Media Literacy Education in Action brings together the field’s leading scholars and advocates to present a snapshot of the theoretical and conceptual development of media literacy education—what has influenced it, current trends, and ideas about its future. Featuring a mix of perspectives, it explores the divergent ways in which media literacy is connected to educational communities and academic areas in both local and global contexts. The volume is structured around seven themes: • Media Literacy: Past and Present • Digital Media and Learning • Global Perspectives • Public Spaces • Civic Activism • Policy and Digital Citizenship • Future Connections Compelling, well-organized, and authoritative, this one-stop resource for understanding more about media literacy education across disciplines, cultures, and divides offers the fresh outlook that is needed at this point in time. Globally, as more and more states and countries call for media literacy education more explicitly in their curriculum guidelines, educators are being required to teach media literacy in both elementary and secondary education contexts.

Media Education (ME) has come a long way. Today, it can no longer be considered a field of study reserved for semiotic and communication researchers. Nor can it be regarded as a privileged practice of those teachers, who for some reason consider media of fundamental importance. On one hand, ME is now part of the agenda of international organizations, which consider the development of media competences a necessary requisite to fully exercise citizenship in the current contemporary society. On the other, ME practices are becoming increasingly widespread in schools involving a growing number of teachers. Notwithstanding, teaching the media still seems to be a rather solipsistic task where «everything is fine». Indeed, in ME there is a tremendous lack of research concerning the educational practices' quality and effectiveness. This book tries to cope with these issues by providing a set of instruments to design, develop and evaluate ME activities in schools, and supporting the enhancement of media educators' knowledge and skills.

The blurring of entertainment, information, and persuasion is reshaping work, life, and citizenship. As a result, our relationship to media has never been so important nor so complex. By asking critical questions about what they watch, listen to, read, and use, students can be better prepared to be responsible communicators who can use a variety of formats and genres for self-expression and advocacy. Covering a wide range of topics including the rise of news partisanship, algorithmic personalization and social media, stereotypes and media addiction, advertising and media economics, and media influence on personal and social identity, Renee Hobbs helps students develop the lifelong learning competencies and habits of mind needed to navigate an increasingly complex media environment. Rooted in the best practices of media literacy pedagogy, Media Literacy in Action brings an interdisciplinary approach to media studies that engages students with the following features: • full-color layout • engaging questions to stimulate thoughtful dialogue and reflection • contemporary media examples designed to cultivate intellectual curiosity • suggested activities for advancing students’ confidence in oral, written, and multimedia expression • access to videos and multimedia resources at www.medialiteracyaction.com

A year in the life of a ninth-grade English class shows how participatory culture and mobile devices can transform learning in schools. Schools and school districts have one approach to innovation: buy more technology. In Good Reception, Antero Garcia describes what happens when educators build on the ways students already use technology outside of school to help them learn in the classroom. As a teacher in a public high school in South Central Los Angeles, Garcia watched his students' nearly universal adoption of mobile devices. Whether recent immigrants from Central America or teens who had spent their entire lives in Los Angeles, the majority of his students relied on mobile devices to connect with family and friends and to keep up with complex social networks. Garcia determined to discover how these devices and student predilection for gameplay, combined with an evolving “culture of participation,” could be used in the classroom. Garcia charts a year in the life of his ninth-grade English class, first surveying mobile media use on campus and then documenting a year-long experiment in creating a “wireless critical pedagogy” by incorporating mobile media and games in classroom work. He describes the design and implementation of “Ask Anansi,” an alternate reality game that allows students to conduct inquiry-based research around questions that interest them (including “Why is the food at South Central High School so bad?”). Garcia cautions that the transformative effect on education depends not on the glorification of devices but on teacher support and a trusting teacher-student relationship.

This book examines the work of pioneers: teachers who have transformed their classrooms in an effort to broaden the literacy of their students, describing some of the most innovative examples of teaching and learning.

Leading authority on media literacy education shows secondary teachers how to incorporate media literacy into the curriculum, teach 21st-century skills, and select meaningful texts.

Give digital kids a voice! Today’s kids are digital natives, but what’s the best way to help them become empowered and responsible communicators across different media? Discover insights and strategies specific to reaching children ages 5-12 in this guide from a nationally-acclaimed media literacy program. Readers will find: Thought-provoking lesson plans that reach students of all backgrounds and abilities Use of a wide range of technology tools, including the Internet, video, and mobile apps, An emphasis on online safety and development of essential critical thinking skills Materials for teacher professional development