Leesville plans to offer a new English class next school year for all grades called Cultural Media Literacy. Robert Phillips, an English 11 teacher at LRHS with a graduate’s degree in Film Studies, plans to teach the class.
According to the Wake County High School Program Planning Guide, students will “study forms of media that entertain, inform, and shape our society” through television, movies, video games, music, advertisements, news media, the Internet, and literature.
“There will be more of a focus on the intersection of media and culture. How culture is communicated through media, again, primarily via visual media,” said Phillips in an email interview.
Phillips has several interactive activities planned for the course. Discussions and seminars will dominate the class, and homework is minimal.
“The intention of the course, as I see it, is to make students active, thoughtful consumers of media rather than passive consumers,” said Phillips.
