Media Literacy: For Students Understanding 

Media Literacy "empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of an increasingly wide range of messages using image, language, and sound. It is the skillful application of literacy skills to media and technology messages." In 2022, students are immersed into the world of media. In my past experience as a paraprofessional, I got to know students who averaged 12-14 hours of screen time a day. They spent the majority of their time on Youtube and Instagram.

 We teach our students to be discerning individuals with news sources and scholarly citations, but are they learning how to be socially appropriate and knowledgable on their phones? This is a concept I had not given much thought to until this class but I know understand the value in teaching students to behave in a classroom setting and online.

Construction of media awareness and mature literacy will empower students to know what is garbage on social media and what is useful. Everyone using the internet will be confronted with ads, pop-ups, misinformation, and many other negative forms of media. As educators, it is our job to teacher students how to navigate the waters of the internet and media so students flourish rather than be bogged down by the weight of culture. 

I believe it is important for me as a future educator to teach to the whole student rather than be limited by curriculum. I wish for the students in my classroom to be fully enriched with education and information so that they can move on in their educational journey more equipped and prepared for whats to come. Teaching media literacy and how to become a skillful producer of media is incredibly important to their future as young adults entering this world fully immersed in a world of media and technology.