Getting Started

• Teach critical viewing
  In your classes as you watch films or TV shows that pertain to your subject area donít forget to spend time having students talk about the production values, the accuracy of the content, what the message is, who is the messenger, etc.



• Teach media literacy skills
  Just as teachers are concerned with reading and writing literacy they must also be concerned with helping students become media literate. We do a grave disservice to our students if we do not "arm" them with skills to decipher media messages and better understand the impact and power of the media. It is an essential life-long learning skill.

  See our page on Educator Resources




• Teach ALL ages and grades to be media literate
  In working with elementary schools on a media literacy/production project, presenters found that children as young as kindergarten wanted to talk about the media. In fact, they showed a hunger to discuss and make sense of what they were seeing and hearing on TV and in movies. Media literacy training should start in pre-school or at least in kindergarten to insure that our children become critical viewers and thinkers of media.



• Incorporate media literacy into your curriculum
  In most industrialized nations media literacy is a mandated curriculum in all K-12 schools. Canada has been teaching these skills for over 20 years. America is one of the only nations not addressing media literacy in a fundamental way.

  It can be incorporated in all subject areas and there are many excellent resources online for understanding the media and teaching media literacy.

  See our pages on Media Literacy and Lesson Plans




• Organize an after school media awareness club
  This is an excellent way to provide students with an opportunity to explore the media in many different ways. From viewing films from a critical point of view to creating a media critique column in the school newspaper, a club provides all kinds of learning opportunities in a fun setting.



• Talk to your librarians about providing media literacy resources



• Create video/media production project opportunities in the classroom
  This is an excellent way to teach the concepts of media literacy in a self-discovery, hands-on learning project. It also is a fun way for students to explore different content areas.