The Importance of Media Literacy Education
In our digital age, it’s important that we teach our students the ins and outs of media literacy. That’s why we’ve put together this collection of resources for K-12 teachers, packed with lesson plans, ideas and professional development to help you impart important media literacy skills to your students. Share My Lesson's goal is to make sure students aren’t just consuming media, but also interacting with it in a smart, responsible way.
One of the biggest challenges we all face online is the flood of false or misleading information, also known as disinformation. This is where media literacy really comes into play. It’s easy for this kind of stuff to spread like wildfire on the internet, and that’s why it’s so crucial that we teach our students how to spot it and call it out. We’ve included resources in this collection that will give you practical strategies for helping your students develop the critical thinking skills they need to separate fact from fiction.
But it’s not just about being critical thinkers online. We also need to take care of our mental health in the digital world. As we spend more and more time glued to our screens, it’s important that we understand how this can affect our well-being. This collection also offers resources that explore the impact of digital media on our mental health and strategies for staying balanced in a digital world.
One other critical aspect of digital literacy is understanding and navigating the perils of the online world, one of which is pervasive incidences of cyberbullying. Teaching our students about online safety is vital in safeguarding them from becoming victims of cyberbullying and ensuring they know how to conduct themselves respectfully in digital spaces. This collection includes resources aimed at educating students about the importance of positive digital citizenship and strategies for dealing with cyberbullying should they encounter it.
We know how challenging it can be to tackle disinformation and take care of our mental health online, and we hope these resources can help you break all these tough topics down to easy-to-understand ideas for students . Let’s empower educators, parents and communities to create a learning environment that’s not just about book smarts, but also about being smart online with strong digital literacy and media literacy skills.