In even the youngest grade levels, students are using the internet to gather images and ideas for projects. If kids are going to be navigating online content as young as 6 or 7, it makes sense that as educators we’d be incorporating digital literacy into our lessons as soon as kids begin school. 

 

In Finland, digital media literacy is taught across all subjects and begins at an early age. In the following video, they discuss how Finland’s government policy on media literacy grew out of Cold War distrust of neighbouring Soviet Union’s disinformation within the media. It became crucial to teach citizens from a young age how to gauge the accuracy of what they read in the news and online. 

 

Fast forward to today, and we are experiencing a similar caution around misinformation and disinformation (coming from our Southern neighbour but also globally). 

Media literacy, when embedded within all subject areas, can build students capacity for critical thinking and deeper engagement with the content they consume.

What does this look like? Educator Peter Pappas and his students offer examples of how we can teach critical thinking and online engagement through science, writing, and math lessons in this ebook Lessons In Critical Thinking. It also means explicitly teaching kids about bias in the news and giving them the tools to identify misinformation, AI generated content, and ‘fake news’. This Bias in the News worksheet identifies where to look for bias within the elements of mediated information.

As educators, we can teach students how to be active participants in what content is being created online, and what content we choose to share and propagate.

We can teach students to mindfully engage with online information,

rather than be passive consumers of content.

We can offer them opportunities to think creatively and critically.

I am currently working on a Grade 8 Health Education Unit on body image, self esteem, and wellness. This is a great example of an opportunity to embed digital literacy within the curriculum.

Lessons offer students space to reflect on how media impacts their self perception. This includes bringing awareness to how social media algorithms can reduce our exposure to diverse and authentic images of beauty and health.
Digital literacy offers an opportunity to engage in anti-bias education, by showing students how to expand their mediated lens. 

We need to teach kids that online communities and social media can have a negative impact on their self-image, self-esteem, and mental health 

OR

they can provide gender-affirming, body-positive, culturally and racially reflective spaces that celebrate individuality and personal identity. 

….and that THEY have the power to choose. 

That power comes with critical engagement and education.

This great short video series aimed at youth and media shares those messages in clear and inclusive ways:

Creating body-positive authentic spaces using social media

 

How to stop comparing yourself to influencers

 

Body Kindness: Curate Your Social Media

 

You can find more examples on Butterfly.org.au

In a recent EDTC 300 class, Dr Katia Hildebrandt spoke about how we shape our digital narrative by stating the things that are important to us. This message, that we can actively curate our online presence, is an important one for young people. It directly connects to the outcomes in the grade 8 Health curriculum. 

The National Council of Teachers of English suggests we can teach students how to be ‘active and successful participants in a global society’. As educators we can do this by offering students the skills to critically and respectfully engage with online content, generate content responsibly, and contribute to a global community with ethics and activism