Voices of Media Literacy: International Pioneers Speak : Chris Worsnop Interview Transcript
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CHRIS WORSNOP
DATE OF INTERVIEW: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011
INTERVIEWER: TESSA JOLLS
(Quote)
Modern culture is no longer exclusively print-based. I insist on that word “exclusively”. It’s still very much print-based, but in the 19th century when a lot of our educational institutions were formed, and our institutional assumptions were created, our culture was almost exclusively print-based and it made sense for our education to be print-based. But that doesn’t make sense anymore.
It hasn’t made sense for quite a long time. I reckon any culture that wants to thrive should really educate its children and its young people within the culture that they exist. They should be encouraged to swim in the water that actually forms their culture rather than look backwards; some would call it the rear view mirror, after McLuhan, looking back to the ancient Greek and Roman culture, plays from the 17th century or the novels of the 19th century. As a footnote here, I am really enjoying reading all of these again now, but I rarely enjoyed or understood or appreciated them as much as I should have when I was young.
BIOGRAPHY OF CHRIS WORSNOP
Chris Worsnop is now running a weekly film program at the local Cobourg Ontario library, and chairing the committee for the Marie Dressler Foundation Vintage Film Festival. He is author of two books, Screening Images: Ideas for Media Education (2nd edition, 1999) and Assessing Media Work: Authentic Assessment in Media Education (1996). His background is in high school teaching and K-12 curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation in English language arts, drama, and media education.
Selected Questions:
Why did you become involved in media education?
How far do you think the field has come?
Do you feel like the field has moved in a direction you would hope to see?
Have there been surprises for you along the way when you think about the development of the field and looking back, what surprised you?
What would you like to see happen?
For complete text of interview go to PDF