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Selection Criteria: TeachMediaLiteracy.org How we choose resources for teaching media literacy as a 21st Century skill. Approved by NAMLE Board of Directors: December 15, 2008 TeachMediaLiteracy.org is an e-commerce website developed and maintained as a service to the field by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE). Also called the "NAMLE Marketplace" it offers a collection of carefully screened and evaluated resources for teaching and learning in the media literacy education field, including books, DVDs, CD-Roms and multi-media curriculum programs suitable primarily for preK-16 education. Secondary markets include afterschool programs, religious youth ministry, and youth and parent community-based projects. Additional resources support the study, theory and practice of media literacy education as a growing academic discipline . We also focus on titles that can provide low-cost professional development opportunities, including books that support and engage teachers in new ways of teaching using current and emerging technological tools. Of special interest are titles that help teachers prepare students for learning and living in a 21st century global media culture. We are not just consumers of media but creators, circulators, connectors and collaborators. Media literacy education provides multiple opportunities for integrating the use of new media-- from blogs to wikis to podcasting - into instructional objectives. Because our field is new, many resources on this site will not say they have been created specifically for teaching "media literacy". But our knowledgeable staff can identify those valuable instructional materials that are readily adaptable for use in any inquiry-based classroom in which the teacher wants to integrate media literacy concepts and activities. Review Process Our review process is on-going throughout the year and releases are announced every few weeks on the website, in NAMLE Update and in special marketing announcements. Materials are selected using the following criteria as a guideline:
1. Purpose. Resources are selected that will enable educators to teach people of all ages to develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression that they need to be critical thinkers, effective communicators and active citizens in today's world.
2. Content. To reflect NAMLE's focus on education, the Marketplace will focus primarily on carrying materials that are relevant to or support media literacy education in schools (preK-16), after-school programs, community, and religious organizations. Resources will generally fall into one of the three following categories:
The Marketplace does not attempt to be a comprehensive collection of every book or resource in the field nor is it an automatic showcase for resources authored by NAMLE members. We believe that NAMLE's Marketplace can best contribute to the advancement of media literacy education by setting standards of pedagogy and practice by which a resource can be effectively evaluated by the end user. If a resource is advertised on TeachMediaLiteracy,org, NAMLE members and customers can count on its excellence as well as its usefulness.
The NAMLE Marketplace does not accept publications / productions that use hate speech or language that promotes discrimination or unjust bias, including but not limited to, language that is racist, sexist, or homophobic..
3. Pedagogy. The Marketplace looks for resources that outline or describe specific classroom strategies that are compatible with 21st century learning and are in alignment with NAMLE's Core Principles of Media Literacy Education. They should support an approach of empowerment through inquiry-based education, not rhetorical bashing, blame or censorship. Some practical examples of this include:
In order to stimulate and practice critical thinking, it is important for students to be exposed to media that reflect multiple interpretations of society and of human life, especially resources that challenge anti-democratic perspectives. Therefore the Marketplace may also select resources that break stereotypes or challenge status quo thinking, whether or not the resource aligns 100% with the Core Principles. Such resources, in whole or in part, may still be useful to teachers who pick and choose from a variety of instructional resources in order to stimulate student research, discussion and self-discovery. Instructional materials of any kind will be rejected by the reading committee if there is no clear pedagogy, if they determine that topics are inadequately researched or poorly edited, or if the resource promotes simplistic interpretations of complex issues, proposes a style of questioning that leads to dead-end arguments, or suggests activities that are not age-appropriate. 4. Source. All materials must come from authors and publishers or producers with rigorous editorial and research standards. We specialize in hard-to-find resources from independent publishers as well as suitable materials from other countries, especially Canada, Australia and England. Self-published resources will be reviewed on a case by case basis. 5. Availability. NAMLE must have assurance from the publisher/producer that a resource will be available for a reasonable amount of time into the future. Educational usage rights (circulation in a school district, building closed circuit and public performance) must be available for all video, CD-Rom or DVD resources. 6. Price. In order for the NAMLE Marketplace to be competitive and financially viable, resources available on TeachMediaLiteracy.org must be affordable for educators and for purchase in reasonable inventory quantities at a wholesale discount of at least 40%. We prefer to stock paperback editions of books that are less than $50 and electronic resources that are less than $5/minute. 7. Instructional Standards. Because instructional standards differ from state to state, it is impossible to connect any one resource to all possible standards in all 50 states. Instead each curriculum resource in the marketplace is coded using a list of over 100 typical standards phrases. Authors/producers will be expected to aid Marketplace staff in identifying appropriate coding for their work(s). Process for Evaluation of Category I Materials: The Marketplace Curriculum Reading Group is appointed by the NAMLE Board of Directors for a two year term and shall consist of the Marketplace coordinator/curator and at least two NAMLE members with qualifications in curriculum development for media literacy education. The group will meet informally as needed but no less than three (3) times a year to evaluate new titles. Deadlines for submission of Category I materials are
Evaluative comments, pro or con, of the reading group may be posted on the appropriate product page at www.TeachMediaLiteracy.org As a service to NAMLE members who may be authors or producers, a member of the reading committee may meet with the author, upon request, to share the complete evaluation. Commercial publishers and producers may request a representative of the Reading Group to share the group's evaluation for a minimal cost of $100 to cover time and expenses. If you would like to have educational materials considered for distribution by the NAMLE Marketplace please contact us at Marketplace@namle.net. • • • • • 2008 - 2010 Marketplace Curriculum Reading Group • Faith Rogow, PhD, Insighters Educational Consulting, Ithaca, NY • Gretchen Schwarz, PhD, Professor in Curriculum Studies, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa • Jeff Share, PhD, Faculty Advisor / Teacher Education, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA • Elizabeth Thoman, Marketplace coordinator / curator |
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