by Paul Mihailidis

Think about all the different ways we interact with media. From the moment we wake in the morning until our heads hit the pillows at night, we walk in a maze of media messages. We no longer only receive media messages, but also create messages on a daily basis-whether we are text messaging, blogging, or shooting video through our cell phones!

In this media-centric age, we as teachers and parents can use the classroom to teach about the various and complex implications of our constant engagement with media. That's why NAMLE has created its six Core Principles for Media Literacy Education. These principles are meant to help us better understand how we can teach media literacy to provide students the skills and critical thought to better "read" and enjoy the media.

In my classroom this winter I used Core Principle One to discuss the primary election campaigns and new media. Core Principle One states that:

Media Literacy Education requires active inquiry and critical thinking about the messages we receive and create.

My students each followed a political candidate's use of online media to help learn about how candidates use new media to help their campaign, and how we (the people) use media to create a national dialogue about the candidates, the issues, and the election at large.

Here's a brief recap of three main ways I used Core Principle One in my classroom!

• My students and I explored media's role in their life by having them discuss how the media works to influence their values, beliefs, and decisions. Every time we talked about a politician's primary campaign, we found an interesting way to relate it to our personal lives, social lives, and larger community.
  
  
• I reminded my students that creating media is a HUGE part of learning to think critically about media. I had them create blogs (Wordpress.com) to present their political information!
  
  
• I also taught critical thinking by allowing my students to find out the slants, angles, and intentions in the media by making them compare and contrast mainstream media, online media, with each other and within each style. They learned, firsthand, where media is credible, diverse, and independent, and when they are bending, pushing the story to different degrees.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Core Principle one!

To get you thinking, here are a few general questions:

1. How do you use core principle one in your classroom?

2. What teaching styles do you use to teach critical thinking and appreciation?

3. How are students producing media in your classroom?