Movies As History: Why Do Students Believe It?

Movies are not history and they will never be. Frank Baker ruminates on what students, and the rest of us, should think about when experiencing docu-dramas.

Getting ready for Super Bowl and teaching with the “text” of life

School library blogger Joyce Valenza references the upcoming Super Bowl game as teachable moment as well as the importance of teaching with and about media.

Teaching Students Visual Media Literacy

In the first part of this two-part essay, media educator Frank Baker uses the occasion of the movie award season to examine student engagement via media production. In this second installment, we look a little deeper into the components of visual media that make up a special language and “literacy” — and suggest ways teachers can begin to meet Common Core standards for the English Language Arts that address visual literacy.

New Gender Equality/Media Lessons Unveiled

In partnership with USA TODAY Education, SeeJane has unveiled a new series of lessons focused on gender, self-image and equality. This eight lesson curriculum introduces topics like media and bullying in the context of gender equality.

Teaching With Visual Literacy In Mind

Visual Literacy proponent/author Lynell Burmark explains why the use of images is so important in the classroom and how it can help teachers meet the challenges of getting through the curriculum and engaging students in skills and content they'll actually remember and apply after the test.

A Tribute to Media Literacy Advocate David Considine

After more than thirty years advocating for and advancing the state of media literacy education in the United States, Dr. David Considine, professor at Appalachian State University and creator and coordinator of the Graduate Program in Media Literacy, retired this year (2012).  Read the rest of the tribute here.

Using Film to Teach Common Core Skills

This secondary English teacher makes a convincing case for why ELA teachers should teach with and about film in order to reach many of the goals and objectives of the new Common Core Standards.