Why should we use media literacy in schools?

Critical media literacies in classrooms are an implementation that should be concentrated on, especially with the everchanging times that we are living in. In general, it can present students with the idea that they can develop a critical understanding of how larger industries make a profit (which allows for students to analyze media pieces from a political and economic perspective). Another point that media literacy hits is a way to support non-profited medias while in the classroom. This point can be interpreted in a variety of ways, especially in an inclusive classroom setting (analyzing local websites, local authors on ebooks, etc). The last main point of interest is, as an educator, to educate the youth and their parents to become well rounded and concise media-users. An authentic and true media literacy allows for students and the whole school community to be informed in the outside world, but also to learn how to engage in conversation with their own opinion. 

However, when we decide that we want to use critical media literacies in the classroom, we have to proceed with caution. There has been an uproar of a blurred concentration of conglomerates in alliance with powerful institutions. To get rid of this, it is important to look at the big picture and examine "specific cases that illustrate how these conglomerates and their allies work to keep and to expand their power, by means of filtering information, manufacturing consent, and controlling what the public watch, listen to, read, think, believe, taste, dress, look like, speak, and how they perceive themselves" (Torres/Mercado, 2010). Exposing this will allow for our students to think outside the box and creatively reinvent the future. Having the implementation of critical media literacies in the classroom will allow for students to dismiss the false information of the media. 

How can media literacies serve as an intervention within IEP’s for social and emotional learning?

In regards to the social and emotion juxtaposition, we can come to the understanding that the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) can be applied to the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These interventions are encompassed and intended to impact students on the autism spectrum and emotional/behavioral disorders. Hidden messages embedded in media literacies can serve as a middle ground for students in their IEP because it can aide students in the understanding of the point of view of others, all while helping students develop empathy, something that many students on the spectrum do lack (Probst, 2019).

About me!

My name is Stefan Stojanoski and I am a freshman English Secondary/Special Education major at The College of New Jersey. Education has been a passion of mine for as long as I could remember. Specifically, I have always had a piqued interest in English education and focusing on special education. When I was in high school, a lot of my educators went from their basic lessons to including media literacy devices, allowing for us to expand and push our knowledge. However, I didn't see this taking place in our inclusive classrooms. As a future educator, I want to implement a more literate media source for inclusive classes and have students of all learning capabilites on the same playing field.