Media Literacy In and Out of the Classroom

In this digital age, young people are not only eager to learn about and discuss the realities of media ownership, production, and distribution, they also deserve to understand the differential power structures in how media influences our culture. Professor of media studies and founding member of the Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas, Nolan Higdon brings expertise in podcasting, digital culture, propaganda, and news media history to this important conversation. His book The Media And Me: A Guide To Critical Media Literacy for Young People explores critical inquiry skills to provide young people with the tools and perspectives to become empowered and autonomous media users. As a Fulbright Scholar teaching critical information literacy and media bias workshops to high school students and teachers in Norway, Berkeley City College librarian Heather Dodge offers insight directly from the classrooms about how media literacy education is being implemented to help young people form a multidimensional comprehension of what they read and watch. Berkeley High School librarian Meredith Irby and Washington Elementary School librarian Jackie Overlid bring firsthand perspectives about what media literacy looks like in the public schools. Moderated by Jessica Lee, Coordinator for Library Services and Instructional Technology lead for the Berkeley Unified School District, this illuminating panel will discuss what works well and what gaps we need to fill in order to help our youth evolve from passive consumers of media to engaged critics and creators.