Thank you for visiting the website of the 2009 Conference of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) – the nation's largest, oldest, most prestigious gathering of media literacy educators.

Allow me to tell you about the conference and why YOU should attend.

It is your once-every-two-years opportunity to meet hundreds of media literacy colleagues, to share and learn with experts in the field and to plan together the future of the NAMLE organization and its mission to expand the field of media literacy education in the United States.

The infusion of new media into nearly every facet of our cultural, social and educational lives requires innovative multimodal approaches and interdisciplinary efforts to engage young people in deep learning about the world in which they are living.

The conference committee enthusiastically selected "Bridging Literacies: Critical Connections in a Digital World" as our conference theme and symbol. It is an apt metaphor for the educational challenges facing teachers, schools and administrators today.

All aspects of the conference will converge to encourage participants to "cross over" their own personal bridge to gather the new skills, ideas and attitudes needed to create an environment of learning that leads to empowerment, autonomy and effective citizenship in a global digital world.

Speakers Selected to Stimulate
We'll be inspired to step up to our bridge with Sonia Livingstone's compelling keynote based on her innovative research at the London School of Economics to determine how children use new media at home, at school and in their leisure time. Her results are proving to be surprising and provocative.

HOW to teach media literacy is the challenge we've given to our second Keynote speaker –Chris Sperry, Director of Curriculum for Project Look Sharp, at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. With his years of experience writing curriculum and teaching media literacy and NAMLE's Core Principles of Media Literacy Education as the map and guide he will escort us across our bridge to the land of teaching transformed!

Concurrent Sessions Offer Dozens of professional development opportunities
Following Sherri Hope Culver's NAMLE Presidential Address on Sunday morning, we'll move promptly into the first round of workshops and concurrent sessions selected from over 150 submissions. You'll want to check the schedule of concurrent sessions over the three days of the conference and select the very best mix of presentations and workshops for your own growth and professional development. If you need guidance, ask any of the NAMLE board members for their advice..

Let's Celebrate!
Meal events and celebrations such as the launching of the new NAMLE Journal of Media Literacy Education (Sunday night), the awarding of the Media Literate Media Awards (Saturday evening)and the Showcase of student-made media from the conference's M3 - Modern Media Maker's production camp, (Tuesday noon) provide nourishment for the body as well as inspiration for the soul.

And speaking of soul, be sure to sign up for Motown Monday Night!, NAMLE's celebration of the 50th anniversary of Detroit's own Motown Sound. Often the conference goes to an offsite outing for dinner on Monday night. With tips and taxis in addition to dinner, the evening is no longer affordable for many. To control costs this year, the hotel is preparing a special buffet dinner we can enjoy while the Motown Museum presents a fascinating history of the Motown Sound complete, perhaps, with a Motown "alum" or two. Once we start tapping our feet, it's time to fill the ballroom with the music of Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and other top Motown artists for dancing until - whenever! For only $40 for both food and entertainment it will be a unique night to remember.

But there's still more!

• A roomful of Exhibits by publishers, producers, media organizations
• A well stocked bookstore and resource center organized by the staff of TeachMedia Literacy.org, NAMLE's online marketplace and resource catalog. .
• The Media Gallery, a resource area where teachers can participate in mini-lessons to help them integrate web 2.0 tools in the classroom -- producing a podcast, creating a class blog or a "wiki," using digital cameras, etc.
• Evening film screenings from leading video producers and independent filmmakers.
• A display of project posters covering academic research projects, case studies, or the development of innovative curriculum materials.

In the Name of NAMLE
NAMLE members (and we hope that's everyone) will gather several times during the conference to conduct official business of the organization. NAMLE is experiencing a spurt of growth and help is needed to work on committees, run for the board of directors and spread the news about the organization. Be sure to attend the various Member Assemblies in order to learn how you can express your leadership in media literacy through NAMLE.

Why Detroit?
The Michigan caucus is excited to host the national conference in the Motor City. Despite any news to the contrary, Detroit is a vibrant, resilient city with an emerging technology, multi-media and film industry. Move over Hollywood! 32 TV and film productions were shot in Michigan last year alone, and Disney's new Wannabees TV show will be shot entirely in a Detroit metro area high school.

Detroit is a city with stimulating cultural and intellectual life and hardworking citizens who are building a city of the future. There's no better place for NAMLE to convene in 2009 than Detroit!

As for cost, you can attend four days of the NAMLE conference at unheard-of low rates. Registration fees begin at only $240. The hotel is offering a double room for the same price as a single ($122) so bring a colleague and cut your hotel cost in half. Airlines, too, have great deals if you buy your tickets early.

So register today! Have a great summer and I'll look forward to seeing you in Detroit August 1-4.

Sharon Sellers-Clark
2009 Conference Chair