Media literacy is a skill of the 21st century

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@Ani-Bareghamyan thanks very informative post

@Ani-Bareghamyan
Hello Sister,
As-salamo-aliqum,

it's wonderful to hear how you're integrating ICT tools into your fine arts classes to enhance media literacy. I also use various ICT tools in my lessons to engage students and develop their 21st-century skills. Here are some strategies I've found effective:

Interactive Presentations: I use tools like Google Slides to create dynamic and engaging presentations. These tools allow me to incorporate multimedia elements such as videos, audio clips, and interactive links, making the content more engaging for students.

Digital Collaboration: Platforms like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams facilitate collaboration among students. They can share documents, work on group projects, and provide feedback to each other in real-time.

Online Research and Content Creation: I encourage students to use the internet for research and to create their own content. Tools like Canva and Adobe Spark are excellent for creating infographics, posters, and videos, which helps them learn to communicate their ideas visually.

Educational Games and Quizzes: Platforms like Kahoot! and Quizizz make learning fun and interactive. I use these tools to review material, assess student understanding, and encourage friendly competition in the classroom.

Virtual Field Trips and Simulations: Tools like Google Earth and virtual museum tours allow students to explore places and concepts they might not otherwise experience. This not only enhances their understanding but also sparks curiosity and imagination.

Coding and Robotics: Introducing basic coding through platforms like Scratch or using robotics kits like LEGO Mindstorms can help students understand the logic behind technology and develop problem-solving skills

@Ani-Bareghamyan
Hi Ani my perspective about Developing critical thinking skills in students is essential for their intellectual growth and ability to analyze and solve problems effectively.
Here are some strategies and tools I use, along with the types of questions I ask:
Strategies for Developing Critical Thinking,:
Create a classroom environment where students feel safe to ask questions and express their thoughts.
Use open-ended questions to stimulate thinking and exploration.
Present real-world problems and have students work in groups to find solutions.
Organize debates on relevant topics, encouraging students to research and defend their positions.
Foster discussions where students must articulate and justify their viewpoints.
Tools for Enhancing Critical Thinking:
Educational games and simulations that require strategic thinking and problem-solving.
Access to digital libraries, online journals, and reliable internet sources for research and information gathering.
Digital Research Tools:
Access to digital libraries, online journals, and reliable internet sources for research and information gathering.
"Types of Questions to Foster Critical Thinking"
Open-Ended Questions:
“What do you think would happen if…?”
“Can you explain why you believe this is the best solution?”
“What are the strengths and weaknesses of this argument?”
“How does this information change your understanding of the topic?”
“What did you learn from this activity, and how can you apply it in real life?”
“What would you do differently next time and why?
“How is this idea similar to/different from…?”
“What can we learn by comparing these two viewpoints?”
“If you were in this situation, what would you do?”
“What might be the consequences if…?”
By using these strategies and tools, and asking thought-provoking questions, you can help students to develop strong critical thinking skills.
Dear follows must share Ur experience and views about developing critical thinking skills in students

Dear Ani, thank you for bringing this topic to the discussion.
I would like to share one of the best websites about Media Literacy where both teachers and learners can find lots of resources for different age groups and various topics for their studies to integrate media literacy into their curriculum.
Common Sense Education

And here is one of the best tools we use when we have any media in our classroom which helps the students to analyze media content, find the hidden messages of media products, and identify the target audience the media is created for. We call them 5 Questions of Media Literacy.

1. Who created this message?
   Help your students "pull back the curtain" and recognize that all media have an author and an agenda. All of the media we encounter and consume was constructed by someone with a particular vision, background, and agenda.

Help students understand how they should question both the messages they see, as well the platforms on which messages are shared.

2. Which techniques are used to attract my attention?
   Whether it’s a billboard or a book, a TV show or movie, a mobile app or an online ad, different forms of media have unique ways to get our attention and keep us engaged. Are they using an emotional plea? Humor? A celebrity? Of course, digital media are changing all the time, and constant of updates and rapid innovations are the name of the game.

Help students recognize how new and innovative techniques capture our attention—sometimes without us even realizing.
3. How might different people interpret this message?
This question helps students consider how all of us bring our own individual backgrounds, values, and beliefs to how we interpret media messages. For any piece of media, there are often as many interpretations as there are viewers. Any time kids are interpreting a media message it’s important for them to consider how someone from a different background might interpret the same message in a very different way.

Model for your students how to ask questions like: What about your background might influence your interpretation? Or, Who might be the target audience for this message?
4. Which lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented—or missing?
Just as we all bring our own backgrounds and values to how we interpret what we see, media messages themselves are embedded with values and points of view. Help students question and consider how certain perspectives or voices might be missing from a particular message. If voices or perspectives are missing, how does that affect the message being sent?
Have students consider the impact of certain voices being left out, and ask them: What points of view would you like to see included, and why? You could even have a discussion here about how popular media can sometimes reinforce certain stereotypes, values, and points of view.

5. Why is this message being sent?
   With this question, have students explore the purpose of the message. Is it to inform, entertain, or persuade, or could it be some combination of these? Also have students explore possible motives behind why certain messages have been sent. Was it to gain power, profit, or influence? For older students, examining the economic structures behind various media industries will come into play.

Source: 5 Questions Students Should Ask About Media