Assignment: Media Literacy was developed by the Media Education Lab (at the University of Rhode Island) and the Discovery Channel for the Maryland State Department of Education and Discovery Communications, Inc. You can download the PDF files with lesson plans and reproducibles for each unit and use the videos to teach media literacy in conjunction with social studies, language arts and health education. There are 6 units available for each of 3 grade levels, for a total of 18 units.
Type of Material:
Online Course
Recommended Uses:
Two learning paths exist: a full curriculum for elementary (4 units), middle school (6 units) and high school (6 units). A video introducing the lesson topic, teacher notes, and student worksheets are included for each unit. While the video section of each lesson could be assigned to students to watch on their own, the classroom activies and production activity included with each lesson are designed for in-class use. It will be best used by teachers for lesson planning.
Technical Requirements:
Requires Adobe Acrobat software to open PDF files. Accessed on Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Includes videos.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Students will analyze and evaluate information from a variety of media formats: television, video, newspapers, etc. including such items as newspaper story structure and advertising techniques, among others.
Target Student Population:
This curriculum is designed to teach media literacy in conjunction with social studies, language arts, mathematics, and health education classes at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
The material may be used by classroom teachers, library and information professional majors, and communication studies majors
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Basic ICT literacy
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The materials in this website are current, accurate, and research-based. The K-12 curriculum is complete, thorough, inter-related, and can be implemented "out of the box." The other resources can be used without outside help in a variety of settings. Links work and are appropriately attributed.
Concerns:
The curriculum doesn't cover the internet and social networking platforms, so it is not as up to date as might be desired. No date is given as to when the materials was produced. Images do not have alt-text.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The curriculum learning objectives are clear, and align with ICT literacy standards. Those materials approach each unit progressively, building on, and linking, prior concepts. As noted before, the curriculum is "ready-made" to use. Material is age appropriate and efficiently presented, incorporating a mix of media. The information is very practical and applicable across the curriculum and daily life.
Concerns:
Objectives apart from the Maryland State Content Standards are not clearly stated. Teachers in other parts of the country will find it more difficult to connect the material to their own local curriculum.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The K-12 curriculum is very well thought out and presented. It is easy to follow, and instructors can use it without additional training. There is an interactive blog, and a way to seek help online.
Concerns:
The first 1 1/2 minutes of the video for elementary school unit 1 is missing the sound track. Material does not seem to be ADA-compliant.
Creative Commons:
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