Discovering Media Literacy: Teaching Digital Media and Popular Culture in Elementary School (Corwin/Sage, 2013) gives you all the tools you need to explore digital and media literacy with children ages 5 - 12, both in and out of school. In this book, you'll see dozens of examples of how teachers and students in an urban elementary school explored concepts of digital and media literacy through play and learning.
The website companion DISCOVERMEDIALITERACY.COM also supports those who are interested in offering staff development programs to pre-service and in-service educators, as well as media professionals interested in working with children to explore media. Visit the website to see lesson plans for staff development programs with teachers, along with videos and student work samples linked to our book!
When children engage in the critical analysis of popular culture, they are inspired to use the power of communication and expression to compose, develop and share their ideas. Digital and media literacy is an expanded conceptualization of literacy to include not only reading and writing, but speaking, listening, viewing, creating, and sharing through all of the media in our lives. We are especially interested in how to explore mass media, popular culture and digital media with children, helping children access information, analyze media messages, create messages, reflect on our experiences with and through media, and use media sand technology to make our voices heard in the world.