see, by knowing just one root word – “struct-” – you can get a better idea of the meaning of at least 15 words in English.

                                                                          

Sources: Retrieved at https://www.readingrockets.org/article/root-words-roots-and-affixes

Retrieved at https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-root-words.html

Retrieved at https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/are-base-words-and-root-words-the-same.html

Retrieved at https://www.learngrammar.net/english-grammar/suffixes

Retrieved at https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/grow-your-vocabulary-by-learning-root-words/4113426.html