This week is Media Literacy Week! We’ve come a long way since Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, “The medium is the message.” Today, media literacy (closely connected to digital literacy) teaches people to apply critical thinking to media messages and to use media to create their own messages. According to Media Literacy Now, media literacy is the ability to:

• decode media messages (including the systems in which they exist)
• assess the influence of those messages on thoughts, feelings and behaviours
• create media thoughtfully and conscientiously

MediaSmarts is a Canadian organization focused on digital and media literacy. Their website offers a lot of great material as well as tips to incorporate media literacy into your teaching. For example, you can exploit teachable moments. When students talk about the media they consume, it’s a great opportunity for further analysis. They also suggest teaching about media, not just with media. When you’re using media to teach, look for opportunities to teach about that media. Check out the video below for an introduction to their services and resources.

Don’t forget to check out MediaSmart’s great list of media literacy week events happening this week so that you can learn more and get involved.

Resources For Media Literacy Week and Beyond

• Association for Media Literacy
• BC’s Digital Literacy Framework
• Break the Fake
• Can you tell if an online story is true?
• Common sense media: News and Media Literacy
• MediaSmarts – the website also includes helpful resources for teachers.
• Media Literacy Now: Resources for Educators & Librarians
• PBS LearningMedia: News and Media Literacy