Whose responsibility is it to teach digital and media literacy skills?

By: Tracy Centracchio, BSN, RN July 25,2021

Digital and media literacy skills are integral to the 21st century student.  But who should teach these skills? Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of forms (“Media literacy basics,” n.d.). This skill is vital to 21st century learning as our students are being bombarded with media messages. 

Our educational system is being challenged to reconcile the skills and objectives to meet the needs of a changing fabric of education.  21st century students often fall short for traditional literacy assessments, yet these same students have an exhaustive set of knowledge that is not being assessed (Young & Daunic, 2012, p. 70). Students no longer simply need to read and write on paper but need to be accomplished in downloading, chatting, blogging, Skyping, and more (“Bringing digital literacy to the classroom,” n.d.).  Pre COVID, students were spending 6-9 hours a day engaged with digital media (“Media use by Tweens and teens: Infographic,” n.d.).  Teaching students  to be responsible users of technology and critical consumers of the media they encounter needs to be top priority.

So whose job is it? 

The parent’s job? Some experts suggest that parents need to consider their role as one of a “media mentor,” a trusted adult who engages with children to use technology beyond gaming. The hope is that this would develop a healthy conversation between parent and child as well as a healthy attitude about media and technology(“Children and digital media: Rethinking parent roles,” 2017). 

The general classroom teacher? General classroom teachers need to integrate digital media literacy in all they are doing in the classroom. The classroom offers great opportunities to engage learners in discussions and content creation where they can be guided and encouraged to explore. There is a natural  flow to use digital and media lessons in the context of the classroom curriculum. Yet this is a significant added responsibility for the general classroom teacher whose job is already overwhelming at times. 

A specialized teacher? Some schools are moving toward having a digital media specialist who plans either workshop type education or full semester long classes. This offers an expert as the authority. Sabine Gysi promotes Henning Mueller’s view that “Media literacy is a tool, not a subject in the education canon.” in her blog BOLD (Gysi, 2018). She contends that digital media literacy needs to be integrated rather than taught as a separate subject.

Return next week to consider how to equip the adults in the room to train the children.

Recommended  resources: 

• Media Use and Teens
• Media Literacy Basics
• Parenting and social media

References

Bringing digital literacy to the classroom. (n.d.). International Literacy Association. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog%2Fliteracy-now%2F2016%2F11%2F01%2Fadding-students-and-teachers-back-into-data-driven-schools

Children and digital media: Rethinking parent roles. (2017, August 23). Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/children-and-digital-media-rethinking-parent-roles

Gysi, S. (2018, August 20). “Media literacy is a tool, not a subject in the educational Canon”. BOLD. https://bold.expert/media-literacy-tool-not-a-subject-educational-canon/

Media literacy basics. (n.d.). U.S. Media Literacy Week. https://medialiteracyweek.us/resources/media-literacy-basics/

Media use by Tweens and teens: Infographic. (n.d.). Common Sense Media: Age-Based Media Reviews for Families. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-infographic

Scheibe, C., & Rogow, F. (2011). The Teacher’s guide to media literacy: Critical thinking in a multimedia world. Corwin Press.

Why all 21st-century educators must teach media literacy & how. (n.d.). South Carolina ETV. https://www.scetv.org/stories/2020/why-all-21st-century-educators-must-teach-media-literacy-how

Young, J. S., & Daunic, R. (2012). Linking Learning: Connecting Traditional and Media Literacies in 21st Century Learning. Journal of media literacy, 4(1), 70-81.

Digital Media Literacy: Mind mapping as a tool for learning

I knew very little about digital and media literacy when I registered for a Digital and Media Literacy class. My initial mind map was simple since what I knew was limited. I knew teachers need to instruct on the use of these digital and media tools in the classroom. They need to focus on being good digital citizens and using the tools well for learning. I created my mind map using Bubbl.us, a digital mind mapping tool I had used in my class when teaching about human anatomy.

Original Mind Map

After 5 weeks in Digital and Media Literacy class I have realised that this topic goes far deeper than I anticipated. The scope for who teaches this content extends beyond the teachers to parents, families and community as well. There is extensive opportunity for participatory media where students interact with and create content. This makes classroom lessons more engaging and interactive. The aspect of online community in social media is pervasive in the generation of our students and there are many benefits as well as risks to this reality. Teaching students to identify and consider the impact of the voice behind the message is vital to having a healthy digital life.

Updated Mindmap

Mind mapping is a great tool for identifying connections between information. I had not considered using it to identify growth over the course of unit. I found it really helpful to assist in articulating the things I have learned in the last 5 weeks.

As I enter in the classroom again for 2021-2022 I have a fresh perspective on the use of digital media in my classroom as well as a framework for instructing on it’s use.

Questions to consider: What other mind mapping apps/sites have you used? What age or content area would work best with these?

Here is a thought provoking article on using mind mapping to set goals. It is a great beginning of the year activity for a class.

References:

LLC, L. (n.d.). Mind mapping online. Mind Mapping Online – Bubbl.us. https://bubbl.us/mindmaps

Scheibe, C., & Rogow, F. (2012). The teacher’s guide to media literacy: Critical thinking in a multimedia world. Corwin.

SMART goals in a mind map. (2018, February 12). SimpleMind. https://simplemind.eu/how-to-mind-map/examples/goals/

Is That App Sus or Fire? Helping parents navigate the social media world

My 20 year old daughter recently started categorizing all things as “sus” ( short for suspicious meaning, “That’s a questionable choice mom.”) or “fire” ( urban slang meaning excellent or success, though it apparently means ‘ high quality weed’ in hip hop circles but I will choose to believe my daughter is using it in the previous context.).  The digital world changes so rapidly that one day a social media app is fire and the next day it’s sus.  Anyone used that My Space account recently? Anyone? 

Here is a summary of the most popular social media apps (today) and some risks parents should be aware of.

Snapchat: Most popular app for communicating with peers. Messages disappear in a few seconds after viewing. Users can send pictures and add filters

Parent tip:  There are often enticing news clips to click on that are highly sexualized.

Instagram Most popular app for community building and showcasing artistic photos

Parent Tip: Photos default to “public” settings unless set otherwise.

Tik tok Most popular app for sharing short performance videos 

Parent Tip: Comments are open and not everyone is kind. 

Discord Most popular communication space for gamers.

Parent tip: An equal number of adults use this app so language can be mature.

WhatsApp Most popular for communicating  internationally or when you do not have a data plan on your phone.

Parent tip: App company can be pushy and coerce students to add all their contacts

Process with Caution!

As with all technology, there is the potential for unwelcome messages and unintended viewing of material. The apps that have location trackers can be particularly dangerous for younger children. Here are a few apps that have reported frequent security breaches: Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp Messenger, and Pokemon GO

Our kids live in a digital world. As parents we need to do our best to stay engaged. we need to be knowledgeable of the risks and pitfalls to help our kids navigate these hazards. Do you have an account with each of the above apps? If not, you should consider getting one right now!

Do you have any other tips you would like to share with parents to encourage safe social media use by children?

Many of these apps have an age limit for accepting new users.  What are your thoughts on these age limits? 

Further resources of interest: 

Top 18 Apps for Teens

20 Most Dangerous Apps

References

18 social media apps and sites kids are using right now. (2019, June 6). Common Sense Media: Age-Based Media Reviews for Families. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/16-apps-and-websites-kids-are-heading-to-after-facebook

John P. Mello Jr. (2018, January 30). 20 most dangerous mobile apps: How to best mitigate the risk. TechBeacon. https://techbeacon.com/security/20-most-dangerous-mobile-apps-how-best-mitigate-risk

How does a Gen x mom teach a Gen Z kid to navigate participatory media?

In 1981, my Saturdays were spent choreographing a dance routine to the latest Olivia Newton-John song with my bff in our basement, in preparation for the live performance that evening before our 4 ½ fans (my 5 yr old brother only gets a half credit).  In my basement this weekend, 40 years later, my nieces mimicked a dance routine from Youtube and posted the recording on TikTok. They instantly had 40+ likes and even more views from people they have never met, presumably from around the world.   While my friend and I sought to demonstrate our enormous dance talent by creating a dance like none before us, my nieces were content mimicking a dance, as their motivation was the social community response to the post. There is a massive shift in our culture from individual expression to community involvement (Jenkins, 2009). This shift is called “participatory media culture” and it is our jobs to help our teens be literate in it. 

TikTok dance videos gone viral

As a mom I have often felt like I am walking through parenting with a blindfold on.  This is especially true when it comes to technology and digital media. I have mastered potty training and the terrible 2’s, algebra homework and girl drama.  So what makes training teens to successfully navigate the participatory media culture of today so difficult for us Gen x-ers?

1. The inner mama-bear

There is nothing that gets a mom more riled up than feeling like someone is hurting her cubs.  We hear all sorts of horror stories of misuse of technology ranging from cyber bullying to screen addiction. It’s terrifying to think our babies could be facing this type of silent harm and we may never know about. The fear of participatory media is real for parents. We will do anything to protect our babies.

2. Teens are ALWAYS right

When it comes to media, it is highly likely that your teen knows more than you. 69% teens use snapchat while < 21.5% of adults use this communication app. On average, teens spend 9 hours a day online enabling them to develop a strong skill set for media use. It’s tempting for adults to shy away from teaching about what we don’t understand. When it comes to digital and social media, we often don’t know, what we don’t know. Plus they don’t usually think we have anything to teach them.

3. “You have a friend request”

The quest for more followers and friends is a daily part of teen’s lives. Unlike the sports team or the cast of the high school musical, an entire community is created that parents have no contact with and no ability to interact with. Social interaction happens in virtual communities with little accountability and little ability for parental supervision or influence. Limited access to the community poses an interesting challenge to parents.

4. Now you see me, now you don’t!

It’s a normal developmental part of adolescence to desire privacy and seek independence. So while my parents were able to quietly observe my interactions with my peers during a party in the basement, it is often impossible to observe teens’ interactions with their peeps on social media.  Whether this is because the Snaps instantly disappear or they have a top secret Finsta account, teens know how to avoid the parental sleuth. It takes much more intentionality on our part. Walking the ethical fine line between respecting privacy and monitoring online safety is very challenging. 

These are just some of the reasons we have our work cut out for us in training Gen Z to be literate in the participatory culture of media that they experience everyday. 

So where should we start? Here are some tips for teaching about participatory media use in your home: 

1. Invest in core literacy of reading and writing. These are basic skills are vital to digital and media literacy as well. 
2. Teens need to be accomplished researchers. Help them know the steps to understanding if information communicated online is accurate. 
3. Establish clear boundaries for media use while empowering exploration. The opportunity to practice supervised media use is invaluable. 
4. Teach children how to communicate online and with whom. 

Here’s another  ten tips for talking to your child about their use of social media and the internet.

What other tips do you have to share about teaching kids about participatory media? Are there any lessons you have learned the hard way you would be willing to share? Things you tried that worked really well?

References : 

Jenkins, H. (2009). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.