What is Media Literacy?
To define media literacy, let’s first define media and literacy separately. Media is mass communication. Some forms of media include: newspapers, magazines, radio, television, photographs, and the internet. Media formats are constantly developing and changing. Literacy is simply the ability to read and write. Literacy is essential for students to understand the world around them. Media and literacy are both fundamental concepts in today’s education system. By combining the two terms, media literacy becomes the “ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of different forms and formats” (Baker, 2012, p. 13). These terms that are used to define media literacy are recognized by educators as part of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Bloom’s Taxonomy, similar to media literacy, incorporates higher order thinking. Media literacy involves critical thinking beyond traditional text. Media literacy is recognized as a skill set that all students need in order to succeed.
Media literacy has been around for decades, yet many educators fail to teach it. Educators do not understand what media literacy is and how and where to implement it into the curriculum. |
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Why Teach Media Literacy?
Media plays a large role in students’ lives. By teaching media literacy, students are given a voice. Media literacy skills are taught through five core concepts: authorship, format, audience, content, and purpose. It is critical for people to become media literate so they can “spot propaganda, question marketing, understand stereotypes, and identify their own biases as well as those of authors” (Baker, 2012, p. 14). Teaching media literacy is about teaching students how to think critically about the messages that they are subjected to on a daily basis. Media literacy is a hook for educators to get their students engaged in learning. It is an important starting point. Media literacy allows us to achieve a contemporary awareness of our world.
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Work Cited
Baker, F. W. (2012). Media literacy in the K-12 classroom. Washington: International Society for Technology in Education.
Business Europe. (n.d.) Banner Digital [Photograph]. Retrieved September 11, 2013 from
http://www.businesseurope.eu/Objects/14/Images/Banner-Digital.jpg
De Abreu, B. S. (2011). Media literacy, social networking, and the web 2.0 environment for the K-12 educator. New York: Peter Lang.
Safe School. (n.d.). [Photograph]. Retrieved September 11, 2013 from http://iel.immix.ca/safeandacceptingschools/images/Appendix/Media.png
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Bloom's taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4719
Youtube. (2013). What is media literacy? Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKlJOxwyMWU
Baker, F. W. (2012). Media literacy in the K-12 classroom. Washington: International Society for Technology in Education.
Business Europe. (n.d.) Banner Digital [Photograph]. Retrieved September 11, 2013 from
http://www.businesseurope.eu/Objects/14/Images/Banner-Digital.jpg
De Abreu, B. S. (2011). Media literacy, social networking, and the web 2.0 environment for the K-12 educator. New York: Peter Lang.
Safe School. (n.d.). [Photograph]. Retrieved September 11, 2013 from http://iel.immix.ca/safeandacceptingschools/images/Appendix/Media.png
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Bloom's taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4719
Youtube. (2013). What is media literacy? Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKlJOxwyMWU