Critical Media Literacy Resources

Resources
Listed are some media education resources designed to assist teachers:
The Association for Media Literacy www.aml.ca, provides visitors with articles and reviews; resources for teachers; and news about upcoming events, conferences and initiatives being undertaken by the AML. It also provides visitors with a connection to media education initiatives around the world through national and international organizations. The AML is the official subject association for Media Literacy in Ontario.
The CBC www.cbc.ca contains program schedules and streaming audio listening opportunities, but also offers transcripts of interviews and programs, as well as original writing by Canadian authors.
Center for Media Literacy www.medialit.org is an educational organization that provides professional development and educational resources nationally in the United States.
Don’t Buy It – Get Media Smart pbskids.org/dontbuyit is a website designed for elementary students. It features interactive activities for students, as well as informative sections for both teachers and parents.
The English Language Arts Network www.elan.on.ca provides ongoing support for teachers looking for new ideas.
Film Education (UK) www.filmeducation.org produces feature movie study aids for UK teachers.
British Film Institute www.bfi.org.uk supports film studies in the UK with a variety of quality resources, including courses, print, and online.
Independent Media Centre www.indymedia.org , Alternet www.alternet.org and Adbusters adbusters.org provide students with alternatives to mainstream media for news and information. Media studies promote a multiple-perspective approach to reading and viewing the media.
Media Awareness Network www.media-awareness.ca features a wide range of resources – in English et en Francais – including lessons and resources for teachers, information for parents, educational games and student modules.
Media Ed www.mediaed.org.uk is for teachers, students and anyone else who is interested in media and moving-image education in primary, secondary, further and informal education.
Media Education Kit for Teachers, Students and Parents
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001492/149278E.pdf
Written by several media educators for Unesco, this document can be downloaded for free as a PDF. It provides a balanced account of the field.
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Media Literacy Clearing House www.frankwbaker.com is a site that contains ongoing support for media education, primarily linked to U.S. initiatives.
The Media Literacy Resource Guide contains many useful teaching ideas and is available at the Government of Ontario Bookstore (1-800-668-9938).
Media Studies: K-12. Toronto: Toronto District School Board, 2005.
MuchMusic Media Education. http://www.muchmusic.com/mediaed/ This site provides visitors with information on MuchMusic’s media literacy and social issues programming. Broadcast dates for programs are listed and teachers are welcome to tape programs off-air. Study guides for the programs can be downloaded free of charge.
National Institute on Family and the Media (Mediawise) www.mediafamily.org is a website that seeks to educate and inform the public. The site also offers ideas and kits for purchase by educators.
National Public Radio www.npr.org offers similar features to those indicated for the CBC, but in an American context.
Newseum www.newseum.org is a site that archives mainstream news and includes today’s front-pages, where students can examine and retrieve hundreds of front pages from 40 countries.
Pulse 24 www.cp24.com contains both writing and video news stories.
Think Literacy 7-10. Ministry of Education. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/thinkliteracy/files/ThinkLitMedia.pdf
This document contains practical ideas and strategies for the implementation of media literacy in the classroom.
YouTube www.youtube.com provides access to thousands of videos on a number of subjects.
There are also several books that may prove useful in the classroom:
Anderson, Careiro, Sinclair. Responding to Media Violence. Markham, ON: Pembroke Press, 1996. This book provides activities for the classroom, common perceptions and factors that influence children’s behaviours. Order directly through Pembroke Publishers.
Buckingham, David. Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture. 2003. (Blackwell is North American distributor). This is a comprehensive book, covering topics from ideology to using the new digital media. Order from Amazon.com
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Canadian Teachers’ Federation. Kids Take on Media – Full Report, Teacher/Student Activity Guide, Workshop for Parents. 2003, $10.00. This is a resource that includes the opinion of kids on subjects such as movies, TV, and video games. Order from http://www.ctf-fce.ca/e/publications/ctf_publications.asp
Duncan, Barry, Janine D’Ippolito, Cam Macpherson and Carolyn Wilson. Mass Media And Popular Culture (Version Two). Thomas Nelson, Toronto, 1996. After an introductory section that provides a conceptual framework for the study of media, the text is organized by themes: e.g. Representation, Global Citizen, Selling Values, New and Converging Technologies. There is also a binder of supplementary readings and materials for photocopying.
Beach, Richard. teachingmedialiteracy.com: A web-linked Guide to Resources and Activities. Teachers College Press, 2007. (In Canada, order through The University of Toronto Press.) This 130 page book covers all the key issues and skills necessary for fostering media literacy in the classroom.
Kozolanko, Kirsten. Ed. Media Education and Educating the Media. From the periodical Our schools, Ourselves. Fall 2007, Vol 17, no.1. $12.00. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives 410-75 Albert St., Ottawa, On K1P 5E7. This publication offers a good cross section of articles, both theoretical and practical.
Media Sense. Toronto: Thomas Nelson, 1998. Three activity-based books for elementary school students, ages 8-12. This provides numerous practical activities throughout.
Potter. Media Literacy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc, 2005. This is a book designed for the development of media literacy skills for students. Order it through Amazon.com .
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