Journal Article

Media literacy is common sense: Bridging common core standards with the media experiences of digital learners

Redmond, Theresa

2015

Overview

The purpose of this article is to investigate the concept of \"texts\" and how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) affords teachers opportunities to implement media literacy education, in turn providing developmentally and culturally responsive middle level practice and promoting 21st century skills. This has implications for middle level teachers seeking to meet and move beyond Common Core Standards in ways that extend and expand notions of text while also supporting middle level practice and 21st century skills. The article begins by contextualizing media use by adolescent learners in the 21st century, briefly reporting the time teens spend with media and technology and how the media affects them. This discussion is followed by a brief examination of the Common Core's concept of texts, seeking to define the concept in alignment with research and scholarship on 21st century skills. Perspectives and practice from a case of media literacy instruction is then described, including accounts of teaching and learning activities that integrate a variety of texts. In conclusion, suggestions are offered for connecting Common Core Anchor Standards with responsive and relevant curricula for reaching and teaching middle school students in the 21st century.

• Publisher: Association for Middle Level Education,Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subject: 21st Century Skills / Academic Standards / Access to Education / Adolescents / Affirming Adolescents Consistently throughout Middle Schools / Bias / Case Studies / Child development / Children & youth / Cognition & reasoning / Communication / Content Analysis / Core curriculum / Curricula / Discussion Groups / Education / Educational Research / Grounded Theory / Integrated Activities / Interviews / Learning / Learning experiences / Literacy / Literacy Education / Mass Media / Mass Media Use / Media Literacy / Middle School Students / Middle schools / Observation / Printing / Program Effectiveness / Program Evaluation / Reading / Reading instruction / Relevance (Education) / Secondary Education / Secondary school curricula / Social studies / State Standards / Teacher Surveys / Teachers / Teaching / Teaching Methods / Teenagers / Thinking Skills