Project Look Sharp, an Ithaca College non-profit media literacy initiative, has been cooperated with educators to create free, inquiry-based, standards-aligned media analysis lessons that integrate key subject area content and skills with critical questioning habits. As a learning object repository, it offers free lessons and materials for professional development in a variety of subject areas and levels. A wide range of capacity-building training and support for successful media literacy and critical thinking integration in classroom curricula at all levels of education. It contains particular instructions on the subject of library/information literacy and social studies. It emphasized critical thinking, creativity, literacy, intercultural understanding, citizenship, knowledge, and sustainability, while also emphasizing the importance of information literacy at all levels of society.
Type of Material:
Learning Object Repository
Recommended Uses:
Educators can use the ready-made curriculum kits and lesson plans for their students; these resources are grouped by academic domain as well as having a general media literacy strand. The lessons can be used as a way to integrate media literacy as an introduction or enrichment of subject matter. Activities help students learn to habitually ask key questions; assess truth, credibility, and accuracy in media messages; and gain metacognitive skills.
Technical Requirements:
Any web browser available to any operating system and in any mobile phone device
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Learners become media literate. Educators integrate media literacy into curricula.
Target Student Population:
Grade School, Middle School, High School, College General Ed, General education students, K-20 Pre- and in-service educators and librarians
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
basic ICT literacy and instructional skill
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This website provides educators collection of over 500 media analysis lessons and over 70 professional development materials with content-specific and generic media literacy curricula. Arranged by subject area/grade, the collection is well organized and easy to follow. Content can be accessed as a collection or as an independent lesson plan, and used directly for different subjects. Some content is translated into different languages. The information is accurate and current, created by teachers and media specialists; the website exists under the auspices of Ithaca College. The website also links to articles about the project. The website also links to other media literacy resources and organizations; links work and are appropriately attributed.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The website's goals align with ICT literacy standards. The project wants teachers to integrate media literacy into the curriculum so students will become media literate. The instructional approach greatly encourages educators and students to not only analyze the media message they encounter; but to also reflect on why other educators think differently. The curriculum clusters lessons, and the ready-made materials are also progressive developmentally (elementary through college). The lessons themselves typically use an inquiry-based constructivist approach to learn and practice media literacy in real-life applications. Teachers can choose specific media decoding activities and lessons for teaching to certain standards and grade levels because all lesson materials are related to specific common core standards.
Concerns:
Coverage is uneven.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site is visually appealing. Lessons are detailed and clear; the activities are interactive, some more than others. The materials themselves are more textual than expected, although they link to media.
Concerns:
The website itself is complex-looking and can be confusing to navigate. Sometimes the information is laid out ineffectively and inefficiently. Some technology plug-ins are needed, such as ZIP availability. No HELP feature is available, although the user can contact the website. The website and media do not appear to be ADA-compliant. To access much of the material, one needs to register (free); there is also pressure to purchase their products and services. Some links to social media platforms need updating
.
Creative Commons:
Search by ISBN?
It looks like you have entered an ISBN number. Would you like to search using what you have
entered as an ISBN number?
Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
