Media and Information Literacy
What is Media Literacy?
Let's start with literacy. Literacy itself refers to the skills of reading and writing--both undersatnding and communicating with words. Over the years, literacy has taken on a new meaning where literacy refers to various other skills, often taught in skills. There's information literacy--the skills of researching and knowing how and where to find good information. There's digital literacy--understanding and knowing how to use technology. Imagine a Literacy Octopus with all of his tentacles represent a different skill. This Literacy Octopus needs to use all the tentacles to be as sucessful as possible. Sometimes, Literacy Octopus may not use some tentacles, or maybe they get tangled and confused. Literacy Octopus needs to learn how to use these tentacles to surive in the wilds of the ocean. That's what we're doing here.
Media literacy refers to the skills that are connected with forms of media. So, think of the internet and the digital world, but also information, social media, the news, movies and television, artificial intelligence, and even video games. In order to be a sucessful human being (or octopus), you need to be skilled in all of the tentacles--I mean literacies.
What is Information Literacy?
Information literacy is being skilled in researching, finding and working with information. Crazy, right? It's about knowing what you're trying to find; where and how to find this information; making sure you have good information and the source is valid and trustworth; being able to analyze and work with the information; using the information responsibly; and understanding how information works in our society.
Here are some different skills to consider when exploring information literacy.
Lateral research and fact checking
Information Pollution, or the ways information and you are manipulated
Prebunking, or training yourself to watch out for dubious information
And here's a link to other resources, tools, and references that you might find helpful as you explore information literacy.
The self-assessment rubric for information literacy below is meant to help guide you to explore where you could further your researching and informational skills. Where are you in these key elements of this literacy?
Some Activities:
Infromation Pollution: What's the Worst? Try this short activity best for groups. Learn about different types of information pollution by trying to rank them from the terrible to terriblerest. That's not a word. But you get the idea.
Information Pollution: Personifying that Pollution: Okay, this is a funny little assignment where you try to assign characters to verious types of information pollution.
Information Literacy Kahoot, Vol. 1: Try this short six question Kahoot to test your skills.
Information Literacy Kahoot, Vol 2: Hey! Another short Kahoot, another six questions to see how well informationally literate you are!
Information Literacy Kahoot: The Mega Kahoot! This is a bigger Kahoot that combines the previous Kahoots with other questions about media literacy.
Inoculation Science has great games as well as some great videos to get playing and exploring.
Cranky Uncle--the online game! Learn about different ways you might be manipulated. Also available for your cell phones.
Prebunking Slides #1: Here are five bits fromt the media. Can you tell if they're good, questionable or garbage? Contact Mr. Dixon for the answers.
Ad Fontes Interactive Media Bias Chart: It's a fascinating chart that shows many the span of bias. Worth poking around.
Artwork: Dixon, S. (2023, December 10). Literacy Octopus [PNG]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/create/social-media-graphics/].
Information Pollution What’s the worst?Information Pollution: Personifying that Pollution