Hathaway Brown discovers the power of media literacy for students in the 21st century

Today, globalized media has the potential power to replace parents and schools as socializing agents for children. Media literacy instruction helps students "filter" media messages through accepted community norms, and prepares them to evaluate risks, make wise choices, define their own ethical principles, and participate as members of a democratic society. Critical thinking skills are the central tools through which to acquire and apply content knowledge in the disciplines. With its inquiry-based and process-oriented pedagogy, media literacy offers a systematic framework for acquiring new knowledge across all disciplines. Media literacy helps students acquire the critical thinking skills they need to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and participate with the powerful images, words, and sounds through which much information is delivered in the 21st century.