Developing Media Literacy In Schools

Current circumstances demand that we rely more and more on the digital world to connect, educate, and create, accessing constantly evolving technology and media. In today’s world, how do we inspire students in their digital citizenship and media literacy, and develop their creative potential using technology?

Our Film, Photo and Digital Media Artists lead students with all levels of experience and access to technology, creating projects aligned with subject-specific learning goals in STEAM, English Language Arts, Visual Art, and more. We hope to inspire students to develop their media literacy, tell their stories, share their voices, and connect with their communities using the medium that now powers their world.

All of our Teaching Artists are vetted for their professional work and experience engaging children and youth. Our stellar ELAN Artists specializing in Film, Photo & Digital Media includes:

Sam Asmar, Alyssa Kuzmarov, Jay Lemieux, Joan Sullivan, Kiran Ambwani, Raison d’art, Tanis Saucier, Tina Teneriello, Kathleen Walsh-Moleski, Karin Hazé

What Does Film, Photo & Digital Media Offer To Schools?

Our Teaching Artists agree that one of the strengths of their discipline is storytelling. Through storytelling, students get to know themselves better and become more savvy consumers. One example of this is Teaching Artist Sam Asmar’s workshop The Marketing Brainiacs Make a Video Ad, in which students explore their favorite brands. With Sam’s guidance students create their own products, write commercial scripts, perform on camera, and then edit a final video. One parent enthused about the “Make a Video Ad” workshop, “The live workshops were fun and engaging. My son loved the class – one of the best online experiences he’s had so far.”

Fostering Media Literacy: A Crucial Tool For Today’s Students

Teaching Artist Jessie Curell of Hands On Media Education underlines the need for students and teachers to learn and develop skills related to digital and media literacy. “We’ve seen the increase of online activity go through the roof for most students and families,” she says, but there hasn’t been that same increase in media education. And so that’s what we’re really trying to fill.” As Jessie says, the best way “to understand how media is made… is to make your own.” Her digital storytelling workshop covers the three stages of pre-production, production and editing, and copyright and ethical issues of media creation.

Director and Teaching Artist Alyssa Kuzmarov considers the Digital Arts as “extra important right now because youth in schools are going through so much. They have so many extra restrictions and extra stressors and extra anxieties, and filmmaking is such a powerful way of getting people to tell their stories, of making meaning of what’s happening to them.” To these ends, Alyssa leads programs designed as platforms for self-expression in which students learn invaluable social skills such as communication and teamwork through making music videos or short documentaries.

Fostering Connection And Teamwork Through Film

Videographer and Teaching Artist and Chris Alsop stresses that making art is about connection. “The goal of creating… is to connect with the viewer, to connect with the audience, and you know connection today is definitely in short supply. I would argue that film and video, and arts actually in general, are needed now more than they ever have been.” According to Chris, Film and Video teaches valuable skills such as “problem solving and thinking outside the box. It teaches technology. It promotes continuous learning, and at the core of film and video production, it’s teamwork.” Concerned about access to technology? As Chris says, “the beauty with learning film and video production in 2021 is the abundance of material online, and it’s all free.”

Get in touch with ArtistsInspire and let our experts guide your students in workshops and activities that will bolster their creative skills using the technology and platforms which drive our digital world.

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Jessie Curell of Hands On Media Education on the importance of media & digital literacy in schools

Chris Alsop on What Film & Video Bring to Schools Today

Filmmaker Alyssa Kuzmarov discusses what Film & Media bring to schools and students

For more information, see:

Artist Profiles (select Film & Video in the search engine)

School Grant guidelines and application

For students’ work from Sam Asmar’s ArtistsInspire workshop ‘Make a Video Ad’:  Quick links Sam1, Sam2, Sam3, Sam4