Media Literacy Starts With Students
Five Resources to Aid Media Literacy Education
This week, October 26 to 30, we celebrate Media Literacy Week. Hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), Media Literacy Week works to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education all across the country.
Media literacy is becoming increasingly important in today’s society as media is primarily created and consumed online. Equipping students with the skills they need to be smart consumers of information helps shape them into strong digital citizens capable of evaluating resources for objectivity and participating in safe and healthy digital conversations. To celebrate Media Literacy Week and to support educators as they promote these important skills, we have compiled a collection of educational resources below.
Learn About The Core Principles of Media Literacy Education
Media literacy highlights the importance of accessing, analyzing, evaluating, creating, and acting in all forms of communication. According to the NAMLE, media literacy “builds upon the foundation of traditional literacy and offers new forms of reading and writing. Media literacy empowers people to be critical thinkers and makers, effective communicators and active citizens.”
Understand Why Media Literacy is an Important 21st Century Skill
Media Literacy helps students develop the skills they need to evaluate and consume media. It allows them to determine the credibility of media and safely participate in online conversations. In addition, it encourages strong digital citizenship and proactivism.
Evaluate the Credibility of Digital Content
How do you discern the difference between a credible source and media bias? Critical thinking and close reading are key. See below for ISTE’s top resources for evaluating media.
Encourage Digital Citizenship
Media literacy is one aspect of what it means to be a digital citizen. Digital citizenship encompasses the responsible use of computers, the Internet, and digital devices to engage with society. Digital citizenship is an essential skill in today’s technology-dominated world, and helps students develop smart online behavior.
Incorporate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Media literacy and digital citizenship touch on many of CASEL’s core SEL competencies, including social awareness and responsible decision-making. In the below article, coauthors and media education experts Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins connect media ethics to each of CASEL’s key competencies, while providing strategies for teachers interested in introducing media literacy into their instruction.
