Media Literacy: Learning to Interpret the Message

This article was contributed by Nancy Wadin, Sunny Hill Elementary Teacher Librarian, with contributions from the Barrington 220 Elementary Teacher Librarians.

“The purpose of media literacy education is to help individuals of all ages develop the necessary habits of inquiry and skills of expression to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today’s world. Our goal with teaching Media Literacy isn't to get kids to unplug; it's to help them make informed choices, understand the difference between truth and lies, and discern perception from reality.” (Julie Smith, 2015)

Every day, our children are inundated with media messages from television, radio, online games, videos, websites, images, music, social media, and more. Regardless of the medium used, a message was created by someone with a purpose in mind. The function of Media Literacy is to understand that purpose and to develop critical thinking skills about the information, images, and text that we consume and create. This proficiency is particularly relevant to our elementary students, because the media they view is increasingly shaping how they construct reality. Our students are also beginning to create their own messages, and they need to be aware of the impact of those messages on others.

Media Literacy involves critical thinking along several paths:

• digital literacy (interpreting online text)
• visual literacy (examining images)
• news literacy (discerning fact from distortion)
• information literacy (finding information and using it effectively)
• Digital Citizenship (engaging in safe and responsible technology use)

Media Literacy is not meant to be media bashing. Media are simply tools that deliver content, and active inquiry of that media develops reflective, informed citizens. Because we all spend so much time with media, it makes sense to be skilled in studying and analyzing its content. Schools have always taught children how to recognize point of view and understand an author’s purpose in print materials; now, these lessons are simply expanding to include digital texts, websites, and advertisements.

Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org), an organization dedicated to helping parents and teachers navigate the digital landscape, suggests that the foundation of this training is encouraging children to question what they see and hear on their devices. Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise, tells us we must mentor our children on their digital devices, not simply monitor them. We can mentor children by asking them questions and teaching them to critically view the media they consume. However, when we consider the amount of media children are exposed to, both monitoring and mentoring are essential.

YouTube is one of the easiest places for our children to go for media content. Although it can be a wonderful learning tool, it also transmits its fair share of inappropriate messages. Google offers an app geared to younger children, YouTube Kids, but curation of videos is done by computer algorithms and user reviews, so it is not infallible. The constant flow of new and potentially inappropriate content makes it essential that parents stay involved and diligent -- just as with any media product that contains advertising or user-created content (Common Sense Media review). This presents another opportunity to model critical thought processes with children.

5 Essential Media Literacy Questions for Kids

At Barrington 220, at the elementary level, students are directed to sources of information that are credible and authenticated through the research tools and subscriptions found on the Elementary Launchpad. These resources, curated by teachers, librarians, and field experts, provide a baseline for authoritative, objective information. As students grow beyond these resources and explore further independently, it is vital that they become critical consumers of information, so we are teaching them to examine information with questions in mind. By asking questions of media they consume, they can also begin to recognize their responsibility in the creation of their own content to convey the message they wish to send, and understand the impact that their messages have on others.

The Elementary Launchpad is located on the Student Drop-down menu.

The evaluation and analytical skills necessary to examine media messages are recommended by the American Association of School Libraries and the Common Core Standards.

AASL Framework presents these competencies:

• Learners gather information appropriate to the task by systematically questioning and assessing the validity and accuracy of information. (IV.B.3)
• Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by reflecting and questioning assumptions and possible misconceptions. (V.A.2)
• Learners follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by evaluating information for accuracy, validity, social and cultural context, and appropriateness for need. (VI.A.3)

In addition, Media Literacy, while not specifically identified in the Common Core Anchor Standards, is represented in the language of those standards.

• Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.8)
• Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7)

Media Literacy is defined as the ability to view all types of media though a critical lens. It is a vital skill for our students as consumers and as learners. Educators are seeking to create an internalized method of critical thinking that allows students to analyze the messages that surround them. Additionally, having children create their own media not only teaches them how media is created, but also shows them that they have the ability (and responsibility) to contribute accurate information to the digital world. Cultivating our awareness of the underlying implications of media messages is an essential skill in the digital age. Reflective analysis of media messages will emerge as parents and teachers model and reinforce these evaluative techniques as we view media with children.


References

Common Sense Education. 5 Essential Media Literacy Questions for Kids. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48IZj2Kp57s&t=1s.

Common Sense Media. “What is Media Literacy and Why is it Important?” https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important, accessed December 28, 2018.

Heitner, D. (2017) Screenwise: helping kids thrive (and survive) in their digital world. Brookline: Bibliomotion.

Kievlan, P. M. (2015). YouTube Kids [Review of the software YouTube Kids]. Retrieved from Common Sense Media website: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/youtube-kids.

National Association for Media Literacy Education. (2007, November). Core principles of media literacy education in the United States. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from http://namle.net/publications/core-principles.

Smith, J. (2015) Mastering the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-in World. San Diego: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.