Teaching Media Literacy

Though media literacy and information literacy are intertwined, there are important differences; and there has never been a more urgent need for an incisive examination of the crucial role librarians and other educators can play in teaching the skills necessary to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages emanating from television, movies, radio, the internet, news outlets, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media. In this book, international expert De Abreu melds advice from a diverse array of practitioners and subject experts with her own research findings to examine how consuming media and technology impacts the learning of K12 students, tackling such paramount issues as fake news/alternative facts; critical thinking digital literacy and digital citizenship; social inclusion and equity; global interconnectivity; and social justice and advocacy. Inside, readers will find a wealth of intelligently crafted, ready-to-use lesson plans and activities designed to help promote critical thinking skills for K-12 students, making this a perfect teaching resource for school and public librarians, educators, and literacy instructors. Each group of lesson plans is prefaced by a well-informed and insightful discussion of the concept at hand along with guidance on how to best use the lesson plans, which can be freely adapted to any setting.