Is Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship Like Flossing or Ice Cream?

As a former district administrator (who helped lead media literacy and digital citizenship across 30+ schools), I’ll admit that it often felt like flossing — one more thing for teachers and students. 

Important? Yup. Easy to neglect? Yup.

I’ll be kicking off a series of six OSPI webinars (free!) on media literacy and digital citizenship beginning in December designed for administrators and leaders who want to enhance media literacy and digital citizenship instruction in their schools. 

Featuring national leaders in these fields, each webinar will help leaders and educators find ways to enhance media literacy and digital citizenship instruction by connecting them to existing strategic school and district initiatives. 

Whether your focus is social and emotional learning or preparing 21st century graduates, like ice cream after a big meal, there is always a little space to help your kids build media literacy and digital citizenship skills in the classroom or library. These webinars will build your understanding of these topics and help you find strategic connections to what’s already happening in your schools. 

Each webinar will have a different focus so you can select those which fit your schedule or local needs. (If you can’t join, they will be recorded for later viewing.) We’re encouraging participants to identify one or more ‘buddies’ to ride along. That way, someone can tune in if others cannot. And you’ll have media literacy and digital citizenship partners to help plan your next steps.

Webinar schedule

(all meetings are 5:00 - 6:30 and will be recorded)

• December 7 - Guest speaker, Mark Ray

  • Why ML&DC instruction matters and how it can support the success of existing plans & goals 

• January 11 - Guest speaker, Faith Rogow

  • What's already going on in your building(s)

  • Scope & sequence options

• February 8 - Guest speaker, Jamie Nunez 

  • How digital citizenship instruction solves problems before they happen

  • Common Sense Media integration resources 

• March 7 - Guest speaker, Faith Rogow

  • Curriculum-driven opportunities for integrating Media Literacy
    Best options for building teacher capacity

• March 28 - Guest speaker, Kristen Mattson

  • What's the digital citizenship culture in your building(s)
    More ideas for curriculum integration

• May 2 - Guest speaker, Faith Rogow

  • Next steps and what you need to take those steps

After becoming the 2012 Washington State Teacher of the Year, I wrote an op-ed in the Seattle Times about ‘truthiness’ and media literacy. In 2012, media literacy was still something we could chuckle at. Today, media literacy and digital citizenship are no longer a laughing matter. 

Thankfully, Washington state and OSPI are prioritizing media literacy and digital citizenship learning in our schools. This unique offering for school and district leaders is a way to ensure more students learn essential media literacy and digital citizenship as they learn and grow in your schools.

Registration and Contact Info

Register on pdEnroller for these FREE webinars! Zoom details will be provided after registration.