A Media Literacy Requirement That Starts In Kindergarten? New Jersey May Start The Trend
The state of New Jersey is considering a new requirement for students to learn how to identify and counter misinformation. On November 21, the New Jersey legislature passed a bill that would make it mandatory for public schools to teach media literacy. Media literacy, also known as information literacy, refers to the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using various forms of communication. This bill aims to increase students’ understanding of the influence of media in their lives and the importance of critical thinking when engaging with media.
Sherri Hope Culver, the director of Temple University’s Center for Media and Information Literacy, describes media literacy as the ability to comprehend the impact of media and effectively communicate using it. The bill comes at a time when students are spending more time online and the media landscape is becoming increasingly complex. With the abundance of information, both credible and unreliable, it is crucial for children to develop critical thinking skills to navigate through it.
Olga Polites, leader of the New Jersey chapter of Media Literacy Now, emphasizes the connection between mis- and disinformation and the very threats to democracy. Polites believes that teaching K-12 students the skills to identify credible sources of information, ask questions, and create their own information will contribute to a more informed and responsible citizenry.
While media literacy education is not new in K-12 schools, New Jersey would be the first state to mandate the teaching of media literacy skills at every grade level, from kindergarten to 12th grade, if the bill is signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy. The bill has received unanimous support and endorsement from several education associations in New Jersey.
In other states like Illinois, media literacy is a required subject for high school students. However, many states only have media literacy standards developed by education departments without the requirement for schools to actually teach those skills.
The New Jersey bill will task the state’s education department with developing curriculum guidelines for media literacy. This will be done in collaboration with a committee of certified school library media specialists, subject-area teachers, and media literacy experts. The department will also conduct public hearings across the state to gather input on the developed standards.
An earlier version of the bill included provisions for in-service training and teacher preparation on media literacy, but those requirements were removed in the final version.
By incorporating media literacy into legislation, teachers will recognize its significance and allocate adequate time to teach and develop students’ media literacy skills. Despite the importance of media literacy, educators often prioritize topics that are tested and evaluated, leaving less room for media literacy instruction.
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