Media Literacy-A Definition and (Rough) Road Map

In one of my earlier blog posts, I did some back-of-the-napkin math on just how much time we are spending online, and as a result, how many ads we are consuming every day. I framed that information based on internet use, and while spending more time on the internet might have streamlined the ability to take in ideas and advertisements, this is not a new human experience. The internet is far from the only form of media people can engage with (think radio, television, print, etc.)-it just happens to be the most common flavor for many in contemporary society. If we look at media as a complete idea, between the internet (and all the ways we can access it), TV, radio, print, etc., our engagement with media stretches far beyond the 6 hours per day I wrote about before. As this article from Statista states, estimates were made that by 2020, Americans would spend 13.5 hours per day engaging with some sort of media. This article breaks down the difference between digital and traditional media, and references over 8 hours per day spent on digital media, while traditional media use has fallen below 350 minutes (it does not give an exact number, but using 350 as the benchmark leads me to believe it is still over 300 minutes, or 5 hours per day). Even if we only budget seven hours for sleep, that means the average American spends less than four hours per day not engaging with some form of media! The sheer volume of time and brain voltage spent engaging with media means that it has a great potential to impact our lives, and that if we don’t understand safe and healthy ways to engage, there is a variety of dangers that we could find.

What I’m referring to, of course, is media literacy. Looking at dictionary.com, literacy has multiple meanings:

    -the quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write:

    -possession of education:

    -a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field:

Each of these definitions, I think, speaks to something important about media literacy. In order to be media literate, we must be able to both take in (used in place of reading, due to the variety of ways media can be presented) and put out (in place of write, for the same reason just noted) media. We must learn about what media is, its purpose, sources, influence, causes, results, etc. Finally, we must use our knowledge about media when engaging with it. And, especially knowing how much time our students will be engaging with media throughout their lives, we as schools and educators should have a clear plan for how and when media literacy will be consistently instituted through our students’ academic experiences.

The answer of how best to institute this knowledge and skills is one that I feel still has yet to find a clear answer. Indeed, for different age groups and subject areas, and even different geographic areas of the country, the answer might be slightly different. As I know I would not be able to cover everything, I think it best to focus my scope on how media literacy should play a role in my own classroom (junior high ELA and social studies).  Renee Hobbs, a media literacy expert, lays out five competencies that she feels every student should have, and I feel these are a great starting point. Hobbs’ five competencies (with quoted notes from the book site) are:

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Examples of activities related to media literacy for each of Hobbs' five competencies

-Access (“students need to be able to effectively locate and identify relevant information to the task or issue with which they are engaged.”)

• This is a great place for teachers to start-if students are going to understand media, they need to know where and how they can get trustworthy information. This speaks to the multimodality of information as well as research skills. I would say this is the one most commonly-instituted in schools (understandably so), as conducting research is something that students have been learning for decades.

• In the junior high classroom, this means teaching students how to conduct research, and the various ways in which information can be found. It mostly closely aligns with CCSS RI.7.1 and 7.2

-Analyze (“students need to be able examine the messages and information they receive from digital and media and analyze for the common components of rhetoric and communication”)

• It makes sense that, once students understand where they can get information from, the must be able to understand its purpose, validity, accuracy, etc. This I feel is another step that schools typically institute-teaching students to determine if a source is credible, looking at bias, relevancy, currency, etc.

• In the junior high classroom, this means teaching concepts like rhetorical appeals, source evaluation, and lateral reading. This aligns with CCSS SL.7.2 and RI.7.5-7.9

-Create (“students need to be able to not only effectively consume information, they also need to be able to be effective content creators in digital and media”)

• This is where students would apply what they have learned about media into their own creations. In other words, students would be able to create with a specific purpose and audience in mind. This is a step that I feel more schools are instituting now, having students not only think about evaluating content created by others, but also creating their own content. This makes sense in terms of gauging true understanding, especially in thinking about Bloom’s updated taxonomy, in which creation stands at the top level.

• In the junior high classroom, this would mean challenging students to create media in multiple modes, with a specific purpose and audience in mind. In ELA, this aligns with CCSS W.7.4 and SL.7.5

-Reflect (“students need to reflect on the digital and media messages they send and think about the effects of these on their lives”)

• Reflection grows out of the understanding of the impact of media messages on our own lives. This knowledge will then allow students to understand how their own messages can likewise impact others. Using Bloom’s taxonomy, this falls into the evaluating level, another one of the highest levels of thought. I feel as though this is something that I at least have not worked with students on as much-they may work on evaluating messages others have created in media, but not as much their own.

• In the junior high classroom, this could work in tandem with the focus on creation, where students are taught to be critical consumers of the work of others, and themselves. This aligns with ELA CCSS SL 7.2 and 3

-Act (“students need to engage in using digital and media in solving problems and at the same time take advantage of global connectivity. Because the 21st century world is a much smaller place, our students need to be able to "act" using their digital and media skills.”

• This would be the act that culminates the complete understanding for media literacy. Once students can create media, and then reflect upon its purpose, message, and impact, they can apply their knowledge in order to become a responsible, impactful member of a global society. In other words, this is how students can create for a specific purpose, understanding how their membership in a global community can be used to its greatest extent.

• In the junior high classroom, this could be incorporated in some sort of summative/capstone project, where students are tasked to address a specific issue, concern, question, etc. relevant to their own lives or to the world in general. This would align with prior standards discussed, as well as W.7.1-3 and W.7.6

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Bloom's Taxonomy can help represent the progression of skills related to media literacy, just as it can be used in other academic disciplines

While there might be other aspects of media literacy that schools and teachers might want to incorporate, this progression and collection of skills could serve as a strong building block. All five are relevant, but in my experience many schools might have one or more that does not yet have a strong place in their curriculum. The other note I think must be added, is that while I approached this post from the lens of language arts and how it can align with standards (knowing how much of a focus standards-alignment is in schools today), the reality is true media literacy, just like reading and writing, should not and can not be limited to the purview of just one discipline. Media will come to students in all types of forms and about all types of subjects-in order for them to be as literate as possible, they must understand how these skills transcend across a variety of settings and experiences. This would be the best reflection of true mastery.