74-76 Students today need to develop both skills and understanding in core subjects, and we need to provide opportunities for all students to meet exacting academic standards in a radically changing world. The Council for Basic Education advocates for students to master core, or generative, subjects, which then form a gateway to high student achievement. Creating academic standards, holding high expectations for all students, and providing opportunities for students to meet standards in core subject areas can ensure that students in a democratic society have the opportunity to succeed on the job and in life. Ensuring high teacher qualifications is essential in holding schools accountable to this task. The media studies program at Inaburra School in suburban Sydney provides a real, hands-on experience for students.
Authenticity is a key principle.
They get to experience the decision-making processes that shape the selection of the images, sounds and words that will seek their attention for most of their waking hours, and are evaluated not only for their skill and knowledge but also for their understanding of the media's role in serving or disserving human understanding, and its power and responsibility thereof. By the time they complete the program, the students will have operated advanced equipment, considered what will and will not be presented in their projects, evaluated their own and their peers' work, presented research results to the class, and produced live media events for various audiences. The Many Rewards of a Literacy-Rich Classroom David K. Dickinson and Lori Lyman DiGisi March 1998. This article reports on the findings of an ongoing study being conducted by the Education Development Center, Inc., and Harvard University to determine the answer. Using various assessments in kindergarten and 1st grade, they found that children who had multiple opportunities for reading and writing scored higher in reading achievement.