Link Roundup: Media Literacy
Media — it’s inescapable. Heck, you’re engaging with media just by reading this blog post. With media being so ubiquitous, students need to learn to better discern what they see online. In doing so, they develop what’s known as media literacy.
Media literacy isn’t a new idea, although its shape has changed over time. It’s been transformed by technologies such as Web 2.0, social media and, now, AI. Telling real from fake is becoming more of a challenge, and with digital media affecting people at a broader scale, media literacy skills are a necessity.
Media literacy interrogates what a piece of media is and where it came from. This might include not just looking for AI hallucinations, but also doing lateral reading to better understand the possible biases in a work’s authorship. The way media literacy is taught has shifted alongside the modern media landscape.
Librarians have long led the charge in championing media literacy, but in addition to their teaching, how can you help your students learn how to practice better media literacy? Check out the links below with lessons, videos and more.
“News and Media Literacy 101” by Common Sense Education
Common Sense Education is a nonprofit that explores the digital web that enmeshes students’ lives, whether that’s media, technology or otherwise. Their digital citizenship resources have been highlighted on this blog before, and for good reason: they offer lesson plans and resources aplenty for both younger and older students, with the high-school resources being useful for college students as well. This page offers a selection of media literacy lessons through the lens of news. Lessons include everything from filter bubbles to the ethics of AI plagiarism.
“Media Literacy” by Crash Course
In this YouTube playlist shared by educational juggernaut Crash Course, students will learn what media literacy is as well as how it connects with money, influence and commerce. Videos hover around the 10-minute mark and are suitable for a wide range of ages. Although the series was created in 2018 and thus does not touch on 2020s-era social media or the rise of AI, much of what is shared early on has evergreen potential, given how money and power will always enact influence on media.
Resources from the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
An educational nonprofit, NAMLE was created to support media literacy education in the United States and beyond. They define media literacy as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication” and encourage educators to see media literacy as interdisciplinary. Each subject area is affected by the interpretations of its media, and NAMLE’s site offers resources to make this fun, such as introducing Media Monsters or using Roblox to help students think twice about the media they encounter.
The “Media Literacy” Tag on Edutopia
Edutopia, a mega-blog focusing on education in all its aspects, has a robust media literacy tag. Many of the posts on this tag align with resources on digital citizenship, but with the way that media influences behavior and bleeds into everyday life, it makes sense to connect the two ideas. Since the blog is frequently updated, you’ll often find emergent ideas here, as well as ways to connect educational technology and educational theory.
(P.S.: Looking for more ideas? Ask your friendly neighborhood librarian!)
About the blogger:
Jesika Brooks
Jesika Brooks is an editor and bookworm with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. A lifelong learner herself, she has always been fascinated by the intersection of education and technology. She edits the Tech-Based Teaching blog (and always wants to hear from new voices!).
