Looking at Media about the Media
As I have understood throughout this class, children are heavily engaged with media; in fact, the reading on educational media (see October 27) suggests that they are more engaged than ever before. This is mainly because they are surrounded by it on a regular basis. Therefore, media literacy is a crucial skill for children to learn so that they may make sense of what is being presented to them and to make their own conscious decisions. There are two media I have found, one good and one great, which I think are quite valuable for teaching media literacy.
Good Medium: [*]
Good Medium: [*]
The Media Awareness Network contains a wealth of resources for children, educators and parents that relate to the media that children consume. Topics include but are not limited to: advertising, violence, stereotyping, body image, online bullying, and media policy. Since this is a Canadian website, there is a strong focus on nationally-based media, rather than internationally-based media, presumably due to cultural differences. Also, this site is geared more toward adults that want to inform children rather than the children themselves.
Rating: 7
Great Medium: [*]
Rating: 7
Great Medium: [*]
This "House Hippo" PSA comes from Concerned Children's Advertisers, known to Canadian youth for their effective televised campaigns that entertain as well as inform. Founded in 1990, the CCA have sought to bring media literacy to the forefront, along with a host of other topics [*]. As mentioned above, children already engage with media such as television regularly, so there is no better way to teach them about media through the media.
Rating: 9
Rating: 9