Media Literacy as Mindful Practice for Democratic Education. A Response to “Transaction Circles with Digital Texts as a Foundation for Democratic Practices”

Authors

Theresa Redmond, Appalachian State UniversityFollow

Abstract

This essay is a response to Brown’s (2015) article describing her strategy of transaction circles as a student-centered, culturally responsive, and democratic literacy practice. In my response, I provide further evidence from the field of media literacy education (MLE) that serves to enhance Brown’s argument for using transaction circles in order to promote democratic discourse, specifically augmenting her ideas by connecting the purposes and processes of transaction circles with key implications of media literacy pedagogy. I invite Brown to consider how her concept of transaction circles may be extended in three ways: (a) through acknowledging the indispensable role of the teacher, not the media or technology, in cultivating powerful learning opportunities for students; (b) through the inclusion of the broader contexts of message construction, language, ownership, and dissemination as part of critical media literacy; and (3) through the integration of media production as an essential aspect of media literacy. I conclude by proposing new questions related to critical media literacy education.

Response to Article

Sally Brown, Transaction Circles with Digital Texts as a Foundation for Democratic Practices

Recommended Citation

Redmond, T. (2016). Media Literacy as Mindful Practice for Democratic Education. A Response to “Transaction Circles with Digital Texts as a Foundation for Democratic Practices”. Democracy and Education, 24 (2), Article 12.
Available at: https://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol24/iss2/12