Media Literacy Week: what to do?!

By Emily Keating, Director of Education

Congratulations to the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) on its FIRST EVER US Media Literacy Week. I was honored to join NAMLE’s Leadership Council last year as this initiative was just an idea and I can’t be more proud of my colleagues in following through and soaring above every expectation for this inaugural event.

Media Literacy Week is designed to bring attention and visibility to media literacy education in the United States. Inspired by Canada’s Media Literacy Week, now in its 10th year, NAMLE’s event will showcase the work of inspiring media literacy educators and organizations around the country. Collectively, our staggeringly large list of partners will highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today.

So, to help answer the question, what to do?! How to participate?! We have a few great JBFC-style solutions:

1. First, start with the basics: the ABC’s of Media Literacy!
We’ve got the perfect tool for the job: JBFC’s Visual Glossary! You can literally watch film language definitions come to life on your screen. Press play on a whole list of film clips and watch some of our greatest visual storytellers put vocabulary terms in context, using concepts and techniques to create iconic imagery, memorable characters, and powerful stories. A is for Aerial Shot!

2. Next, try your hand at a View Now Do Now (VNDN) activity.
To celebrate Media Literacy Week, JBFC educators have come up with a special View Now Do Now for the event! VNDNs are mini-projects that spark creativity and get participants into the heart of the JBFC’s mission with fun hands-on activities. We all know a picture is worth a thousand words, and those words tell a story. Give our special VNDN a try and share your story with the world.

3. Check out the calendar of events and attend a Media Literacy Week celebration in person!
On Monday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 PM the JBFC’s Executive Director, Edie Demas will be part of a panel entitled Exploring Media Literacy with the Children’s Media Industry. We invite you to join us in conversation at Fordham University in the Bronx. The presentation will explore the following question: “what is media literacy and how can we be mindful to use good practices when creating and producing content?” Afterwards, guests will break into small groups and participate in media literacy activities related to children’s media content. 

4. Show your support for the JBFC.
At our Media Arts Lab and in schools throughout the New York region we work to make every week media literacy week. Thanks to the generosity of our volunteers and donors, the JBFC has been actively engaged in the work of media literacy education for over 15 years. If you’d like to help us keep this work alive and vibrant, consider making a donation, signing up as a volunteer with our educational programs, or becoming a member of the JBFC community. We couldn’t do it without the overwhelming support we’ve received throughout the years.