There is a saying about television that goes, "Love it or hate it, it's not going away." Now archdiocesan secondary teachers and catechists will have the opportunity to hone their skills at navigating the media culture from the faith perspective at the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City.
"This is a Master Teacher Certificate Program in Media Literacy," said Daughter of St. Paul Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. "I know that 'media literacy' sounds rather cerebral but I can assure you it is one of the most fascinating and relevant educational and faith formation specialties to have emerged in the last twenty years."
Sister Pacatte has an M.A. in Education in Media Studies from the University of London and has taught media literacy courses at the University of Dayton's Pastoral Communications Institute and currently facilitates online media courses for the university. She is the media/television columnist for St. Anthony Messenger magazine, and writes essays on film for The Tidings.
The aim of the certificate program is to train those who can in turn train others --- teachers, catechists, parents and youth --- to develop media awareness skills. "We also call media literacy 'media mindfulness'," explained Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Gretchen Hailer, a member of the teaching staff. "Mindfulness invites us to reflect on our media choices and the meaning of the media stories we experience."
Sisters Hailer and Pacatte have a resource book on media literacy coming out in March 2007 from St. Mary's Press entitled, "Media Mindfulness: Educating Teens about Media and Faith."
The certificate program consists in two courses: An Introduction to Media Literacy which is 36 hours long plus a viewing program and assessment project and Explorations into Media Learning, Theory, and Practice which is 15 hours of class time plus a viewing program and assessment project.
The certificate is recognized by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Department of Catholic Schools, said Father David Loftus, coordinator of Adult Education and Catechist Formation for the Archdiocese, as well as the Department of Religious Education for continuing education and recertification.
"We are very pleased to have this important media literacy program available for our teachers," said Father Loftus, "because the new National Directory for Catechesis calls for just this kind of training. It's timely and relevant."
The program is offering a complete scholarship to one bilingual teacher or catechist, said Sister Pacatte, "who will then be able to train our Spanish-speaking catechists and parents. The only requirements are that he or she be a certified catechist or secondary school teacher who is currently teaching or in an educational or pastoral leadership position, can commit to the entire program, and is willing to train others." Qualified persons who are bilingual can email Sister Pacatte at rpacatte@paulinemedia.com for a scholarship application.
Classes will be held at the Pauline Center for Media Studies, 3908 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, on the third Saturday of every month beginning Sept. 23 and continue through June, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The tuition is $275 per person and covers almost all materials as well as coffee breaks and snacks.
For information and a registration form, email pcms@paulinemedia.com or visit the Pauline Book & Media Center at the same address. A complete syllabus and registration form is available at www.paulinecenterformediastudies.org. |