Blog Post #1- Media Strand

Media Literacy vs. Digital Literacy

Media literacy is the understanding and comprehension of utilizing online practices in assisting with analyzing, evaluating, accessing and creating media in a variety of methods to create messages (Module 1, n.d). According to Andrea Quijada, media literacy is essential in including it into the curriculum, for students to learn how to deconstruct the information presented. Incorporating media literacy helps educate students on how to be critically engaged when coming across media (TED, 2013).

(Wilkey Oh, 2017) 

Digital Literacy goes hand in hand with media literacy because of using specific informational resources connected to media, through the internet and with the use of smartphones, video games, and other resources (Common sense media, n.d ). Incorporating digital literacy can be accomplished by building onto media literacy concepts and developing knowledge and skills to utilize digital resources. 

(MediaSmarts, 2018)

With this being said, it is essential for students to critically understand digital resources to communicate clearly through technology. Overall, digital and media tools can be beneficial and advantageous as educational tools, however, there are potential risks associated with learning and using digital media.

Fake News vs. Real News

Recently, students are becoming targets of fake news. It is so hard to spot because a lot of individuals get sucked into the virtual world of misconceptions and large headliners. One article that gives authoritative insight for determining how to deconstruct and detect falsified information is Real Media Literacy: Spotting a Fake Story. The author provides a picture called The Art of Reading Laterally, to improve the reader's critical thinking and analysis when researching news and important information. ART stands for A: author, R: reliability, and T: target. Overall, the entire website presents crucial knowledge to their intended audience of middle graders to assist students in developing techniques to discover fraudulent news. 

(Baker, 2019). 

One of the most iconic videos that came out 12 years ago, about a popular house hippo became an internet sensation. However, little did people know, it was FAKE. Now, MediaSmarts has created a new video about the famous house hippo to explain and inform the upcoming generations regarding the dangers of fake news, and how easy it is for people to be fooled by the digital world. 

(MediaSmarts, 2019). 

Ministry Resources

In the world of technology and fake news, it is important to consider the resources and tools that are available for students. A website that is fantastic for providing information about media and digital literacy, as well as games that are interactive for students concerning fake news is https://mediasmarts.ca. One game in particular that includes missions while emphasizing the importance of spotting fake news is called "Reality Check". I highly recommend students trying out this enjoyable game. The purpose of the game is to assist students in learning "how to find clues like finding where a story originally came from and comparing it to other sources, as well as how to use tools like fact-checking sites and reverse image searches" (MediaSmarts, n.d). Each mission has a different goal in spotting fake news. Can you do it?

Attached here is the link to the game Reality Check for anyone to try themselves: https://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/games/reality-check/index.html#/

(MediaSmarts, n.d.).

Ministry of Education- Language and Literacy Curriculum

When teachers are preparing their lesson plans, there are guidelines for each curriculum that they must follow. For language and literacy, particularly looking at the media strand, there are specific and overall expectations that students are required to achieve. For the junior grades (i.e., 4 to 8), a majority of students have the same requirements with a few minor differences in expectations. When acknowledging the overall expectations, students are to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
2. identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated
3. with them are used to create meaning;
4. create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
5. reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.

(MOE, 2006, pg. 89). 

As for the specific expectations, these have been established to help students reach the guidelines and be successful in terms of learning. Under this category, the curriculum focuses on understanding media texts, understanding media forms, conventions and techniques, creating media texts, as well as reflecting on media skills and strategies. Overall, these expectations are for educators benefit to analyze, assess, and evaluate the student's progress regarding knowledge, (critical) thinking, communication, application, and learning.  

References:

Baker, F. (2019, August 7). MiddleWeb. Real Media Literacy: Spotting a Fake Story. Retrieved from: https://www.middleweb.com/40839/real-media-literacy-spotting-a-fake-story/

Common sense media. (n.d.). What is digital literacy? Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-digital-literacy

MediaSmarts. (May 31, 2018). Digital Media Are Networked | Digital Literacy 101. Retrieved September 30, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HXiObDDnA

MediaSmarts (2019, September 30). YouTube: House Hippo 2.0. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_tOSRynZU

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Reality Check: The Game. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/educational-games/reality-check-game

Ministry of Education (MOE). (2006). The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Language. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/language18currb.pdf

Module 1: What is digital and media literacy? Retrieved October 1, 2019, fromhttps://lms.brocku.ca/portal/site/Media_Info_Literacy_Modules/tool/04ab90c7-565c-441f-8c8e-0c5444930f31

TED (2013, February). Andrea Quijada: Creating critical thinkers through media literacy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHAApvHZ6XE

Wilkey Oh, E. (December 12, 2017). EduTopia: Media Literacy- The Future of Fake News. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/future-fake-news