What is Media Literacy ?
"For centuries, literacy has referred to the ability to read and write. Today, we get most of our information through an interwoven system of media technologies. The ability to read many types of media has become an essential skill in the 21st Century. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media" (http://medialiteracyproject.org/learn/media-literacy Accessed on September 8, 2014).
Media literacy skills can help youth:
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Understand how media messages shape our culture and society
- Identify target marketing strategies
- Recognize what the media maker wants us to believe or do
- Name the techniques of persuasion used
- Recognize bias, spin, misinformation, and lies
- Discover the parts of the story that are not being told
- Evaluate media messages based on our own experiences, skills, beliefs, and values
- Create and distribute our own media messages
- Advocate for a changed media system
(http://medialiteracyproject.org/learn/media-literacy Accessed on September 8, 2014)
Effective Internet Searching:
Step 1 Brainstorm your topic. What do you already know? Put it in a list, outline or mind map. (Search for a mind mapping tool. There are many cool ones out there.)
Step 2 Generate some questions that you have about your topic. These questions will guide your research. Start with: who, what, when, where, why and how.
Then try deep thinking questions: Why? How did..? Is ...? Could..?
Step 3 Use keywords in your search. Keywords are nouns and objects related to the topic. Use unique identifiers such as: names, titles, numbers, dates and quotations to give you the best results.
EXAMPLE:
Roman clothing fashion 750BCE to 500CE
Step 4 Use your library's database to begin your search. Online school libraries or World book online, Encyclopedia Britannica are worthy places to start.
Step 5 Narrow down your search by putting keywords in quotations.
For example, rather than searching Canadian government, try "Canadian government"
Step 6 Use Boolean operators with keywords
(in capital letters: AND, OR, NEAR, AND NOT)
AND or AND NOT narrows a search.
EXAMPLE: Roman AND NOT soldier
NEAR and OR widens a search.
EXAMPLE: Roman NEAR education
Step 7 Use a Google "ADVANCED SEARCH" to help you find the best search results.
Step 8 Evaluate your sources.
Is it a newspaper? An article? A government based site? A university site?
CONSIDER:
Is the site published by a reputable source?
Is it a first-hand account?
Does the author have his/her credentials on the site?
Is the site updated and current?
Is there a bibliography of sources?
Evaluate whether the information is truly factual or if it is more opinion based.
Step 1 Brainstorm your topic. What do you already know? Put it in a list, outline or mind map. (Search for a mind mapping tool. There are many cool ones out there.)
Step 2 Generate some questions that you have about your topic. These questions will guide your research. Start with: who, what, when, where, why and how.
Then try deep thinking questions: Why? How did..? Is ...? Could..?
Step 3 Use keywords in your search. Keywords are nouns and objects related to the topic. Use unique identifiers such as: names, titles, numbers, dates and quotations to give you the best results.
EXAMPLE:
Roman clothing fashion 750BCE to 500CE
Step 4 Use your library's database to begin your search. Online school libraries or World book online, Encyclopedia Britannica are worthy places to start.
Step 5 Narrow down your search by putting keywords in quotations.
For example, rather than searching Canadian government, try "Canadian government"
Step 6 Use Boolean operators with keywords
(in capital letters: AND, OR, NEAR, AND NOT)
AND or AND NOT narrows a search.
EXAMPLE: Roman AND NOT soldier
NEAR and OR widens a search.
EXAMPLE: Roman NEAR education
Step 7 Use a Google "ADVANCED SEARCH" to help you find the best search results.
Step 8 Evaluate your sources.
Is it a newspaper? An article? A government based site? A university site?
CONSIDER:
Is the site published by a reputable source?
Is it a first-hand account?
Does the author have his/her credentials on the site?
Is the site updated and current?
Is there a bibliography of sources?
Evaluate whether the information is truly factual or if it is more opinion based.