Northeast Regional Media Literacy Conference, Nov. 8-9, 2019



I attended the Northeast Regional Media Literacy conference this past weekend.  Being around media literacy scholars and teachers reminds me how critically conscious consumers of media are empowered, independent, analytical,  informed, active citizens: just the profile we wish for our students.

One of the most interesting things about being a librarian is being immersed in media, and noticing how media has changed over time. I was a 20th century kid. Media was books, Pong, print newspapers and magazines, movies in theaters, channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and, once I hit middle school, Wometco, the fledgling NYC area cable channel featuring Uncle Floyd. Here comes the refrain: now we live in 24/7 media cycle. 21st century students live in a completely different media environment than the one I grew up in. The Action Coalition for Media Education summarizes the shift beautifully:


  • Epistemological shift: from 20th century WORD to 21st century IMAGE
  • Technological shift: from 20th century ANALOG to 21st century DIGITAL
  • Personal shift: from 20th century MASS media to 21st century PERSONAL and PARTICIPATORY
  • Aesthestic shift: from 20th century DISCRETE media platforms to 21st century CONVERGENT media platforms
  • Political shift: from 20th century REGULATION to 21st century DEREGULATION
  • Economic shift: from 20th century COMMERCIALISM to 21st century HYPERCAPITALISM
  • Discursive shift: from 20th century OBJECTIVE news to 21st century SUBJECTIVE news
  • Cultural shift: from 20th century PRIVACY to 21st century SURVEILLANCE

(https://acmesmartmediaeducation.net/)


I welcome conversations about how you can incorporate media literacy into your classroom. I've been building my knowledge over the past few years, have received a certificate in Digital Literacy from URI, and keep up with the latest thinking and teaching in media literacy by attending this conference. Media literacy is applicable to every area of the curriculum.

Browse my Twitter highlight reel of the conference. Notice that the sessions involved Music, Art, Science, English and History. A list of resources follows the Twitter highlights. I also have a bunch of print resources that I can share with you in person. I hope you are encouraged to incorporate (or think about incorporating) media literacy instruction into your classrooms




















































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