CML MediaLit Kit

When searching for literature for my thesis I found a lot of material on media literacy but it seemed the more I found the more confused I became on the subject.  It helped when I stumbled upon the CML MediaLit Kit. I think it's the most wise and well written on the subject and more importantly it combines theory and practice in a straightforward manner."  

Jonas Jakobsen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Like a map for a journey, the CML MediaLit Kit™ provides a vision and directions for successfully introducing media literacy in classrooms and community groups from preK to college. It offers a systematic way of constructing curriculum that is modular, flexible, replicable, measurable and scaleable -- and that meets 21st century needs.  The Kit  is comprised of all of CML's research and development work; a handy way to begin preparing for your own work  is through CML's free Global Onramp (see below).  

The CML MediaLit Kit™  provides, for the first time, an accessible, integrated, research-based teaching strategy needed to assist schools and districts in organizing and structuring teaching activities using a media literacy lens. Based on longstanding theoretical foundations and a research-based approach, education tools contained in the CML MediaLit Kit™ reflect a philosophy of empowerment through education and articulate the key components of an inquiry-based media literacy education.

The cornerstone of CML's approach rests with its basic frameworks, called the Empowerment Spiral of Awareness, Analysis, Reflection and Action, and CML's Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS), which feature the Five Core Concepts and the Five Key Questions of Media Literacy for both deconstruction or consumers of media, as well as construction or producers of media. (CML's Five Key Questions of Media Literacy for construction or producers of media are available in the second edition of CML's ground breaking book, Literacy for the 21st Century. The Empowerment Spiral, contained in Literacy for the 21st Century, provides a guide to decision-making and action.) 

Adopting CML's basic framework  creates a common vocabulary, generates common understandings and promotes consistent  instructional methodology across disciplines, across grade levels, across schools and districts, even states and nations. Using CML's Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions enables you to:

  • set your students on fire in the classroom
  • give them a filtering system for critical thinking and discernment about any media message, anywhere, anytime, anyhow
  • help them acquire content knowledge on a lifelong basis
  • significantly impact their health choices and behavior
  • show them how to represent themselves effectively as active citizens and contributors, and
  • dare we say it -- have a fun way to learn.

Most of all using the CML MediaLit Kit™ as the foundation for organizing and teaching media literacy in the PK-12 classroom, creates a 21st century learning environment  in which students gain the communicating, problem-solving, and decision-making skills needed for living all of their lives in a global media culture. 

The MediaLit Kit™ documents can be used individually or together, for training workshops, in-services, library reference and parent/community education as well as in the K-12 classroom.  The CML MediaLit Kit™ and its various elements are available for sale as well as for licensing to publishers, training organizations and service agencies needing an established framework for incorporating inquiry-based media literacy in their own products and services.

Resources  for Learning and Teaching in a Media Age

CML puts power into the hands of educators and students through the tools and resources contained in the CML MediaLit Kit.  Covering the Theory, Practice and Implementation of media literacy and based on CML's research-based framework,  several educator resources are available. 

If you are new to media literacy, we offer Global OnRamp resources to help you get started.  These materials explain the fundamentals of media literacy and our framework.  

Global OnRamp Resources  - Get Started!
Take advantage of the free downloads -- translations include Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Korean, and more.

Literacy for the 21st Century 2nd Edition explains the basics of media literacy

Theory

Practice

Implementation 

 …A marvelous piece of work – clear, concise, the distillation of the most available research and practice…As a framework for taking teachers through all of the necessary stages, components, ideas and assumptions about media literacy, it could scarcely be bettered. I hope it gets into the hands of every teacher in the land.”

Len Masterman, author, Teaching the Media

Sign-up for CML's monthly newsletter to keep current with the field and have access to MediaLit Moments, free activities using CML's Five Key Questions.