[As I make my way through grad school, I've had lots of opportunities to think about and reflect on various articles and readings for my classes. Below is a quick reflection on the necessity of staff development time in preparation for media literacy instruction.]
Media literacy, as many websites will inform you, is the ability to read and understand various forms of media, and from that, the ability to create new media in various forms (print or digital, text-based or image-based). It assumes the "reader" has a level of creative and critical thinking skills that allow them to access a material and interpret meaning from it. Seeing a TV commercial and understanding how it was developed or why it convinces consumers to purchase a product is media literacy. Analyzing online resources to determine which ones are reliable and relevant is media literacy. Participating in social media is media literacy.
It's clear from these examples and others in the article "Media Literacy, Powerfully..." that media literacy is a life skill, and one that must be fully integrated into school curriculum - not a brief unit separate from other content learning, or something that students learn on their own, through trial and error. Media literacy must be intentionally discussed and taught throughout a child's education. It also has a place in public library programming, where media users of all ages can practice and improve along with trusted information professionals (that is, librarians themselves!).
In order for our teachers and librarians to be able to teach and share the skill of media literacy with students, they must first be comfortable with the content, and with how they will present the content to students and library users. To this end, teachers, school librarians, and library staff need designated development time to ensure all instructors are on the same page and ready to commit to consistent media literacy instruction.
During this time, educators across several grade levels or library staff working with various departments can collaborate, scaffolding instruction for students of all ages. Media literacy education can be intentionally planned and integrated into all classes and programming, ensuring that new content builds on previous lessons and students are given the time and space to both view and produce media.
Media literacy doesn't happen overnight, and neither does media literacy education. Dedicated staff development time ensures future generations of media consumers and creators will be informed consumers and creators.
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