Media literacy is an extremely important skill to have and as an educator, it is my job to teach students how to develop and strengthen their media literacy. According to Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel, media literacy allows students to “understand how to best apply the media resources available for learning, and to use media creation tools to create compelling and effective communication products such as videos, audio podcasts, and Web sites” (2009). Media literacy is extremely important because, in the “age of knowledge” as Trilling and Fadel refer to it, people are being overexposed to information which can create a cognitive overload resulting in no information being processed, and can also lead to misinformation being consumed. In fact, this is such an important skill to have that it can be implemented into all three core competencies of the B.C. curriculum. 

The first core competency is Communication. Much of our communication in the 21st century involves technology. The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in online communication and professionalism becoming a required skill to have a job. Just as we learnt how to behave in the classroom in schools, students are being taught about how to behave in Zoom meetings. In order to fulfill the communication competency students should know how to communicate information effectively online, and how to build and maintain professional online relationships. 

The second core competency is Thinking. It is split into two interrelated sub-competencies, creative thinking and critical and reflective thinking. Media literacy falls under both of these. Technology and media have loads of capacity for creativity, you just need to understand how to use the resources efficiently and effectively. In order to get students to tap into their creative sides, educators should be able to teach students about resources like Twine, Procreate, Coolors, Screencasting, and so many more. Students should both be taught how to work efficiently with these tools, but also be offered the time to explore the tools for themselves and learn how they best work with these tools. Media literacy and critical thinking go hand in hand. Students need to understand that no text is neutral. Everything they see on the internet has an author and it has a purpose. Critical thinking skills will allow students to ask questions like Who is posting this? What is their source? Do they have a bias? What perspective are they coming from? Do more people think this, if so do they have anything in common? These lines of questions are often taught in English classes when analyzing a text, however students need to start incorporating these skills into their daily lives as texts are constantly all around them. 

The third core competency is Personal and Social. It is split into three interrelated sub-competencies, personal awareness and responsibility, positive personal and cultural identity, and social awareness and responsibility. This is where students are learning the more subtle skills they might not necessarily pick up on or categorize as learning. These are things like learning Zoom etiquette through observing others or drafting school / work-appropriate emails and texts. Students should also be taught about how media affects their personal lives in regards to targeted ads, cookies, having an online image, and many other nuances. Students have a responsibility to themselves, and to their community to only share information they believe to be true and to not spread misinformation. Being personally and socially aware also means being able to stand up for yourself and others, so understanding the exchange of information that happens when you sign up for things. Something as benign as Google Classroom can take students to search history once the teacher has accepted the terms and agreements. 

Overall, media literacy is a very important skill for educators to be teaching their students. If we do not, we are not successfully following the core competencies. Students need to be taught the skills they will need in a life that is saturated with information. 

Source:

21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times

Bernie Trilling; Charles Fadel