As you’re preparing your entry for submission, we encourage you to check out some of the resources that are organized according to the following topics:
- Diverse materials on kindness (books, websites, movies and films, posters, discussions, etc.)
- Media Literacy
- Copyright, Privacy and Security.
Kindness
Check out the following link which introduces many books on kindness for children to read and discuss. This site presents 11 books on kindness for preschoolers; here is another link to 24 picture books to teach children about kindness; one more resource to find picture books on kindness and empathy for girls; here are seven books about kindness for teenagers.
The stories on kindness for elementary schoolchildren written by a very famous Ukrainian educator Vasily Sukhomlinsky will be very helpful in starting a conversation and stimulating a discussion. The stories have been translated into English by an Australian educator Alan Cockerill.
Here is a source that teaches kindness through games with children and one more called the Great Kindness Challenge. This one presents movies to watch on World Kindness Day.
UNESCO Mahatma Ghandi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development believes in creating a Culture of Kindness and has collected over a million acts of kindness.
Kindness in Circles Story in English | Stories for Teenagers
Be Kind | A Children’s Story about things that matter
A short story on kindness on YouTube
Media Literacy
Media literacy has never been more important than it is today! During this pandemic, the media we create as well as that which we consume can play a major part in our day’s activity. Whether you’re searching for information or creating something to share with others, media literacy educators encourage you to ask questions about what you’re watching, hearing or reading. Take a second look by trying to analyze, evaluate and reflect upon what you’re consuming and you might be surprised at what you’ll discover!
Of course, learning to effectively communicate via the media has become vital for citizens in this 21st century. Attempt to broaden your media experiences as you explore new techniques and tools you’ve not tried before. Learn to express your own voice creatively while remembering that your ability to apply your critical thinking skills as you work will prove invaluable for you as a media producer. While there are many media literacy resources available throughout the world, this list is designed to offer just some of them.
Action for Media Education (AME) has been advocating for media literacy education in the United States since 1991. Check out AME’s website to learn more about media literacy education. Also view some of the projects in which AME has been engaged that include serving as a catalyst for Washington State to become the first state in the US to pass media literacy legislation in 2016.
California Department of Education Media Literacy Resources
As a result of legislation passed in 2019, California has been compiling a collection of resources for teachers, teacher-librarians, administrators and others. These resources include media literacy curriculums, collections of media literacy lessons and media production resources.
Consortium for Media Literacy introduces 5 media literacy key concepts and 5 key questions in lessons and short activities such as the activity entitled “Checking the Fact-Checkers.”
The Critical Media Project provides free media literacy web resources for young people (8-21) and educators. This project, offered by USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at University of Southern California, examines media literacy and issues such as gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
The Media Literacy Clearinghouse, compiled by nationally known media literacy consultant, Frank Baker, offers an extensive database of classroom resources. This vast collection of resources includes several ideas for media projects you might like to produce.
LAMP—Learning About Multimedia Project
The LAMPlatoon Media Breaker shows you how to comment on advertising. Check out what some young people have done to directly edit commercials. Also visit this site to learn how to talk back to the media by making your own podcasts, videos and more.
The Media Education Lab, located at the University of Rhode Island, offers a wide variety of media literacy resources. As you start thinking about your media project, check out some of the free multimedia resources the Media Education Lab offers for ideas.This guide “helps learners to practice talking about their feelings and needs in ways that are meant to promote compassion, empathy and genuine understanding.”
Media Smarts, developed by Canada’s Centre for Digital & Media Literacy, offers a vast collection of free online resources for teachers as well as parents. Visit this site for many project ideas as well as more background information to help increase your understanding of digital and media literacy.
MediaWise is a digital literacy project sponsored by the Poynter Foundation. The Poynter Foundation has partnered with the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) and plans to reach middle and high school teens with a new curriculum SHEG has developed. The new curriculum based on SHEG research is focused on developing fact-checking skills.
National Association for Media Literacy Education
The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) has members from across the United States. We especially encourage you to visit NAMLE’s Resources. There you’ll find information designed to help increase understanding of what is meant by the term “media literacy.” NAMLE’s Resource Hub offers a wide array of lesson plans and other resources submitted by members.
National Telemedia Council (NTC) has been promoting media literacy education since 1953. Although their work has focused largely on projects in the United States, they have a long history of working with many international partners. NTC began producing its Journal of Media Literacy in the 1980s.
Project Look Sharp is an initiative of Ithaca College. The website offers a variety of free lesson plans and materials.
Rock Your World is a project of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. This site is designed to help young people find the human rights issue that inspires them to take action. On this site you’ll find production tips to help you create media products such as films, public service announcements, songs and more.
Two Important Issues to Consider When Producing Your Own Media Project
Although copyright and issues of privacy and security are certainly issues that some of the media literacy websites we include above have addressed, we felt it was important to give them special attention here. The resources offered in this next section will directly address these two very important subjects.
Copyright, Privacy and Security
Today it may seem that everyone is posting and sharing something online that they or others have created. What are some of the ground rules to know if you’re planning to publish your work online?
When is it okay to reuse or share material others have created in the work you’re planning to produce? When is it necessary to get the artist’s permission before you decide to do this?
To learn more about copyright and what’s called “fair use,” we asked Barbara Soots, Open Education Resources and Instructional Materials Program Manager at Washington State’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for resources she would recommend. Here are some of her suggestions:
Copyright and Creativity: For Ethical Digital Citizens
This resource offers important information about copyright presented in lessons designed for students enrolled in K-12 schools throughout the US. Check out the lessons for your grade level and find out more about copyright, its protections and its limitations. Also find out how you can successfully use and rely on copyright as you create your own media products. It’s important to note that the material presented here focuses on copyright in the United States. While other countries have similar frameworks, rules may differ on certain concepts such as fair use.
Students as Creators: Exploring Copyright
This lesson designed by educator Cassandra Love addresses ethical issues that should be considered regarding use and ownership of copyrighted material. She also includes some featured resources as well as a suggested reading list.
Puppets Glove and Boots try to explain some of the basics about copyright as it applies to material placed on YouTube. Their friend Fred Lohmann, described here as YouTube’s “Big Wig” lawyer gives them some help along the way.
Crash Course Intellectual Property
Stan Muller, a producer and director for Crash Course, introduces the basics of copyright in a series of videos. Check out Copyright 1 and 2 along with his videos on Intellectual IP Law and YouTube, Copyright and the Future.
If you would like a very quick introduction to some of the important issues to consider about copyright, check out this animation from Common Sense Media. Pay special attention to the four points of fair use that are discussed here.
Find out what Creative Commons is all about and how it can be a great resource where you can locate material you are able to use free of charge. Also find out how Creative Commons can help you distribute your own creations. Creative Commons provides everyone all over the world with a free, simple and standardized way to grant copyright permissions for their work. Through Creative Commons you’re assured that you will receive credit for products you’ve created (proper attribution) while giving others the opportunity to use, copy and share them.