We've changed the name of the Northeast Media Literacy Conference (now in its 17th year) to reflect the growing global diversity of our online knowledge community!
Media literacy education is often seen as part of the solution to the many information and political challenges we face around the world. We hear various stakeholders declare the importance of media literacy education, including policymakers and politicians, educators, researchers, journalists, social media platforms, parents and caregivers, community members, and more.
But media literacy is also a moving target. As our information ecosystems evolve, so do ideas about what it means to move competently and ethically through these media environments. Each stakeholder may have a different conceptualization of what it means to be "media literate" and whose responsibility it is to make progress there. Sometimes those conceptualizations can exist in tension with one another. Sometimes one stakeholder's conceptualization of media literacy can frame the work of media literacy education in ways that don't quite fit the conceptualization of another set of stakeholders.
The MediaEd Forum is organized around the theme of Confronting the Challenges. Join us to explore four themes that examine these key questions:
(1) Inside the Classroom. In this strand we will delve deep into the dynamic landscape of Media Literacy. In this comprehensive exploration, we will examine into classroom practices, policy, and research that collectively shape the trajectory of media literacy education. Embark on a rich journey within our conference strand, where elementary students, teachers, and administrators share their triumphs in seamlessly integrating Media Literacy across the curriculum.
(2) Outside the Classroom. In this strand, we will examine the nature and diversity of media literacy education programs in out-of-school contexts around the world. First, we learn about two projects based in participatory, cooperative research using media as a medium to explore topics of place-making and identity with youth in Oslo and Rotterdam. Then we consider the power of games that are designed to inoculate people against misinformation, where users practice detecting misinformation and disinformation to get quicker and better at the critical thinking task of identifying fallacies.
(3) Interdisciplinary Challenges. In this strand, we will foster collaborative opportunities to address the social, cultural, economic, and practical questions we face. We start with why scholars, teachers, librarians, and media practitioners aim to improve media literacy education in different ways. We then consider how we sometimes find ourselves in institutional or community-based settings where we need to explain, define, defend, advocate, and/or apply our knowledge and talents. The various interdisciplinary “homes” of media literacy provide us with both opportunities and challenges.
(4) MediaEd Dialogue. In these two sessions, the floor is open and everyone learns from everyone! This convening uses a "question generation" protocol to discover what people in the session want to talk about. We first establish some ground rules to ensure that our discussion is authentic and useful to all participants. Engage in open and productive dialogue that deepens your knowledge and confidence as a media literacy leader.
We look forward to having a dialogue with you about the opportunities and the challenges of media education!
Barbara Burke, Catharine Reznicek, Iglika Ivanova, Renee Hobbs & Yonty Friesem
MediaEd Forum Organizers
Conference Registration Fee: $25
If you are unable to afford the registration fee, complete this short form to indicate your financial need. A limited number of comp registrations are available.
