Media Literacy
Students learn the basics of media literacy and use history to better understand our world.
Nelson Vargas, JD; Law/Hist. Professor
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(491)
Popular
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
In this class, we examine current events and learn media literacy. I employ a student-centered approach, where I act as a facilitator asking questions and prompting discussions in order to promote critical thinking. Class participation will be encouraged, but not required. The information age has given rise to the internet, the 24-hour news cycle, and social media. Our expanded access to information now includes information that’s false or misleading. Political polarization, eroding trust in mainstream media and institutions, and a growing tendency to dismiss any information one doesn’t agree with, and it’s clear that media literacy – in particular, the ability to critically evaluate information has become vital. Students will review a current event article and discuss it. Students will be encouraged to look past the headlines and focus on how to think critically about media messages and create their own media thoughtfully and conscientiously.
Learning Goals
Students will learn to examine current events critically, looking at the historical context behind the latest news. I employ the Socratic method and will have students in later classes research and present on topics they have an interest in.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Students will be expected and required to respect different views and experiences. To this end, we will look at current events from varying perspectives, with a focus on objective and provable facts. The class will focus on multiple perspectives about current events. Consequently, multiple news sources from varying perspectives will be used. Class content and discussion will be based on fact and evidence and will be presented using an unbiased perspective, to the extent possible. Ground rules for classroom discussion will be set to create an atmosphere of respect and tolerance.
These grounds rules include:
No personal attacks.
Asking students to be open to and examine their own subtext.
Asking students to remain open to multiple perspectives.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
This class will use various news and historical sources to create and stimulate class discussion. Sources used to address current events topics will be from multiple perspectives and showcase different views. Source material will be used by the instructor to present facts related to current events topics, with the presentation focused on the "who, what, where, and when" of the event.
News sources used to prepare current events presentations may include popular news sources from varied news outlets. Historical sources relating to the historical view of the topic will include (but are not limited to) original source material, articles, and educational material from:
Media Literacy Now
Media Literacy Learning Clearing House
The National Archives
The Smithsonian
USA.Gov
The United States State Department
Westlaw
JSTOR
Joined August, 2020
5.0
491reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Juris Doctor in Political Science and Government from SUNY at Buffalo School of Law
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from SUNY at Albany
As required by Outschool regarding I have significant expertise in conflict resolution and mediation. I have received mediation training as part of my legal degree and receive continuing education training in both mediation and conflict resolution to retain my legal licensure. I have participated in several mediations and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. I have provided training in conflict resolution and de-escalation at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. In 2020 I co-taught a class on mediation at the Univerity of Maryland, School of Social Work. Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$25
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 10 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-13
1-10 learners per class
