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WIINDMILL PRESS PUBLISHING (Canadian Publishers of Media Literacy Resources and Books)
The media literacy movement has been sweeping through educational circles around the globe. The 1990s has witnessed the need for teaching students and adults alike the critical thinking skills necessary to survive in a media-saturated, image-driven, corporate-influenced culture. The time has arrived for all teachers to enlighten students of the influence of media in all areas of life and education.
You, too, can be a leader in media literacy. Keep your eyes opens and your VCR ready for media items you can bring into your math, geogrpahy, history, English, Language, and science classroom, not only as supplementary information to what you are already teaching, but as primary material on which you can challenge your students to be critical thinkers. In geography, for example, do a study on how news media reports weather disasters. In language class, look for newspaper stories which could be turned into fairy-tales with themes of rich and poor, love and hate; show how newspapers "tell stories." In history, utilize the Internet to explore and analyze how history and our consciousness of the past is influenced by certain newspapers with certain corporate interests. In business, find information on corporate ownership and show how we are influenced and manipulated when one parent company owns TV news stations, magazines, and film companies.
The time to act is now. Advertising invades our lives on more and more levels; television is becoming the second most popular activity amongst adults besides sleep. It is time to apply critical thinking skills to this important concept called media which we have incorporated into our lives.
Join a media literacy association.
Below you'll find conferences and workshops you can attend where media literacy experts will help you develop strategies to teach media literacy at all ages.
We all criticize television and complain about the influence of Disney and Nike. The time to act is now. Edward Abbey once said, "Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul." When considering the influence and prevelance of the media in our lives, this statement rings true for all concerned citizens, whether parents, children or teachers interested in preserving clean minds and a democratic society.
over 1500 media professionals world-wide will converge on Toronto for a week of learning and sharing
for more more information click to the CML website above
As for you, in your own classroom or with your own youth group, committment to the cause is all that is needed. You can begin shaping media literate students and citizens today. Awareness that media needs to be analyzed and understood is the first important step. Remember, you have many friends in the movement. Support is only a phone call or e-mail away! Good luck!
