3. From what you have learned so
far, what does it mean to be
media and information literate?
How does developing and
deepening this literacy help us
on an individual and societal
level?
3
LET’S PUT IT THIS WAY
5. 5
One simple aspect of media
and information literacy is
critical viewing: the awareness
that what we are accessing is
not necessarily the whole truth.
Even before the internet, but
more so now, we need to verify
the information we encounter.
KEY MOMENTS
7. How We Got Here
Work with your group in
researching and creating a
simple timeline for the form of
media assigned to you.
Identify two to three notable
events in history, the important
inventions or developments
during the time, and this media
form’s impact on society.
7
8. We typically think of literacy as the
ability to read and write, but
writers like J.A. Langer point out
that this can also refer to being
able to develop ways of thinking
about something. Other scholars
say new literacies have and will
continue to evolve as technology
and culture do.
8
DIVE IN
9. Media and information play such
integral roles in our modern lives
that it is difficult to imagine life
without them.
What would be different? What
would be lost? What would stay
unchanged?
Media and Information in
Our Lives
11. A World Without…
Form groups with two or
three members. Think about
the form of media assigned
to your group when you
answer this question:
“What would you or your
family’s life be like without
this form of media?”
11
12. Many developments in
technology and culture have
resulted in more effective and
sophisticated ways to create and
share information.
There are many individual and
societal benefits that have
resulted from this growth.
The Growth of Media and
Information
12
13. Learners have more
ways to access
information from
varied resources,
e.g., e-books and
digital recordings of
lectures
Individual Benefits
Improved
Quality of Life
Insert illustration here
Better Professional
Opportunities
Varied Educational
Tools
Insert illustration here Insert illustration here
13
We have convenient
access to information
and services, as well
as the ability to create
and share them.
There are more opportunities
for professional growth and
more feasible self-
employment options
14. Societal Benefits
Greater
Economic
Opportunities
Insert illustration here
More Cohesive
Social Groups
Insert illustration here
14
An increasingly media and
information literate population
is better suited for the
emerging needs of modern
job opportunities in new
media.
Communication is easier and
more affordable. It allows families
to stay close despite great
distances, and communities to
stay informed and unified.
15. Societal Benefits
Increased Enhanced
Political Participation
Insert illustration here
Greater Public Information
and Education
Insert illustration here
15
More than ever, media and information
have a greater reach. They provide
more people the opportunity for their
voices to be heard and allow greater
inclusion and involvement in the rich,
diverse political process.
Greater access to information can
grow a more informed electorate and
citizenry, who understand historical
events and issues in the proper
context and make informed choices.
16. Among the things the
COVID-19 pandemic
brought to our attention is
how easily disinformation
and deception can spread
through different forms of
media.
16
CONTEMPORARY EXPERIENCE
18. Explain like I Am Ten
Explain the notable event
assigned to your group in a
way that a ten-year-old can
understand. What role did
media and information play
in it? What can a media and
information literate
individual learn from this?
18
19. 19
One view of media and
information literacy assumes it is
all about making sure we have
the “correct” information, but it
does not end there. Cognitive
biases can also get in our way
while seeming to be normal
ways of thinking.
APPROACHES AND PERSPECTIVES
20. 20
Part of becoming more media
and information literate is
recognizing our own biases,
and working to reduce or
eliminate them.
APPROACHES AND PERSPECTIVES
22. List down three benefits you
have gained from modern
media and information, and
three actions or
responsibilities that you can
commit to in your use of these
benefits.
With Great Power . . .
22
Teacher’s script:
"Media and information have always been part of human culture and society, and they have grown in response to our evolving needs and developing technology. Print, broadcast, and digital new media have become more sophisticated and the information they provide has grown more complicated. It is up to the individual to develop a level of literacy to cope with these changes.”
Teacher’s script:
“As a digital native, how should you think about and use media and information? How does the appropriate level of literacy allow us to maximize the positive potential of media and information? How does it limit the possible damage that can result from irresponsible use?”
Teacher’s script:
"What makes a good pilot or ship captain, even one on a solo flight or voyage?“
Emphasize that the answer is applicable even in a voyage or flight with no passengers. Give the learners some time to prepare a response. The learners may do this individually, in think-pairs, or in small groups. Small groups may be called upon to agree on one answer.
Teacher’s script:
"Skillful navigation and care enable a good pilot or captain to reach a destination safely. As technological developments like the internet have made media and information grow more complex, we need to develop literacy to navigate them wisely.”
Teacher’s script:
"One way of navigating is to understand where we are and how we got here. This activity will allow us to look at the evolution of media more closely and show us why we are where we are.”
Teacher’s script:
Provide the following instructions to the class:
Form four groups.
Research on different types of media: print, broadcast (radio and video), and new media.
Create a collaborative timeline infographic showing the following:
two to three notable events in history
important inventions and developments during the time
what media changed in society
After the allotted time, the groups will present their timelines and determine whether the developments were generally positive, generally negative, or a combination of the two.
Teacher’s script:
"How we think about and use media and information grows more complicated as new forms and approaches develop. To be stagnant would be to lose sight of what we can gain, and what we risk, as media and information continue to evolve.”
Teacher’s script:
"Does it ever cross your mind how integrated media and information are in your life? Is there a single moment when they do not play a key role in your day?”
Teacher’s script:
"This activity raises awareness of how integrated media and information are in our lives, in ways that are good and bad. What happens when a hole is created by their absence?”
Teacher’s script:
Read the instructions to the class.
The answers should be as specific and concrete as possible. Avoid answers such as “it would be less fun” or “we would be less informed.” Identify what would no longer exist or experiences that would no longer be possible.
Assign one of the following for each group to discuss:
tutorials on video-sharing apps
poorly sourced posts ornews on social media
instant messaging apps
the evening news on TV
email
Teacher’s script:
"We are aware of what we could lose if we do not have certain forms of media and information. But what have we gained as a result of their presence and evolution?”
Teacher’s script:
“As media and information become more sophisticated and integrated in our lives, we reap tangible benefits. Accessing information, whether it’s in-depth academic research or the easiest route home, is more convenient. It improves our quality of life. It also improves our educational system, which can now offer more varied ways to learn. Moving into the workforce is also more fruitful despite economic challenges because of how connected the workplace is.”
Teacher’s script:
"Developments in media and information made our individual lives better. They have also resulted in improvements on a larger scale. Society benefits from improved economic prospects and from social groups that can remain tight-knit despite the fractious impact of economic and political upheavals. These were harder to maintain in previous decades, but technological developments gave more people access to media and information.”
Teacher’s script:
"This resulted in improved political participation, as more groups of people have been given a voice in society. People are able to follow these developments and understand history and their place in it in its proper context. This should be used to make more informed and responsible decisions.”
Teacher’s script:
"The COVID-19 pandemic drew our attention to issues such as social inequality, our reliance on media, and how easy it is for unscrupulous actors to manipulate us through disinformation and propaganda. We still experience many of their lingering effects.”
Teacher’s script:
"We have discussed what media and information brought to our individual and societal lives. Let us take a closer look at specific events that show their development’s impact on our lives.”
Teacher’s script:
Instruct the class to research and create simple infographics on the following topics.
the Arab Spring in 2010
the 2016 Cambridge Analytica controversy
the emergence and growth of small businesses, such as food, on social media
the spread of e-books
the rise of e-consultations with physicians and mental health specialists over the course of the pandemic
Ask the groups to sum up these events and developments. Have them identify one takeaway a media and information literate individual should have.
Teacher’s script:
"It can be easy to assume that avoiding the risks of improper media and information use simply means knowing better, finding out the right action to take, and doing it. But it is often not this easy. A lot of people who do the wrong thing do so because they didn’t know the right thing to do. There are also other factors that affect the choices they make.”
Teacher’s script:
"Cognitive biases can sometimes seem completely logical and reasonable, but they are ways our minds can trick us. If you have ever been afraid of flying in an airplane despite statistics showing you are far less likely to die in a plane crash than in a car crash, or if you have ever assumed without basis that everyone or many others share your opinion on a subject, you have been influenced by biases. These are normal, but we need to overcome them in order to be media and information literate.”
Teacher’s script:
"How can we be better caretakers of the multifaceted power of media and information, which play such key roles in our lives?”
Teacher’s script:
Ask the learners to design a poster that lists the following:
three benefits they received from modern media and information
three actions or responsibilities that they can commit to in response to enjoying these benefits.
These posters may then be shared as a Gallery Walk.
Teacher’s script:
1. Call the learners at random and ask for their key takeaways.
2. Ask the following questions to process the activity:
What are the things that you will stop doing?
What are the things that you will continue doing?
What are the things that you will start doing?
