– What is media literacy?
Media literacy is the ability to understand, interpret, and create media posts fluently. All most all of society utilize some sort of media in their every day life. However, the media literacy of individuals is very diverse.
– Why is it important?
The ability to understand, interpret, and create media posts fluently is very important because it is the way of the world we live in now. Especially since the pandemic has shown us how we can still be productive and protect our nation by being online. That is why we need to teach the skills needed to be critical thinkers, aware of bias of theirs and the others, and to be able to create their own media posts for people to understand.
– Why is it dismissed?
Change is hard! Our ever changing society has changed very quickly in the last century in comparison to the past. So with that there is an overwhelming amount of the new way of doing things. Learning, not understanding, being fearful, and waiting to observe the outcome are all reasons why media literacy is dismissed. If you don’t know where to start to learn how can you possibly understand the importance of learning how to be media literate. People are still able to go about their daily lives without using all of the benefits to using media to save time, observe diversities, and connect to others.
Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?
The importance of having a variety of views in a factual consensus allows you to share different perspectives that your own bias, beliefs, and values block you from fully be able to teach. To immerse the learner in a full understanding of how to critically think, question, and understand biases you have to be able to model different perspectives. It is very easy to only want to share your way of thinking and we seek out others who withhold the same beliefs as we do but this does not foster a good learning environment for ourselves or others.
Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?
The answers to the above questions answers this one. We all have different abilities, ideas, and goals about media literacy and being that it is a newer concept people are still developing all of these areas. Which can lead to misunderstandings, confusion, and disagreements about media literacy. So being open minded to the fact that it is an ever changing way and that there may be a new better ways of doing, learning, and knowing. Also, allowing yourself to be vulnerable to try new things and actively listen to different perspectives will help avert conflict about media literacy and factual information.
What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?
A PLN that values media literacy will help support and guide you as a life long learner and enhance your abilities to share these skills with your students. Being able to share experiences and challenges with a PLN can offer up understanding, knowledge, and different perspectives to help navigate and improve your teaching. A team approach to anything allows for a broader spectrum on the subject and then therefore lessens individual biases and beliefs.
Works Cited:
Smith Julie. “EDCI 338 A01- SMITH, JULIE” YouTube, uploaded by Miller, Nov 2, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_T9RghwJlI
Trilling, B & Fadel, C (2012). Digital Literacy Skills . Media Literacy Chapter 4 pp.66. https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html
Hi Michelle,
I love your comment, “Change is hard!” Isn’t that the truth. It takes effort and time and there is no simple fix. I know for me that when it comes to new technology or Apps, it can be daunting to learn it all. However, you are right when you say that we live in a world full of media and our children and learners are curating media daily! Therefore we need to be media literate ourselves and to teach our children to be media literate before they begin curating.