Books: Media Meltdown – A Graphic Guide Adventure (in media literacy!)

As a media producer, educator and outspoken advocate of emergent media pedagogy (social and participatory media, Remix culture, Open Source publishing and production, Creative Commons open licensing and citizen media in all forms), I’m delighted to announce the launch of my (full disclosure) partner, author, Liam O’Donnell‘s newest graphic novel, Media Meltdown. While I am indeed biased, the new graphic novel (for readers aged 8-14) speaks to the most critical aspects of media literacy in fun, engaging and pedagogically relevant ways.

The publisher has also provided a variety of materials – including the entire book and supplementary materials for EDUCATORS! - at the online site that accompanies the book launch. Here’s more info from the site:

As an educator, you understand the value of teaching your students to become media literate. Today’s world is radically different than the one most of us grew up in. It’s important for us to help kids learn to competently navigate the issues surrounding Internet safety, privacy, cyberbullying and online marketing.

Kids are relatively inexperienced in the game of life, and they often lack the ability to evaluate information critically. But they’re no less subjected to pushy marketing or skewed information than the rest of us. It’s incumbent upon us—their teachers, librarians and parents—to equip them with the tools that will help them make good decisions in the face of biased, misleading or hateful information.

Literacy today means more than just knowing how to read and write. For centuries, literate people were those who could read and understand texts. Nowadays, visual images are equally important in conveying ideas. But who’s teaching kids to read the meaning of visual images?

You are. Media education is powerful, offering you dozens of opportunities to capitalize on the “teachable moments” in your students’ world. It’s relevant to kids’ lives; it integrates with every subject across the curriculum; it develops critical thinking; and it’s easy to bring into your classroom. Best of all, kids enjoy media education, because they get to discuss and examine what they are naturally drawn to!

A few key points to examine with students:

1. Media do not represent reality. They convey carefully crafted ideas and information from one perspective.
2. Most new information comes to us through newspapers, the Internet, television, radio, advertising or magazines. Unless we learn from personal experience, we find out about events and ideas through the media.
3. Media use specific techniques to create emotional effects. Ever cried at a movie? Laughed at an ad? Our feelings are easily manipulated. The media use this fact to whatever advantage they seek.

Your students probably will have even more experience with the media than you do. So prepare yourself. Meet them where they are—and then guide them to where they need to be.