home

=**Welcome to Alli's Media Literacy Resources Wiki **= All visitors are welcome and encouraged to share my passion about media literacy.

//The following are brief descriptions of major Internet sites focusing on media literacy. Each description establishes the site's credibility, then provides a summary of the site's major content areas, its intended audience, my opinion about "what's exciting" at the site, and the languages in which the site and/or its resources are available.//



Center for Media Literacy
http://www.medialit.org/

The Center for Media Literacy (CML) was founded in 1989 by Elizabeth Thoman, who holds a master’s degree in communication management from the prestigious Annenburg School at USS. Thoman draws on the work of Paolo Freire as the theoretical underpinning of the center’s work. According to the CML site, she “adapted his research to create the //Empowerment Spiral// as a model for effective "inquiry" into media topics and issues. The four-step process of Awareness / Analysis / Reflection / Action became the foundation for the Center's teaching philosophy and curriculum development.”

The CML is a non-profit organization. Its mission is //to help children and adults prepare for living and learning in a global media culture by translating media literacy research and theory into practical information, training and educational tools for teachers and youth leaders, parents and caregivers of children.//

**Content summary:** Major content areas of the site include a **//MediaLitKit//**, which provides the inquiry framework described above; a **//Reading Room//**, which includes many articles about media literacy and features archives of the publication //Media & Values//, which was published 63 issues from 1977 to 1993; descriptions of media literacy **//Best Practices//** and **//Professional Development//**; and links to other organizations (called **//Alliances//**) that promote media literacy.


 * Audience: **The primary audience of the CML site is educators. The general public, particularly parents and advocates may find useful information. **

What’s exciting: ** The best feature of the CML site is the ability to search articles in 19 different media topic areas (including advertising/consumerism, faith-based media literacy, film study, music, news/politics/democracy, stereotyping, and more), and in 8 curriculum content areas (art/media arts, English/language arts, ethics/character education, health/prevention, life skills, science/math, social studies, and spirituality/religion).


 * Languages: ** Materials are available mostly in English, with some resources available in Spanish and Turkish.



Media Awareness Network
http://www.media-awareness.ca/

The Media Awareness Network, or MNet, is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 1996 to promote media and digital literacy awareness and education. Its origins trace to a television violence awareness initiative in the early 1990s by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. MNet is governed by a board of directors, which includes representation from business, government, and universities.

The MNet mission is threefold: //to develop and deliver high-quality Canadian-based media education resources; to provide leadership in advancing media literacy and contributing to the development of public policy on issues related to the media; and to build broad public support for media education.//

**Content summary:** Major content areas of the site include an up-to-date **//Blog & News//** center, including a link to the MNet electronic newsletter; a **//Media Issues//** page, which provides resources under five major topic areas (Media Violence, Media Stereotyping, Online Hate, Information Privacy, and Media and Canadian Cultural Policies); a **//For Teachers//** interface, with a searchable media literacy //Lesson Library//; a **//For Parents//** interface with information about television, movies, the Internet, video games, music and marketing/consumerism; a **//Special Initiatives//** page highlighting in depth a variety of media program resources; a **//Research//** page with links to an MNet-sponsored, two-phase research study on children’s Internet behaviors; and an **//Educational Games//** page featuring a variety of activities for different ages.
 * Audience: ** The primary audiences of the MNet are educators and parents.
 * What’s exciting:** This is a toss-up! The first of two valuable features of the MNet site is the searchable Lesson Library, featuring 20 searchable topics (including advertising, body image, crime, cyber bullying, diversity, gender portrayal, global citizenship, and privacy). Searches can be global or targeted to specific age students, ranging from K-12. The second best feature is the Special Initiative page, including resources for participating in a Media Literacy Week.

**Languages:** The site is constructed fully in Canada’s two official languages: English and French.



Media Education Lab at Temple University
http://mediaeducationlab.com/

The Media Education Lab at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, is an extension of the university’s research efforts in the field of communication. According to Media Education Lab website, Temple is “one of a small handful of research university programs that focuses specifically on the intersections of media studies, communication and education.” The lab offers five areas of expertise: research and scholarship; teacher education and professional development; curriculum development; advocacy; and youth and community media production.

The mission of the Media Education Lab, which centers on community outreach and multidisciplinary research, is //to improve media literacy education through scholarship and community service.//


 * Content summary: ** Major content areas of the site include a **// Teaching Resources //** page with links to provocative program titles such as Growing Up Online, Know TV, and Messages & Meanings; a **// Learn with Us //** page, which identifies professional development programs as well as graduate and undergraduate degree programs; a **// Research and Scholarship //** page, which hotlinks viewers to research by Temple faculty and to a chapter preview of the book **// Reading the Media: Media Literacy in High School English //** by Media Education Lab founder and Temple professor Renee Hobbs; and a **// Topics //** page, with links to 14 media literacy topics, including copyright/fair use, girls and media culture, and media literacy in urban schools.


 * Audience:** The primary audiences of the Media Education Lab are educators and scholars. Parents and advocates may also find useful information at this site.


 * What’s exciting:** Linked to the Teaching Resources page is // Assignment: Media Literacy, // a downloadable, 18-unit curriculum for elementary, middle school and high school students that provides a framework for instruction in social studies, language arts, and health education. A fun link on the same page takes you to the //IFC Media Project Quiz//, which evaluates participants’ responses about the media and ranks them as Media Savvy, Engaged but Cynical, Just for Kicks, or A Regular Joe.
 * Language:** The site is written in English.



Media Literacy Clearinghouse
http://www.frankwbaker.com/

The Media Literacy Clearinghouse (MLC) is the site of Frank W. Baker, an educational consultant and the first president of the National Association for Media Literacy (see entry below). The purpose of the site is educational, as it serves to disseminate information about media literacy at no cost to interested individuals.


 * Content summary: **Major content areas of the site are collections of links to various topics. Topics are categorized as follows: **// Concepts //** (e.g., audience, genre, production); **// Medium //** (e.g., magazines, photography, television, Web 2.0); **// Teaching Standards //**, which might be better titled “content area” (e.g., art, English/language arts, science); **// Most Popular //** ; and **// Other //** . The site also highlights new resources and news.


 * Audience: ** The primary audience is anyone interested in media literacy topics, most likely educators.


 * What’s exciting: ** The Concepts links are helpful, particularly for teachers wishing to hone in on discreet media concepts. Caution, the listings are very much like a telephone book in that some of the vast number of links are outdated or faulty. A random click on several of the links took the reviewer to a medical college website. To be fair, the site is so packed with links, that it would be hard to keep current.


 * Language: ** The site is written in English. Some links will direct users to foreign language sites.

NAMLE, The National Association for Media Literacy Education
http://namle.net/ NAMLE is a professional organization for media literacy practitioners and advocates. It has defined national core standards of media literacy education; publishes the Journal of Media Literacy Education (JMLE), a peer-reviewed online interdisciplinary journal; and hosts a national conference on media literacy. NAMLE is governed by a board of directors, and is funded by a variety of foundations, corporations and individuals.

In defining its vision, NAMLE calls media literacy “a basic life skill for the 21st century… (and) essential for a healthy democracy.” The mission of NAMLE is //t// // o expand and improve the practice of media literacy education in the United States. //

**Content summary:** Major content areas of the site include a **// Media Literacy //** page, which includes definitions, history, and support statements; **// Resources //** with both classroom materials and youth media productions; a **// Research //** page, including abstracts from a recent research summit; links to JMLE, conferences, media literacy news, and core principles.


 * Audience: **The primary audiences of the NAMLE site are teachers, librarians, researchers, students, parents and organizations.

**What’s exciting:** A huge asset at the NAMLE site is the comprehensive set of Core Principles of Media Literacy Education. Also, don’t overlook the link to the Journal of Media Literacy Education. 

**Language:** The site is written in English. The Core Principles document is available in Spanish.

Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College
http://www.ithaca.edu/looksharp/index.php

The Media Spot
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">http://themediaspot.org/