Digital media literacy:
How our students read the media
Image source: Applied Educational Systems
What is digital literacy?
Common Sense Media defines digital literacy as a type of media literacy that applies to media from the internet, smartphones, video games, and other nontraditional sources. It also means that students should be able to identify the media and the messages it sends out, but also creating media in a positive way.
In this day of age, we are surrounded by all kinds of digital media, kids especially. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to properly analyze the information they read online, (fake news anyone?) nor do they think before they post (did you really have to post that selfie of you holding a beer at a party being underage?).
Another concern we see that plays off digital literacy is when we see a presence of cyberbullying, cheating, and unsafe posts and behavior. We all know that media can influence others. So, what happens when we see this unwanted activity online and others follow suit? It is important to take to educate each other about being online, but also being literate to the digital information we see on, including social media.
Social Media: where digital literacy disappears
Image source: Wronghands1
One of the most unfortunate things about social media is that many students, young or older, have a tendency to forget they are on social media when viewing, posting, commenting, and sharing information. There is also this mindset of "ME" on social media- posting all about yourself. When this takes over it is hard to realize some of the things you see on social media are negative, harmful, or even just plain unethical. Maybe it's time for children and teenagers to have a lesson in digital media and how things are not always as they seem. For example, someone can see a group of students who are getting together and taking a photo posing as a popular musical art. What if the original photo has certain things that a younger audience should not be exposed to (be it drugs, alcohol, gang activity, sexual content, etc..) and indicate where they got the inspiration from? Even if the students don't add those kinds of representations, they still saw it in the first place as their inspiration. I would like to imagine most people who see something, say something. However, that is not always the case. Let's educate our students about digital literacy and have them grow to become more literate when they are online, especially on social media.
Media literacy: 5 competencies
Media literacy educator and expert Renee Hobbs points out the 5 competencies that students should be shown and guided with when teaching them about media literacy. Her program website shares the following important information needed to know when teaching media and digital literacy.
Hobbs states that "our students today have digital and media needs" which are:
1) They need knowledge and guidance in using digital and media effectively
2) They need to know how to evaluate the multitude of digital and media messages they receive
3) They need the integrity and ethical center to be good citizens in their use of digital and media
In order to understand media literacy, all students must know these 5 competencies:
1. Access
2. Analyze
3. Create
4. Reflect
5. Act
Image source: MediaEdLab
With the right resources, I think teachers should be able to effectively become more and more media literate, which can lead to them being even more digital literate as they explore the interwebs. This is a great model in which students can learn to find and share relevant information, examine the messages behind the information they find online, create effective and worthy content, reflect on that content, and be able to work with and share this online media with their community.
These 5 competencies are all vital parts of this model to educate our students to engage effectively, safely, and properly in the 21st century age of media and education. Let's start guiding our students to be digitally literate with today's multimedia tools such as the social media platforms they use, both personally and in the classroom!
Very well said! It is so true that we need to teacher our students to be social media literate and to learn what they should, or shouldn't be posting. I really like the graphic you used to show how teachers can use 5 competencies in the classroom with different programs and resources. Sometimes, I feel that when I hear students starting to talk about TikTok or another form of social media, I try to win their attention back on my lesson...which rarely works on the first try- haha! But, taking some steps towards using what they like in our lessons is something that could teach the students about appropriate uses and interactions, as well as giving them something they will really enjoy. I want to do more of this in my classroom. Of Hobbs' competences, this one stood out the most to me, "They need to know how to evaluate the multitude of digital and media messages they receive". Thinking about this, I don't think many, if any, of my students would be proficient in this area. Granted, they are only 9-10 years only and shouldn't have social media accounts on many platforms due to the minimum age requirements. But, I think many kids believe that anything online or on TV is truth. Starting to talk about this young will help these students when they are older and dealing with more complex situations on social media or reading more in depth news articles.
ReplyDelete"With the right resources, I think teachers should be able to effectively become more and more media literate" YES! YES! YES! This is how things start to change!! It's a good thing you know of a digital literacy conference coming up that you can share with others :)
ReplyDeleteSylvia,
ReplyDeleteI liked your subtitle, “social media: where digital literacy disappears”, because for some reason that’s pretty true as we can get lost in social media. I also liked your point that “with the right resources teachers should be able to effectively become more and more media literate.” This made me think of all the learning that took place in this class. I wasn’t too sure what this class was going to entail about social media. However, as the class went on every week there was so much to learn about social media beyond what I could possibly think of. If this is true for us as adults growing up with social media, imagine all that our students have yet to learn about it too.
I really resonated with your comments about teaching students to be aware that things on social media might not always be as how they seem. Critical thinking skills are something that students are in desperate need of cultivating. You are very correct in then saying that it is our job as educators to integrate digital literacy into our classrooms for students to develop a better relationship with social media. I like how you mention too that harmful acts such as bullying and cheating exist on social media as well. I think it is worth reminding our students of how behaviors such as those can be harmful.
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