What is Media Literacy?
Digital Literacy Skills defines Media literacy as “a framework to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms, build an understanding of the role of media in society, as well as [develop] the essential skills of inquiry and self-expression.”
Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict; why does this happen?
Since the boom of information over the last 30 years, education is more accessible than ever. Although there are now so many sources and educators, it can be hard to determine what is truly valuable. This week we listen to Julie Smith, a communication professor at Webster University in St.Louis with over 15 years of experience in the field.
Julie Smith echos this and believes that there is “so much information out there it’s impossible to figure out what’s really meaningful and valid”. Smith references her latest book, ‘Master the Media, on how to navigate media literacy. Reminding students to ask the following questions about media; Who’s the sender? What’s their motive/intent? How is it created? Who profits? What information is left out? Who’s the target audience? (Smith)
What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?
Having a PLN greatly benefits your media literacy. Julie Smith shares her love of Twitter, laughing “it exposed me to media literate people and I steal ideas from them all the time!” It is so invaluable, Smith can’t even compare it to a dollar amount. Sharing your experience allows for a different perspective and willingness to share new ideas.
References:
Heyjuliesmith. (2022, October 4). Who is Julie Smith? Julie Smith. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://heyjuliesmith.com/about-me/
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2012). 21St Century skills: Learning for life in our Times. Jossey-Bass.
Miller, J & Smith, J. (2021, June 6). EDCI 338 – Media Literacy with Julie Smith. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0
Leave a Reply